LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

AT  URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 


I.H-S- 


THE 


BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD 


OF 


CHAMPAIGN  COUNTY, 


ILLINOIS. 


"  A  people  that  take  no  pride  in  tlie  noble  achievements  of  remote  aneesturs 
ill  ne-cer  nchiere  anvlhin^  worthy  to  be  remembered  with 
pride  by  remote  generations."1 — MACAULAY. 


CHICAGO: 

I'm:  S.  J.  CLARKE  PUBLISHING  C« '.MI-AM, 
1900. 


'Biography  is  the  only  true  history."--Emerson. 


PREFACE 


HE  greatest  of  English  historians,  MACAULAY,  and  one  of  the  most 
brilliant  writers  of  the  present  century,  has  said  :  "The  history  of  a 
country  is  best  told  in  a  record  of  the  lives  of  its  people."  In  con- 
formity with  this  idea,  the  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD  has  been  prepared. 
Instead  of  going  to  musty  records,  and  taking  therefrom  dry  statistical 
matter  that  can  be  appreciated  by  but  few,  our  corps  of  writers  have 
gone  to  the  people,  the  men  and  women  who  have,  by  their  enterprise 
and  industry,  brought  this  county  to  a  rank  second  to  none  among 
those  comprising  this  great  and  noble  State,  and  from  their  lips  have  the  story  of  their  life 
struggles.  No  more  interesting  or  instructive  matter  could  be  presented  to  an  intelligent 
public.  In  this  volume  will  be  found  a  record  of  many  whose  lives  are  worthy  the  imitation 
of  coming  generations.  It  tells  how  some,  commencing  life  in  poverty,  by  industry  and 
economy  have  accumulated  wealth.  It  tells  how  others,  with  limited  advantages  for  securing 
an  education,  have  become  learned  men  and  women,  with  an  influence  extending  throughout 
the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land.  It  tells  of  men  who  have  risen  from  the  lower  walks  of 
life  to  eminence  as  statesmen,  and  whose  names  have  become  famous.  It  tells  of  those  in 
every  walk  in  life  who  have  striven  to  succeed,  and  records  how  that  success  has  usuallv 
crowned  their  efforts.  It  tells  also  of  many,  very  many,  who,  not  seeking  the  applause  of  the 
world,  have  pursued  the  "  even  tenor  of  their  way,"  content  to  have  it  said  of  them,  as  Christ 
said  of  the  woman  performing  a  deed  of  mercy — "They  nave  done  what  they  could."  It 
tells  how  many,  in  the  pride  and  strength  of  young  manhood,  left  the  plow  and  the  anvil,*  the 
lawyer's  office  and  the  counting-room,  left  every  trade  and  profession,  and  at  their  country's 
call  went  forth  valiantly  "  to  do  or  die,"  and  how  through  their  efforts  the  Union  was 
restored  and  peace  once  more  reigned  in  the  land.  In  the  life  of  every  man  and  of  every 
woman  is  a  lesson  that  should  not  be  lost  upon  those  who  follow  after. 

Coming  generations  will  appreciate  this  volume  and  preserve  it  as  a  sacred  treasure,  from 
the  fact  that  it  contains  so  much  that  would  never  find  its  way  into  public  records,  and  which 
would  otherwise  be  inaccessible.  Great  care  has  been  taken  in  the  compilation  of  the  work, 
and  every  opportunity  possible  given  to*  those  represented  to  insure  correctness  in  what  has 
been  written  ;  and  the  publishers  flatter  themselves  that  they  give  to  their  readers  a  work  with 
few  errors  of  consequence.  In  addition  to  biographical  sketches,  portraits  of  a  number  of 
representative  citizens  are  given. 

The  faces  of  some,  and  biographical  sketches  of  many,  will  be  missed  in  this  volume. 
For  this  the  publishers  are  not  to  blame.  Not  having  a  proper  conception  of  the  work,  some 
rrlused  to  give  the  information  necessary  to  compile  a  sketch,  while  others  were  indifferent. 
Occasionally  some  member  of  the  family  would  oppose  the  enterprise,  and  on  account  of  such 
opposition  the  support  of  the  interested  one  would  be  withheld.  In  a  few  instances  men 
never  could  be  found,  though  repeated  calls  were  made  at  their  residence  or  place  of  business. 


May,   1900. 


THE  S.  T.  CLAHKE  PUBLISHING  Co. 


ALBERT  C.  BURNHAM. 


BIOGRAPHICAL 


LBERT  C.  BURNHAM, 
deceased.  Honored  and 
respected  by  all,  there 
was  no  man  in  Cham- 
paign who  occupied  a 
more  enviable  position 
in  business  circles  than 
Mr.  Burnham.  Not  only  on  account  of  the 
brilliant  success  he  achieved,  but  also  on 
account  of  the  honorable,  straightforward 
business  policy  he  always  followed.  He 
was  one  of  nature's  noblemen,  and  the  world 
is  better  for  his  having  lived.  He  was  a  man 
of  the  times,  broad-minded,  public-spirited 
and  progressive,  and  to  him  Champaign  is 
indebted  for  many  valuable  gifts. 

Mr.  Burnham  was  born  in  Deerfield, 
Michigan,  February  11,  1839,  and  was 
reared  upon  a  farm.  He  took  a  rather 
thorough  course  of  study  before  starting  out 
in  life  for  himself,  and  is  reported  to  have 
said  that  on  coming  to  Champaign  county 
he  was  still  three  hundred  dollars  in  debt 
for  the  expenses  of  his  education.  During 
the  winter  of  1 860-6  [  he  taught  school  in 
Onarga,  Iroquois  county.  Illinois,  and  early 
in  the  following  spring  came  to  Champaign 
and  entered  the  office  of  J.  B.  McKinley  to 
read  law.  He  was  a  good  student  and  soon 
completed  the  course  and  was  admitted  to 
the  bar.  In  the  meantime  he  evinced  more 


liking  for  business  affairs  than  for  the  prac- 
tice of  law.  As  it  happened  about  this 
time  eastern  capitalists  began  sending  money 
to  Mr.  McKinley  for  investment  in  farm  se- 
curities and  Mr.  Burnham  did  a  large  part 
of  the  formal  work  of  making  these  loans. 
After  he  was  licensed  to  practice  he  entered 
into  a  business  arrangement  with  Mr.  Mc- 
Kinley, under  the  firm  name  of  McKinley  & 
Burnham,  and  this  connection  continued 
until  our  subject's  marriage. 

At  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  June  24, 
1866,  Mr.  Burnham  married  Miss  Julia  F. 
Davison,  and  to  them  were  born  two  chil- 
dren: Robert  Davison,  a  resident  of  Cham- 
paign; and  Mary  B.,  wife  of  Newton  M. 
Harris,  of  the  same  city.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Burnham  began  their  married  life  in  the 
little  house  on  Church  street  now  occupied 
by  Mr. and  Mrs.  Julius  Hamilton,  and  after- 
ward moved  to  what  was  known  as  the  But- 
terfield  property  on  the  grounds  where  the 
Atheneum  now  stands,  making  that  their 
home  until  their  removal  to  the  residence  on 
the  corner  of  Lynn  and  Church  streets,  now 
occupied  by  their  daughter,  Mrs.  Harris. 

During  the  early  days  of  the  Civil  war, 
Mr.  Burham  was  a  clerk  in  the  commissary 
department  of  the  army,  but  suffering  from 
an  injury  received  by  being  thrown  from  a 
horse,  he  resigned  his  position  and  returned 


10 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


home.  After  his  marriage  he  was  engaged 
in  the  banking  business  for  some  years  at 
the  location  now  occupied  by  his  successors, 
and  established  what  has  become  one  of  the 
most  solid  financial  institutions  of  this  sec- 
tion of  the  state.  J.  R.  Trevett,  now  a 
member  of  the  firm,  entered  his  office  as  an 
employe  in  the  spring  of  1870.  On  the  ist 
of  March,  1871,  the  firm  of  Burnham,  Mc- 
Kinley  &  Company  was  organized,  and  R. 
R.  Mat! is  entered  their  employ  in  1875. 
When  that  firm  was  dissolved  March  I, 
1876,  Messrs.  Burnham,  Trevett  and  Mat- 
tis  entered  into  a  copartnership.  Although 
our  subject  retained  his  connection  with 
this  banking  house  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death,  he  practically  left  the  business  of 
the  company  to  the  junior  members  of  the 
firm  during  the  last  ten  years  of  his  life, 
while  he  devoted  his  attention  almost  en- 
tirely to  his  large  financial  interests.  The 
business  relations  of  the  company  were  most 
harmonious,  and  Mr.  Burnham  was  often 
heard  to  say  that  few  men  had  been  so  for- 
tunate as  he  in  the  ability,  trustworthiness 
and  capacity  of  their  business  associates. 
He,  himself,  was  a  most  able  financier,  and 
through  his  own  well-directed  efforts  and 
wise  investments  he  accumulated  a  hand- 
some fortune,  enabling  him  to  surround  his 
family  with  all  the  comforts  and  luxuries 
which  wealth  can  secure.  He  left  an  es- 
tate valued  at  between  one  and  two  million 
dollars,  and  gave  his  son  and  daughter,  to- 
gether with  his  partners,  Messrs.  Trevett 
and  Mattis,  full  charge  of  the  same  without 
bond  and  without  report.  The  property  is 
to  be  left  intact  until  1920,  when  it  is  to  be 
divided  among  his  legal  heirs.  In  politics 
Mr.  Burnham  was  a  Republican  and  served 
as  school  treasurer  for  some  time. 

While  enjoying  his  well-deserved  pros- 


perity, Mr.  Burnham   was  not  unmindful  of 
the  public,  and  cast  ^ibout  him  for  opportu- 
nities to  do  some  act  of  lasting  good  to  the 
community  in  which  he  lived,  and  especially 
to  the  needy  and  suffering.      In  the  summer 
of    1893    his   attention   was  attracted    by  a 
.newspaper  article  giving  a  detailed  account 
of  the  hardships  and  sufferings  of  an  unfort- 
unate invalid  in  a  poor  family  in  Champaign, 
and  or\  the  evening  of  October  19,  1893,  in 
the  presence  of  a   few   friends  at"  the  home 
of  Jerome  T.  Davidson,  Mr.  Burnham  an- 
nounced his  intention  of  giving  ten  thousand 
dollars  to  build  a. hospital  for  the  city,  which 
amount  was  later   increased  to  twenty-five 
thousand  dollars.      The   hospital  was  built 
and  at  his  request  was  named  the  Julia  F. 
Burnham  hospital  in   honor  of  his  beloved 
wife.      In  announcing  the  fact  of  his  purpose 
in   this  matter,   The   Gazette,  October  20, 
1893,  said:      "  The  gift  is  understood  to  be 
in  the  nature  of  a   memorial  to  his  wife  in 
her  lifetime  and   the   money  will  reach  its 
destination  through  her  hands."     This  hos- 
pital now  stands  at  the  corner  of  Springfield 
avenue  and  Fourth  street — a  monument  to 
the  goodness  of  the  woman  whose  name  it 
bears  and  to  the  generosity  of  him  whose 
thoughtfulness  made  its  construction  possi- 
ble.     Before  this  work  was  fairly  completed 
a  sad  affliction   came    upon  Mr.  Burnham. 
He  and  his  wife  went    to    New  York  in  the 
latter  days  of  October,  1894,  he  being  called 
there   on  business.      While  there  they  had 
rooms  at  the  Hoffman  House,  and  during  his 
absence,  Mrs.  Burnham  was  overtaken  with 
a  stroke  of  something  in  the  nature  of  par- 
alysis, from  which  she  expired  on  the  28th 
of  that  month.      The  remains  were  brought 
back  to  Champaign  and  interred  in  Mt.  Hope 
cemetery,  November  I,  1894,  the  manifest- 
ations   of  sorrow   and    grief  being  general 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


1 1 


throughout  the  city.  This  was  a  blow  from 
which  it  seemed  for  a  time  that  Mr.  Burn- 
ham  could  hardly  recover  his  faculties. 
Seldom  has  bereavement  seemed  to  strike  a 
man  so  severely. 

It  appears  that  on  the  way  to  New  York, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Burnham  talked  over  and  de- 
cided upon  another  gift  to  the  city,  which 
he  afterward  made.  This  was  revealed  to 
the  public  on  the  evening  of  January  I ,  i  895, 
when  at  a  meeting  of  the  city  council,  G. 
\Y.  Gere  appeared  for  Mr.  Burnham  and 
announced  the  purpose  formed  by  the  latter 
to  give  the  city  a  gift  of  fifty  thousand  dol- 
lars, as  follows:  thirty-five  thousand  to  be 
expended  in  the  construction  of  a  library 
building  to  be  perpetually  the  property  of 
the  city  for  library  purposes;  ten  thousand 
dollars  to  be  securely  invested  and  the  pro- 
ceeds thereof  to  be  applied  to  the  purchase 
of  books;  and  the  lot  known  as  the  Butter- 
field  property  on  West  Church  street,  valued 
at  five  thousand  dollars,  to  be  the  site  of 
the  new  library  building.  This  gift  was 
gratefully  accepted  by  the  city,  and  the  ele- 
gant Burnham  Atheneum  is  the  result.  It 
is  a  second  monument  to  the  name  and 
honor  of  the  good  citizen  who  always  had 
the  best  interests  of  Champaign  at  heart, 
and  will  reflect  credit  upon  him  and  do  good 
to  the  community  as  long  as  the  city  has  an 
existence.  On  the  I3th  of  September,  1897, 
while  on  his  way  to  the  office,  Mr.  Burnham 
was  overcome  with  the  heat  and  expired 
almost  instantly. 

His  record  was  that  of  a  man  who  by 
his  own  unaided  efforts  worked  his  way  up- 
ward to  a  position  of  wealth  and  affluence. 
In  all  places  and  under  all  circumstances  he 
was  loyal  to  truth,  honor  and  right,  justly 
valuing  his  own  self-respect  as  infinitely 
preferable  than  fame  and  position.  In  all 


those  fine  traits  of  character  which  combine 
to  form  what  we  term  friendship,  which  en- 
dear and  attach  man  to  man  in  bonds  which 
nothing  but  the  stain  of  dishonor  can  sever, 
which  triumph  in  the  hour  of  adversity — in 
those  qualities  he  was  royally  endowed. 


ANDREW  S.  DRAPER,  LL.  D.  The 
name  of  Dr.  Draper  is  a  familiar  one 
in  educational  circles  throughout  the  country, 
and  as  the  president  of  the  University  of 
Illinois  he  has  materially  advanced  the  in- 
tellectual status  of  this  commonwealth. 
Man's  worth  in  the  world  is  measured  by 
what  he  has  done  for  his  fellow  men,  and 
certainly  he  is  deserving  of  great  gratitude 
who  has  enabled  others  to  understand  their 
own  powers,  to  having  cognizance  of  their 
intellectual  strength  and  developed  their 
capabilities  in  a  way  that  will  make  their 
opportunities  in  life  greater  and  broader. 
Such  a  work  is  that  which  occupies  the  at- 
tention of  him  whose  name  introduces  this 
review,  and  today  he  stands  among  the 
leaders  in  educational  labors  in  the  Missis- 
sippi valley. 

President  Draper  was  born  in  Westford, 
Qtsego  county,  New  York,  June  21,  1848, 
his  parents  being  Sylvester  Bigelow  and 
Jane  (Sloan)  Draper.  The  father  was  a 
farmer  and  manufacturer  of  Westford.  Nine 
generations  of  the  Draper  family  have  re- 
sided in  America,  the  original  ancestor  in 
this  country  having  come  from  England  in 
1646.  One  of  the  great-grandfathers  of  the 
Doctor  was  a  captain  in  King  Philip's  war, 
and  two  others  were  Revolutionary  heroes. 
All  were  residents  of  Massachusetts.  The 
Sloans  were  of  Scotch-Irish  ancestry  and 
came  to  America  in  1812,  locating  in  Wash- 


12 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ington  county,    New  York.      Samuel  Sloan, 
the  maternal  grandfather,  was    the    first  of 
the  family  to  take  up  his  abode  in  the  new 
world.      His  family  were  of  the  Presbyterian 
faith,  while  the  Draper  family    were    Con- 
gregationalists  in  religious  belief.      Soon  af- 
ter the  Revolutionary  war  the  Drapers  made 
a  settlement  in  the  midst  of  the  wilderness, 
in  Otsego  county,  New  York,  and   there  re- 
sided the  great-grandfather,  the  grandfather 
and  the  father  of  our  subject,  and  lands  first 
taken    were     in      possession    of    members 
of  the  family  for  over    one  hundred    years. 
When  Dr.  Draper  was  a  lad  of  seven  sum- 
mers his  parents  removed  to  Albany,    New 
York.      In  the  public  schools   of    that    city 
the  Doctor  obtained  his  preliminary  educa- 
tion, which  was  supplemented  by    study    in 
the  Albany  Academy.      Later  he  was  a  stu- 
dent in  the  school  of  law  of  the  Union  Uni- 
versity, being  graduated  in  the  class  of  1871. 
Having  been  admitted  to  the  bar  he    prac- 
ticed   law    in  Albany    fourteen    years,    and 
during  that  time,   from    1878   to    1881,    he 
was  a  member  of  the  board  of  education  of 
that  city.      He  had  also  successfully  engaged 
in    teaching    from   1866  to    1870,    being    a 
member  of  the  faculty  of  the  Albany  Acad- 
emy during  a  portion  of  that  time. 

A  recognized  leader  in  public  thought 
and  opinion,  Dr.  Draper  was  called  upon  to 
represent  his  district  in  the  New  York  Leg- 
islature in  1 88 1,  and  was  made  a  member 
of  the  committees  on  ways  and  means,  and 
public  education,  and  public  printing,  but 
gave  the  greater  part  of  his  time  to  the  first 
named.  He  was  also  a  member  of  a  special 
committee  of  that  Legislature  that  investi- 
gated the  affairs  ot  the  Elmira  Reformatory, 
prepared  the  report  of  the  committee,  and 
also  the  first  bill  which  became  a  law  in 
New  York  against  contract  labor  in  the 


prisons.      He  was  likewise  a  member  of  the 
special  committee  that  entertained  General 
Grant  on  the  part  of  the  Legislature  and  also 
a  member  of  the  special  committee  that  in- 
vestigated the  charges  of  bribery  preferred 
against  Senator  L.  B.  Sessions  in  connection 
with    the    contest    over  the    election    of    a 
United   States  senator  brought  on  by   the 
resignation   of  Senators  Conklin  and  Platt. 
Dr.  Draper  supported  those  two  senators  in 
that  prolonged  contest.      He  was  a  member 
of  the  Republican  state  central  committee 
from  1882  until   1885,  and  was  chairman  of 
the  executive  committee  during  the  presi- 
dential campaign  of   1884.     The  same  year 
he   was  a  delegate  to  the   Republican   na- 
tional convention  and  supported  the  nom- 
ination of  President  Arthur.     He  had  charge 
of  the  details  of  the  party  campaign  in  New 
York  in  1884,  and  visited  Mr.  Elaine  at  his 
invitation  at  his  home  in  Augusta,  Maine, 
and  later  accompanied  him  on  his  two  cele- 
brated   tours   of    the    Empire    state.     The 
same  year  he  was   appointed   by  President 
Arthur — the  appointment  being    confirmed 
by  the  senate — as  one  of  the  judges  of  the 
United   States   court   created    by  Congress 
to  determine  the  individual  claims  against  the 
Geneva  award.      In  1886  he  was  elected  by 
the   New  York  legislature  to    the   position 
of    state    superintendent  of  public   instruc- 
tion  and  re-elected  in    1889,   serving   until 
1892.       During    this    time    the    educational 
system   of  /New  York  state   was  in  a  large 
measure  re-organized,  and  many  legislative 
acts  were   passed  of  benefit  to  the  schools. 
The  courses  of  work  in  the  normal  schools 
and  the   teachers'  training  classes   were  en- 
tirely revised  and  a  complete  system  of  uni- 
form examinations  for  teachers'  certificates 
was  established. 

In  1892   Dr.  Draper  was  chosen  super- 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


intendent  of  instruction  in  the  public  schools 
of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  filled  that  position 
for  two  years.  A  new  law  had  been  enacted 
for  the  city  which  placed  the  appointment 
and  removal  of  teachers  wholly  in  the  hands 
of  the  superintendent,  and  in  this  way  the 
teaching- force  was  purged  and  reinvigorated 
and  the  standard  of  the  schools  was  materi- 
ally raised.  Examinations  as  tests  of  ad- 
vancement from  grade  to  grade  in  grammar 
schools  was  abolished  and  the  judgment  of 
the  teachers  substituted  therefor.  The  work 
of  the  city  training  school  was  revised,  and 
the  whole  city  educational  system  took  on 
new  energy  and  effectiveness.  In  1894  Dr. 
Draper  was  elected  president  of  the  Univer- 
sity of  Illinois  and  has  since  occupied  the 
position.  During  his  incumbency  harmony 
has  prevailed  in  the  councils  of  the  univer- 
sity and  all  the  friends  of  the  institution 
have  combined  to  lift  it  to  a  place  of  first 
rank  among  the  universities  of  the  country. 
Through  the  favor  of  the  people  of  the  state 
and  generous  appropriations  by  the  Legisla- 
ture these  efforts  have  been  in  a  large  meas- 
ure successful.  New  university  buildings 
have  been  secured,  and  theinstructional  force 
has  more  than  doubled  during  the  past  five 
years,  while  the  number  of  students  has  in- 
creased from  less  than  eight  hundred  to  more 
than  twenty-two  hundred.  Dr.  Draper  has 
been  a  frequent  contributor  to  the  educa- 
tional press  and  has  delivered  addresses  be- 
fore educational  bodies  in  more  than  one-half 
the  states  of  the  Union.  He  has  recently 
published  a  work  entitled  "The  Rescue  of 
Cuba,"  which  has  attracted  much  attention 
and  won  much  commendation  throughout 
the  country. 

In  1872  Dr.  Draper  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Abbie  Louise  Lyon,  of  New 
Britain,  Connecticut,  and  they  now  have 


two  children:  Charlotte  Leland  and  Edwin 
Lyon.  The  Doctor  was  formerly  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Congregational  church  (though 
now  affiliated  with  the  Presbyterian  church), 
and  for  many  years  was  an  elder  in  the  First 
Presbyterian  church  of  Albany.  In  1889 
the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Law  was  conferred 
upon  him  by  Colgate  University.  He  is  an 
honorary  member  of  the  Wisconsin  State 
Historical  Society,  and  though  his  life  has 
been  largely  devoted  to  intellectual  labors, 
he  yet  realizes  the  value  and  importance  of 
physical  development,  and  is  very  fond  of 
outdoor  sports,  particularly  of  horses,  base- 
ball and  boating.  He  has  traveled  exten- 
sively throughout  this  country,  and  in  1899 
he  visited  Europe,  spending  many  pleasant 
hours  in  viewing  the  places  of  historic  and 
modern  interest  in  Ireland,  England,  Scot- 
land, Holland,  Germany,  Switzerland  and 
France.  At  this  point  it  would  be  almost 
tautological  to  enter  into  any  series  of  state- 
ments as  showing  our  s*ubject  to  be  a  man 
of  broad  intelligence  and  genuine  public 
spirit,  for  these  have  been  shadowed  forth 
between  the  lines  of  this  review.  Strong  in 
individuality,  he  never  lacks  the  courage  of 
his  convictions,  has  much  human  sympathy 
and  an  abiding  charity,  which,  as  taken  in 
connection  with  the  sterling  integrity  and 
honor  of  his  character,  have  naturally  se- 
cured for  him  the  respect  and  confidence  of 
men. 


JUDGE  WILLIAM  D.  SOMERS,  one  of 
the  most  prominent  old  settlers  of 
Champaign  county,  and^'one  who  has  been 
an  important  factor  in  advancing  its  inter- 
ests, was  born  in  Surry  county.  North  Car- 
olina, in  1812,  a  son  of  Waitman  and  Win- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


nifred  Somers.  By  occupation  the  father 
was  a  farmer.  Our  subject  was  reared  in 
his  native  state  but  received  only  a  limited 
education.  In  early  life  he  went  to  live  with 
Joseph  Williams,  then  clerk  of  the  county 
and  circuit  courts  of  Surry  county,  and  as  a 
clerk  in  his  office  acquired  his  first  knowl- 
edge of  law.  He  read  medicine  and  then 
engaged  in  practice  there  for  a  time  as  by 
an  act  of  the  Legislature  two  graduate  phy- 
sicians could  give  permission  for  an  appli- 
cant to  practice. 

In  November,  1840,  Judge  Somers  came 
to  Champaign,  which  was  then  a  very  small 
place,  and  he  rode  on  horseback  over  the 
open  prairie  for  miles  around.  He  was  in 
limited  circumstances  on  coming  to  the 
county,  but  later  purchased  land  here.  He 
married  Miss  Catherine  P.  Carson,  a  native 
of  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  whose  family 
were  among  the  first  to  locate  in  this  region. 
She  died  in  1898,  leaving  three  children, 
namely:  Pauline,  now  the  wife  of  George 
Curtis,  of  Peoria;  Mollie,  wife  of  Charles 
Besore,  of  Champaign;  and  Cora,  wife  of 
Mr.  Parker,  of  Urbana,  Illinois. 

For  some  years  after  coming  to  this 
county  Judge  Somers  was  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  medicine,  and  in  the  meantime 
read  law,  being  persuaded  to  adopt  the  legal 
profession  by  his  wife,  who  was  a  well-edu- 
cated woman  and  believed  that  he  possessed 
the  necessary  requirements  of  a  successful 
lawyer.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  by 
Judge  Trent  and  devoted  his  entire  time  to 
practice  until  about  ten  years  ago,  when  he 
retired  from  active  business.  He  was  inter- 
ested with  Abraham  Lincoln  in  many  cases 
tried  before  the  l^Kil  and  supreme  courts, 
and  in  his  day  was  one  of  the  most  success- 
ful attorneys  connected  with  the  bar  of 
Champaign  county.  He  tried  many  impor- 


tant cases,  one  of  the  most  noted  being  the 
will  case  of  Brownfield  versus  Brownfield. 
For  a  number  of  years  he  was  local  attorney 
for  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company 
and  received' as  high  as  a  one-thousand-dol- 
lar fee  from  them  in  the  days  of  smaller 
fees.  As  a  lawyer  he  probably  had  no  supe- 
rior in  Champaign  county  at  that  time.  On 
attaining  his  majority  he  became  identified 
with  the  Democratic  party,  but  of  recent 
years  has  affiliated  with  the  Republican 
party.  He  was  never  an  office  seeker,  pre- 
ferring to  devote  his  entire  time  and  atten- 
tion to  his  professional  duties.  He  has 
brought  his  keen  discrimination  and  thor- 
ough wisdom  to  bear  not  only  in  professional 
paths,  but  also  for  the  benefit  of  the  city 
which  has  so  long  been  his  home  and  with 
whose  interests  he  has  been  thoroughly  iden- 
tified. It  was  principally  through  his  in- 
strumentality that  the  University  of  Illinois 
was  established  at  Champaign,  being  at  that 
time  a  member  of  the  board  of  supervisors 
who  met  at  Springfield  to  decide  on  a  loca- 
tion, and  for  this  one  act,  as  well  as  many 
others,  the  community  owes  him  a  debt  of 
gratitude  which  can  never  be  repaid.  His 
home  for  several  years  past  has  been  at  the 
corner  of  Green  and  Race  streets. 


JOHN  W.  BEARDSLEY,  secretary  and 
manager  of  the  Champaign  Machine  £ 
Supply  Company,  is  a  young  man  of  supe- 
rior executive  ability  and  sound  judgment, 
who  already  occupies  a  good  position  in  the 
business  world,  and  has  a  fine  prospect  of 
reaching  the  topmost  round  of  the  ladder  of 
prosperity.  He  was  born  in  Champaign, 
May  31,  1870,  and  throughout  his  business 
career  has  been  prominently  identified  with 
the  interests  of  the  city. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


The  Beardsley  family  is  from  Stratford- 
on-Avon,  England,  and  was  founded  in  this 
country  as  early  as  1635.  John  Beardsley, 
the  great-grandfather  of  our  subject,  served 
six  years  as  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary 
war,  and  lost  his"  hearing  at  Stony  Point  by 
the  bursting  of  a  cannon.  He  died  in  1802. 
His  son,  John  Beardsley,  Jr.,  the  grand- 
father of  our  subject,  was  a  native  of  Strat- 
ford, Connecticut.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the 
war  of  1812,  and  was  a  cabinet  maker  by 
trade,  which  occupation  he  followed  until 
his  removal  to  Ohio.  He  was  a  pioneer  of 
Milford  township,  Knox  county,  and  was 
one  of  the  organizers  of  the  township  On 
the  1 9th  of  March,  1822,  he  wedded  Mary 
Fitch,  a  native  of  New  Haven,  Connecticut, 
and  with  his  bride  in  a  one-horse  wagon, 
which  contained  their  complete  outtit,  went 
to  Ohio.  He  was  a  man  of  note  in  his 
community,  was  a  Whig  in  politics  and  held 
many  offices.  In  his  youth  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Congregational  church,  and  later 
was  a  believer  in  the  doctrines  as  taught  by 
Beecher,  Dow  and  Taylor.  He,  himself, 
possessed  considerable  power  as  a  speaker. 
He  died  February  24,  1887,  at  the  advanced 
age  of  ninety-five  years.  Of  his  eight  chil- 
dren, four  died  in  childhood.  The  others 
are  Charles,  who  was  appointed  fourth  aud- 
itor of  the  United  States  treasury  and  served 
in  that  office  eight  years;  Henry,  an  attor- 
ney of  Clark,  Nebraska;  Mrs.  Mary  Craven, 
of  Milford,  Ohio;  and  George  F.,  father  of 
our  subject. 

George  F.  Ut-ardslcy  was  born  in  Ohio, 
May  26,  1827,  and  was  reared  on  a  farm  in 
that  state  and  educated  in  the  primitive 
schools  of  his  day.  In  his  youth  he  joined 
the  ranks  of  the  district  school  teachers  and 
spent  sixteen  winters  in  this  vocation.  On 
reaching  manhood  he  followed  farming  in 


Ohio  until  1867,  when  he  came  to  Cham- 
paign and  embarked  in  the  loan  and  real 
estate  business.  In  1895  he  built  the  Beards- 
ley  Hotel,  but  afterwards  sold  it  to  Charles 
B.  Hatch.  While  a  resident  of  Ohio,  he 
served  as  postmaster  at  Milfordton  under 
Presidents  Buchanan  and  Lincoln  and  held 
the  office  of  justice  of  the  peace  for  ei^ht 
years.  In  1864  he  was  a  member  of  the 
National  Guards,  and  was  in  active  service 
ar  und  Petersburg.  Since  coming  to  Cham- 
paign he  has  been  prominently  identified 
with  many  of  its  business  interests,  and  has 
done  as  much,  if  not  more  than  any  other  man 
for  the  upbuilding  and  development  of  the 
city.  He  has  also  taken  quite  an  active  part  in 
public  affairs,  serving  as  member  of  the  board 
of  education  many  years,  and  of  the  city  coun- 
cil fourteen  years.  In  political  sentiment 
he  is  a  Republican.  He  has  been  an  active 
church  worker  for  many  years,  a  member  of 
the  Congregational  church,  and  gives  an 
earnest  support  to  all  enterprises  calculated 
to  advance  the  moral,  educational  or  mate- 
rial welfare  of  the  city  or  county.  Few  men 
are  better  known  throughout  the  community, 
and  none  are  more  honored  or  highly  es- 
teemed. In  Knox  county,  Ohio,  he  was 
married,  August  10,  1854,  to  Martha  Mahan, 
a  daughter  of  John  and  Martha  Mahan,  of 
New  York  state.  Six  children  were  born  of 
this  union,  three  of  whom  are  now  living: 
Henry  M..  who  married  Marietta  Davis  and 
lives  in  KansasCity,  Missouri; Annie  Laurie; 
and  John  \V. ,  our  subject. 

The  primary  education  of  John  W. 
Beardsley  was  obtained  in  the  public  schools 
of  Champaign,  and  later  he  entered  the 
Illinois  University,  taking  the  modern  lan- 
guage course  and  graduating  in  1890  with 
the  degree  of  B.  L.  With  the  expectation 
of  taking  up  the  practice  of  lasv,  he  went  to 


i6 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Kansas  City,  Missouri,  and  entered  the  law 
office  of  Beardsley  &  Gregory,  but  owing  to 
ill  health  of  his  father  he  soon  returned 
home,  and  became  interested  in  the  real 
estate  and  insurance  business  with  his  father. 
In  1894  he  became  secretary  of  the  Maltby 
&  Wallace  Company,  and  remained  with 
them  in  that  capacity  until  1896,  when  the 
firm  made  an  assignment,  and  out  of  it  de- 
veloped the  Champaign  Machine  &  Supply 
Company,  of  which  he  is  a  stockholder, 
secretary  and  manager,  the  president  being 
Professor  F.  A.  Sager,  of  the  University; 
and  the  vice-president,  S.  K.  Hughes,  while 
the  superintendent  is  J.  E.  Protzeller.  The 
company  have  a  general  machine  shop  and 
foundry,  which  they  operate,  and  are  also 
jobbers  in  steam  and  plumbing  supplies. 
Their's  is  one  of  the  leading  indu  ;tries  of  the 
city,  and  they  do  a  large  and  profitable 
business. 

In  1899,  Mr.  Beardsley  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Edith  M.  Stave, .a  native 
of  Indiana,  and  a  daughter  of  L.  A.  Stave, 
who  was  for  many  years  connected  with  the 
register  letter  department  of  the  Chicago 
post  office,  but  owing  to  ill  health  he  re- 
signed his  position,  and  for  the  past  six 
years  has  lived  retired  in  Champaign.  Mrs. 
Beardsley  is  the  only  child  of  her  parents 
now  living,  one  other  having  died  young. 
Both  our  subject  and  his  wife  are  members 
of  the  First  Congregational  church  of 
Champaign,  and  socially  he  is  a  member  of 
Valiant  Lodge,  No.  150,  K.  P.,  and  Tusco- 
rora  Tribe,  No.  107,  I.  O.  R.  M.  For  two 
years  he  was  secretary  of  the  Champaign 
Agricultural  Association  board.  Politically 
he  is  a  Republican,  but  at  local  elections, 
where  no  issue  is  involved,  he  votes  for  the 
man  he  considers  best  qualified  to  fill  the 
office,  regardless  of  party  lines. 


DAVID  BAILEY  was  born  in  Salem, 
Rockingham  county,  New  Hampshire, 
August  2,  1814,  of  poor  but  honest  parents, 
his  father  being  a  farmer  and  shoemaker, 
to  which  business  the  most  of  the  boys  in 
that  section  of  the  country  were  reared. 
There  were  nine  children  in  this  New  Eng- 
land home,  three  sons  and  six  daughters, 
and  the  story  of  their  early  life  is  similar 
to  that  which  has  been  written  of  so  many 
others,  their  time  being  devoted  to  hard 
work  and  a  few  months  study  at  the  district 
school  during  the  winter  season.  David 
Bailey  had  no  further  opportunity  for  schol- 
astic training.  Indeed  while  he  was  yet 
under  twelve  years  of  age  he  was  put  out 
to  work  for  a  neighboring  farmer  in  order 
to  assist  his  father  in  lifting  some  incum- 
brances  which  were  pressing,  and  be  it  said 
to  their  credit  that  the  debt  was  fully 
paid. 

After  spending  a  number  of  years  on  the 
farm,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  found  an 
opportunity  to  enter  a  clerkship  at  Haver- 
hill,  Massachusetts,  but  did  not  long  remain 
on  account  of  poor  health.  He  soon  drifted 
to  Boston,  or  rather  to  Charlestown,  where 
for  a  time  he  held  a  clerkship  in  the  state 
penitentiary.  Late  in  the  '305  he  decided 
to  follow  the  star  of  the  empire  and  came 
west  as  far  as  Danville,  Illinois,  where  he 
entered  a  general  store.  While  there  he 
first  met  Miss  Hannah  A.  Finley,  to  whom 
he  was  married  February  9,  1841,  and  by 
this  union  were  born  five  children,  three 
sons  who  survive  their  father,  namely:  Ed- 
ward, president  of  the  Champaign  National 
Bank,  of  Champaign;  David,  Jr.,  a  resident 
of  Longview;  and  Ozias,  of  Texas.  The 
daughters  were  Abiah,  who  died  in  child- 
hood; and  Mrs.  Sue  (Bailey)  Slayden,  who 
died  some  years  ago  in  Waco,  Texas. 


DAVID  BAILEY 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


After  spending  some  time  working  in 
Danville,  Mr.  Bailey  went  to  Bloomfield, 
Edgar  county,  Illinois,  walking  all  the  way 
as  he  had  not  the  means  to  pay  coach  fare, 
that  being  the  only  mode  of  travel  in  those 
days.  There  he  accepted  a  position  on  sal- 
ary, but  later  with  his  brother  Ozias,  who 
had  recently  come  west,  he  formed  a  part- 
nership under  the  firm  name  of  O.  &  D. 
Bailey,  our  subject  having  saved  a  few  dol- 
lars. The  Bailey  peddler's  wagons  soon 
became  well  known  throughout  the  section 
between  the  Wabash  and  Sangamon  rivers. 
The  brothers  also  operated  a  pork  packing 
establishment  at  Clinton,  Indiana,  shipping 
their  produce  by  flatboats  to  New  Orleans. 
About  1855  our  subject  moved  to  Monticel- 
lo,  and  after  a  short  sojourn  there  came  to 
Urbana.  In  March,  1856,  he  removed  to 
Champaign,  where  for  a  number  of  years 
he  successfully  conducted  a  dry  goods  busi- 
ness on  the  site  of  the  Metropolitan  Block 
now  occupied  by  F.  K.  Robinson  &  Brother. 

Aside  from  this  Mr.  Bailey  was  one  of 
the  original  shareholders  and  directors  of 
the  First  National  Bank  and  it  was  largely 
through  his  efforts  that  the  charter  was  se- 
cured, the  names  appearing  with  his  in  the 
original  articles  of  incorporation  being 
James  S.  Wright,  John  F.  Thomas,  Will- 
iam M.  Way,  Hamilton  Jefferson,  B.  F. 
Harris,  John  S.  Beasley,  Daniel  Gardner, 
William  C.  Barrett,  Simeon  H.  Busey,  S. 
P.  Percival,  John  G.  Clark  and  A.  E.  Har- 
mon. Mr.  Bailey  disposed  of  his  holdings 
in  this  institution  some  time  in  the  '705,  and 
in  1882  he  became  one  of  the  charter  mem- 
bers of  the  Champaign  National  Bank,  in 
which  his  holdings  were  always  consider- 
able, and  in  which  he  was  a  director  from 
the  date  of  organization  until  the  time  of 
his  death. 


During  his  residence  in  Champaign,  Mr. 
Bailey  was  several  times  elected  to  the 
board  of  supervisors  and  also  served  one 
term  as  school  trustee.  He  was  a  public- 
spirited  citizen,  contributing  liberally  yet 
wisely  to  every  worthy  enterprise  whether 
secular  or  religious.  His  givings  were  never 
ostentatious,  but  it  may  be  said  here  that 
among  his  gifts  are  numbered  the  lots 
occupied  by  the  Baptist  parsonage,  he 
being  a  member  of  that  society,  and  the 
valuable  ground  now  occupied  by  the  city 
buildings. 

Mr.  Bailey  gave  up  his  residence  in 
Champaign  about  1877,  and  after  traveling 
for  a  season  finally  located  in  St.  Joseph, 
Missouri,  where  he  remained  until  after  the 
death  of  his  first  wife  in  1879.  Subse- 
quently he  lived  for  a  time  in  New  York 
City,  and  then  returned  to  the  home  of  his 
boyhood  in  New  Hampshire,  where  he 
spent  most  of  his  time,  though  he  fre- 
quently visited  his  old  home  and  friends  in 
Champaign.  On  the  22nd  of  March,  1882, 
he  married  Miss  Harriet  Haseltine,  of 
Methuen,  Massachusetts,  and  only  two 
weeks  later  followed  her  remains  to  the 
cemetery.  He  was  again  married,  Novem- 
ber i,  1886,  his  third  wife  being  Mrs.  Mary 
B.  Evvins.  who  survives  him.  His  new  resi- 
dence in  that  city,  built  on  the  site  of  the 
old  family  home,  had  just  been  completed 
and  occupied  by  him  when  called  from  this 
life  December  17,  1897,  it  being  his  inten- 
tion had  he  livjed  to  spend  the  closing  days 
of  his  life  among  the  scenes  of  his  greatest 
successful  activity. 

Mr.  Bailey  was  a  man  of  magnificent 
physical  presence,  and  it  may  truly  be  said 
that  he  carried  within  his  breast  a  soul 
worthy  of  so  splendid  a  habitation.  He 
sought  no  man's  praise,  satisfied  to  have  the 


20 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


approval  of  his  own  conscience,  and  he  was 
immovable  in  his  adherence  to  justice  and 
right.  Once  his  duty  was  made  plain, 
nothing  could  swerve  him  from  it,  yet  un- 
der a  stern  exterior  beat  a  great,  big,  kind 
heart,  as  those  who  knew  him  best  can  tes- 
tify. He  was  a  manly  man  and  that  means 
much.  His  character  was  developed  in 
pioneer  days  and  while  his  early  opportunity 
for  acquiring  an  education  was  very  limited, 
yet  by  reading  and  observation  he  became  a 
well  informed  and  polished  gentleman.  The 
lile  and  labors  of  such  as  he  have  made 
possible  the  greater  comfort  and  beauty  in 
the  world  at  present. 

The  editorial  comment  of  the  Daily 
News  at  the  time  of  his  death  voiced  the 
sentiment  of  the  entire  community  and  was 
as  follows:  "It  is  with  profound  sorrow 
that  the  people  of  Champaign  have  laid  to 
rest  the  human  form  in  which  for  eighty- 
four  years  reposed  the  noble  soul  of  David 
Bailey,  as  true  a  man  as  ever  lived  in  this 
community.  It  was  to  his  foresight  and 
effort,  probably  more  than  any  other,  that 
in  the  late  '503  and  through  the  '6os  shaped 
the  affairs  of  this  municipality  in  a  way  to  . 
lay  the  foundation  for  our  city's  present 
greatness,  and  our  citizens  have  never  for- 
gotten and  could  not  forget  his  early  and 
long  continued  interest  in  their  welfare.  It 
was  the  nature  of  Mr.  Bailey  to  stand  al- 
ways bravely  for  the  right.  He  could 
neither  be  cajoled  nor  coerced  in  compro- 
mising either  himself  or  the  interests  he 
represented.  He  was  the  very  embodiment 
of  manliness.  The  competency  which  he 
left  behind  was  accumulated  through  honest 
effort.  During  his  early  struggles  it  may 
have  been  difficult  at  times  to  pay  his  bills, 
but  they  were  all  paid  in  full.  What  he  had 
was  his  and  no  man  could  question  his  right 


to  it  for  no  man  had  ever  been  crippled  or 
crushed  by  him  in  his  efforts  to  get  it.  Mr. 
Bailey  was  a  sturdy  specimen  of  that  vig- 
orous and  noble  manhood  which  scorns  to 
do  evil.  His  whole  life  was  an  example  of 
right  living;  his  heart  beat  warm  for  the 
oppressed  and  distressed;  and  his  purse 
opened  probably  with  greater  frequency 
than  any  other  in  Champaign  to  alleviate 
the  sufferings  of  his  fellows.  Yet  it  was  all 
done  so  modestly  that  only  in  rare  instances 
did  any  but  the  beneficiaries  know  of  his 
beneficence.  Champaign  sincerely  mourns 
the  loss  of  this  worthy  citizen  and  steadfast 
friend.  His  memory  will  long  be  cherished 
by  those  among  which  he  lived  so  long  and 
for  whom  he  did  so  much." 


WILLIAM  CHERRY,  who  has  been 
actively  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits in  Champaign  county  and  eastern  Illi- 
nois, and  experienced  all  of  the  vicissitudes 
common  to  the  pioneer  in  this  region  in  the 
early  '505,  is  now  practically  retired  from 
business,  and  is  passing  his  declining  years 
in  peace  and  plenty,  at  his  pleasant  home 
in  the  outskirts  of  Urbana.  Possessing  the 
energy  and  practical  methods  of  the  English 
people  among  wrfom  he  was  reared,  he  was 
the  first  in  his  section  of  the  county  to  in- 
troduce numerous  improvements  and  radical 
changes  from  the  prevailing  system  of  farm- 
ing, and  wrought  out  a  measure  of  success 
rarely  attained  by  the  Illinois  farmer. 

Born  in  Oxfordshire,  England,  June  9, 
1828,  William  Cherry  is  a  son  of  Thomas 
and  Ann  (Lock)  Cherry,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  the  same  locality.  The  father 
held  a  position  as  game-keeper  on  the  estates 
of  Lord  Abingdon,  and  was  a  faithful  and 


.    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


21 


efficient  employe  of  that  nobleman.  Born 
February  14,  1805,  he  lived  to  the  age  of 
about  85  years,  and  his  wife,  who  was  born 
in  1806,  died  September  29,1878.  They 
were  the  parents  of  ten  children,  namely: 
William,  George,  Thomas,  Jane,  Esther, 
Barbara,  Emma,  Ann,  Eliza,  and  Mary. 

In  his  youth,  our  subject  received  the 
greater  part  of  his  education  in  the  night 
schools,  and,  as  he  was  maturing,  he  was  of 
much  assistance  to  his  father.  About  the 
time  that  he  reached  his  majority  he  had 
the  reputation  of  being  the  most  expert 
plowman  of  that  locality,  and  in  other  de- 
partments of  agriculture  he  excelled.  A  spirit 
of  enterprise  and  ambition  led  him,  at  length, 
to  embark  for  the  land  of  promise,  and  such 
our  country  ultimately  proved  itself  to  him. 
Going  to  Toledo,  he  found  employment  on 
the  construction  of  the  "four-mile  level" 
just  west  of  that  city,  on  the  Wabash  rail- 
way, and  the  following  year  he  proceeded 
to  Attica,  Indiana,  where  -he  rented  a  farm 
until  1859.  The  next  eight  years  were 
spent  by  him  on  leased  hind  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  present  town  of  Armstrong,  Illinois, 
and  in  the  fall  of  1866  he  went  to- Champaign 
county,  where  he  had  previously  purchased 
a  quarter  section  of  land,  situated  upon  sec- 
tion 31,  Ogden  township.  The  property  was 
wild  prairie,  and  much  of  the  plare  was  un- 
der water  part  of  the  year.  Solving  the  dif- 
ficulty in  a  practical  way,  the  new  owner 
bought  a  carload  of  tiles  at  the  factory  in 
Indiana,  and  thus  was  the  first  one  in  the 
county,  probably,  to  insntntc  this  common- 
sense  practice  of  draining  low  lands.  Need- 
less to  say,  his  homestead  thrived  and  \  ield- 
ed  abundantly  under  his  judicious  manage- 
ment, and  his  example,  in  many  things, 
proved  an  incentive  to  the  whole  commu- 
nity. For  a  score  of  years  he  dwelt  there, 


raising  large  quantities  of  grain  and  breeding 
and  feeding  live  stock  extensively.  With 
all  of  his  inherited  love  for  fine  stock,  he 
kept  Clydesdale  horses,  short-horn  cattle 
and  Southdown  sheep,  and  never  failed  to 
obtain  high  prices  for  them.  When  he  could 
afford  it,  he  bought  another  quarter-section 
x of  land,  adjoining  his  home  place,  and  con- 
verted the  whole  into  a  valuable  farm.  Later, 
he  sold  a  portion  of  the  place,  and  in  iSSS 
bought  twenty  acres  of  land,  just  outside 
the  corporate  limits  of  Champaign,  and  there 
made  his  abode  for  three  years.  In  1891, 
he  removed  to  his  present  place,  comprising 
ten  acres,  located  on  the  edge  of  the  town 
of  Urbana,  and  well  improved  and  desirable 
in  every  respect.  He  also  owns  several 
hundred  acres  of  excellent  land  in  Illinois 
and  Nebraska,  beside  having  other  paying 
investments. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Cherry  and  Sarah, 
daughter  of  John  and  Hannah  Lever,  all  na- 
tives of  Buckinghamshire,  England,  was 
celebrated  February  2  i ,  1855.  She  came 
to  America  with  her  brother,  William,  who 
lived  at  the  home  of  our  subject,  and  her 
sister  Mary.  The  latter  , wedded  Henry 
Last,  now  a  retired  citizen  of  West  Leb- 
anon, Indiana.  As  they  were  not  blessed 
with  children  of  their  own,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Cherry  opened  their  hearts  and  home  to  five 
different  children,  whom  they  adopted,  edu- 
cated and  ten4erly  cared  for.  One  of  the 
number,  James  H.,  is  a  practical  and  suc- 
cessful farmer  of  Ogden  township.  Mrs. 
Cherry  was  summoned  to  the  better  land 
August  ii,  1894.  She  was  a  devoted  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and 
was  an  earnest  worker  in  the  Sunday-school 
and  in  all  good  enterprises.  On  the  9th  of 
December,  1897,  Mr.  Cherry  married  Miss 
Sarah  E.  Last,  daughter  of  the  Henry  and 


22 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Mary  Last  mentioned  above,  and,  there- 
fore, a  niece  of  his  first  wife.  She  is  the 
only  survivor  of  three  children,  and  was 
reared  to  womanhood  in  Indiana. 

In  1888,  Mr.  Cherry  made  a  trip  to 
England,  where  he  visited  the  scenes  of  his 
happy  youth,  and  renewed  old  acquaint- 
ances. Politically,  he  has  not  allied  himself 
to  any  party,  but  has  independently  voted 
for  the  nominees  and  principles  in  which  he 
has  believed  at  the  time.  During  his  resi- 
dence in  Ogden  township,  he  served  as 
commissioner  of  highways  for  eight  years, 
and  was  a  school  director  for  twelve  years. 
Religiously,  he  has  been  active  in  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church,  and  has  liberally 
supported  worthy  charities.  His  remin- 
iscences of  early  days  on  the  frontier  are 
very  interesting,  and  he  graphically  relates 
tales  of  his  own  and  neighbors'  experiences 
before  the  roads  were  more  than  outlined, 
streams  were  bridged,  markets  were  easily 
accessible,  and  the  thousand-and-one  im- 
provements and  comforts  of  civilized  life 
were  introduced  upon  these  then  wild  and 
unpromising  prairies. 


ANDREW  J.  MILLER.  Fortunate  is  the 
man  who  has  back  of  him  an  ancestry 
honorable  and  distinguished,  and  happy  is 
he  whose  lines  of  life  are  ca,st  in  harmony 
therewith.  In  person,  in  character  and  in 
talents,  Mr.  Miller  is  a  worthy  scion  of  his 
race.  He  has  shown  himself  to  be  the  peer 
of  the  brightest  members  of  the  bar  in  this 
section  of  Illinois.  Having  richly  inherited 
the  gifts  of  intellect  and  oratory  of  a  family 
which  has  added  luster  to  the  pages  of  state 
and  national  history  through  successive 
generations,  he  to-day  holds  a  position  of 


distinctive  preferment  among  the  represent- 
atives of  the  bar  of  Champaign  county. 

Andrew  Jackson  Miller  was  born  in 
Tolono  township,  this  county,  on  the  3Oth 
of  May,  1863,  his  parents  being  Isaac  J. 
and  Elizabeth  W.  (Rock)  Miller.  His 
grandfather,  Nathaniel  Miller,  spent  his 
early  life  in  New  Jersey,  and  in  that  state 
wedded  Mary  Martin,  a  sister  of  Luther 
Martin,  who  was  one  of  the  lawyers  that 
defended  Aaron  Burr  for  treason,  and  who 
refused  to  be  a  member  of  the  committee 
that  signed  the  Declaration  of  Independence 
because  they  would  not  abolish  slavery 
through  that  document.  His  father,  Henry 
Martin,  was  an  own  cousin  of  John  Ouincy 
Adams  and  a  nephew  of  John  Adams.  The 
Martin  family  was  founded  in  America  about 
1645,  the  original  American  ancestors  hav- 
ing come  from  England. 

Isaac  J.  Miller,  a  son  of  Nathaniel  and 
Mary  (Martin)  Miller,  was  born  in  Hamilton, 
Butler  county,  Ohio,  May  18,  1815,  spent 
his  boyhood  days  on  the  farm  there,  and 
when  twenty  years  of  age  went  to  Fountain 
county,  Indiana,  where  he  spent  a  few  years 
on  a  farm,  coming  to  Champaign  county, 
Illinois,  in  1838.  He  entered  land  in  Tolono 
township,  and  transformed  the  wild  tract 
into  richly  cultivated  fields,  whereon  he 
made  his  home  until  October,  1874,  when 
he  removed  to  Brown  county,  Kansas, 
where  he  now  resides.  He  was  one  of  the 
most  influential  factors  in  the  political 
circles  of  Champaign  county  at  an  early  day, 
and  was  very  prominent  in  the  public  affairs 
of  the  state.  Of  Governors  Yates  and 
Oglesby  he  was  an  intimate  friend,  also  of 
John  A.  Logan,  and  in  his  early  manhood 
he  was  associated  with  Oliver  P.  Morton, 
the  war  governor  of  Indiana.  Later  he  be- 
came a  warm  friend  and  supporter  of  Abra- 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ham  Lincoln.  He  was  instrumental  in 
awakening  sentiment  in  favor  of  and  in  se- 
curing the  passage  of  the  Homestead  law 
for  the  northwest  territory,  and  at  the  time 
of  the  establishment  of  the  University  at 
Urbana  he  was  one  of  the  county  supervis- 
ors, and  with  two  other  members  of  the 
board  advocated  the  giving  of  land  by  the 
county  and  the  issuing  of  bonds  to  secure 
the  University.  After  a  hard  contest, 
lasting  several  weeks,  the  board  finally 
agreed  to  bring  the  University  to  Urbana. 
In  his  religious  belief.  Mr.  Miller  was  a 
Universalist. 

Isaac  J.  Miller  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Elizabeth  W.  Rock,  daughter  of  Will- 
iam and  Nancy  Rock,  who  came  to  Sadorus 
township,  in  1823,  fr6m  Richland  county, 
Virginia.  He  was  one  of  the  most  favora- 
bly known  men  in  Champaign  county,  and 
in  his  business  affairs  was  very  successful, 
leaving  at  his  death  twenty-three  hundred 
acres  of  land.  He  represented  a  family  de- 
scended from  what  was  known  as  German 
Revolutionists,  driven  from  the  Fatherland 
on  account  of  their  progressive  views,  and 
seeking  shelter  in  America  about  1690.  The 
descendants  of  the  Miller,  Martin  and  Rock 
families  now  number  at  least  twelve  thou- 
sand. 

Andrew  J.  Miller,  whose  name  begins 
this  record,  first  attended  school  in  Brown 
county,  Kansas.  After  his  mother's  death, 
which  occurred  June  6,  1876,  he  joined  the 
cowboys  of  the  southwest  where  he  remained 
for  about  four  years.  In  the  winter  of  1 880  he 
attended  a  night  school  in  Denver,  Colorado, 
and  the  following  summer  joined  the  famous 
Leadville  baseball  team,  making  a  tour  of 
almost  the  entire  country.  On  the  I2th  of 
October,  1881,  he  entered  the  Northwestern 
University  of  Ohio,  at  Ada,  Ohio,  now 


known  as  the  Ohio  Normal,  where  he  re- 
mained until  his  graduation  with  the  class 
of  1885.  He  then  returned  to  Champaign 
county,  arriving  in  January,  1886.  Here 
he  entered  the  law  office  of  Judge  J.  O.  Cun- 
ningham, and,  after  spending  some  time  in 
study,  he  indicated  that  he  had  mastered 
many  of  the  principles  of  jurisprudence  by 
successfully  passing  an  examination  at  Mount 
Vernon,  Illinois,  in  February,  1889.  His 
scholarship  was  the  highest  in  the  class,  his 
average  markings  being  ninety-nine  and  a 
half  per  cent.  Only  one  man  in  the  state, 
up  to  that  time,  had  equalled  it,  he  having, 
in  a  two  and  a  half  days'  examination, 
missed  only  one- half  of  a  question. 

Mr.  Miller  at  once  opened  an  office  in 
Urbana.  No  dreary  novitiate  awaited  him, 
and  in  a  short  time  he  found  himself  at  the 
head  of  a  distinctively  representative  client- 
age. He  continued  in  private  practive  alone 
until  March,  1896,  when  he  was  nominated 
for  the  office  of  state's  attorney,  and  elected 
in  November.  Since  that  time  he  has  held 
the  position.  Prior  to  his  advent  into  the 
office,  there  had  been  forty-four  homicides 
in  Champaign  county  and  no  man  had  paid 
the  extreme  penalty  of  his  crime.  After  his 
election  on  the  3d  of  November,  1898,  there 
was  a  homicide  in  the  southeastern  part  of 
the  county,  the  case  attracting  widespread 
attention.  On  the  ist  of  October,  1898,  it 
was  called,  the  people  of  Illinois  being  the 
plaintiffs,  and  Richard  Collier,  the  defend- 
ant. After  two  days  of  hard  fighting,  the 
case  was  given  to  the  jury,  and  after  twelve 
hours  the  verdict  of  guilty  was  returned,  and 
the  defendant  sentenced  to  be  hanged.  An 
appeal  was  made  to  the  supreme  court, 
which  refused  to  interfere.  The  govern- 
ment was  also  importuned,  but  decided  to 
let  the  law  take  its  course,  and  on  Decem- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


her  16,  1898,  the  defendant  was  hanged  in 
the  jail  at  Urbana,  which  was  the  first  legal 
execution  which  had  taken  place  in  the 
county.  The  entire  prosecution  was  under 
the  care  of  Mr.  Miller,  and  the  trial  and  its 
final  results  did  more  toward  purifying  the 
criminal  atmosphere  of  Champaign  county 
than  any  other  one  act  in  its  history — an 
opinion  concurred  in  by  the  people  through- 
out the  community.  During  his  term  of 
office,  up  to  December,  1899,  Mr.  Miller 
has  prosecuted  three  hundred  and  eighty- 
seven  cases,  and  only  seven  men  have  been 
acquitted, — a  record  of  twenty-t,vo  per  cent 
better  than  that  of  any  state's  attorney  in  Illi- 
nois. He  is  remarkable  among  lawyers  for 
the  provident  care  and  wide  research  with 
which  he  prepares  his  cases.  In  no  case 
has  his  readings  been  confined  to  the  limi- 
tations of  the  questions  at  issue;  it  has  gone 
beyond  and  compassed  every  contingency 
and  provided  not  alone  for  the  expected, 
but  for  the  unexpected,  which  happens  in 
the  courts  quite  as  frequently  as  out  of 
of  them.  His  logical  grasp  of  facts  and 
principles  and  of  the  law  applicable  to  them 
has  been  another  potent  element  in  his  suc- 
cess, and  a  remarkable  clearness  of  expres- 
sion, an  adequate  and  precise  diction,  which 
enables  him  to  make  others  understand,  not 
only  the  salient  points  of  his  argument,  but 
his  every  fine  gradation  of  meaning,  may 
be  accounted  one  of  his  most  conspicuous 
gifts  and  accomplishments. 

Mr.  Miller  has  for  some  years  been  rec- 
ognized as  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  Repub- 
lican party,  and  in  March,  1889,  he  was 
elected  chairman  of  the  township  central 
committee,  and  made  a  member  of  the 
Republican  county  central  committee.  Since 
that  time  he  ,has  attended  every  primary, 
and  the  county,  state  and  national  conven- 


tions, and  with  the  exception  of  the  last 
named  has  been  a  delegate  to  all.  He  has 
canvassed  the  state  three  times  during  the 
last  three  presidential  campaigns,  making 
from  eighty-five  to  one  hundred  and  fifty 
speeches  in  each,  .and  is  recognized  as  the 
most  brilliant,  as  well  as  the  .most  logical 
orator  in  central  Illinois. 

On  the  1 5th  of  September,  1896,  Mr. 
Miller  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Helen 
Leaf,  of  Rochester,  Pennsylvania,  daughter 
of  William  and  Sarah  Leaf.  Her  mother 
was  a  daughter  of  Mrs.  Nancy  Wright,  a 
sister  of  General  Robert  E.  Lee.  Her 
father  was  born  in  the  earldom  of  March, 
England,  was  educated  for  a  government 
engineer,  and  had  he  remained  in  England 
would  have  inherited  the  title  and  lands  of 
the  Earl  of  March,  but  by  espousing  the 
Irish  cause,  he  was  deprived  of  his  rights  by 
the  crown.  When  twenty-three  years  of 
age  he  came  to  the  United  States,  and  be- 
came superintendent  of  the  construction  of 
the  celebrated  John  S.  Hopkins  University. 
Later  he  had  charge  of  the  buildiug  of  the 
locks  for  the  Erie  canal,  and  subsequently 
was  general  superintendent  of  the  construc- 
tion of  the  stone  work  of  the  Pittsburg,  Fort 
Wayne  &  Chicago  Railroad,  from  Pittsburg 
to  Chicago.  On  the  completion  of  that 
contract  he  retired  from  active  labor,  and 
in  the  sixty-fourth  year  of  his  age  departed 
this  life.  Mrs.  Miller,  his  daughter,  is  a 
faithful  communicant  of  the  Episcopal 
church,  while  Mr.  Miller  is  of  the  Universal- 
ist  faith.  He  erected  one  of  the  fine  homes 
of  Urbana  at  No.  1003  West  Illinois  street, 
and  the  Miller  household  is  the  center  of  a 
cultured  society  circle.  Socially  he  is  a 
Mason,  belonging  to  the  lodge,  chapter  and 
council  of  Urbana.  He  has  enjoyed  tri- 
umphs in  his  professional  career  and  honors 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


in  public  life,  but  in  private  life  he  has 
gained  that  warm  personal  regard  which 
arises  from  true  nobility  of  character,  defer- 
ence for  the  opinion  of  others,  kindliness 
and  geniality.  His  conversation  is  enliv- 
ened by  a  wit  and  repartee  that  renders  him 
a  fascinating  companion  and  makes  him 
popular  with  all  classes. 

In  January,  1900,  Mr.  Miller  announced 
himself  as  a  candidate  for  re-election,  and 
on  February  28,  1900,  with  Your  strong 
competitors,  he  received  the  nomination  on 
the  first  ballot — an  unprecedented  fact  in 
the  history  of  the  county. 


JOSHUA  HELLER,  an  honored  veteran 
of  the  Civil  war,  is  now  living  a  retired 
life,  at  No.  709  South  Walnut  street,  was  born 
in  Tuscarawas  county.  Ohio,  November  5. 
1820.  and  is  ason  of  Jacob  and  Mary  (Davis) 
Heller.  Our  subject's  maternal  grandfather 
was  Joshua  Davis,  a  native,  of  England,  and 
his  paternal  grandfather  was  Andrew  Heller, 
a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  a  soldier  of  the 
war  of  1812. 

Jacob  Heller,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  November  21, 
1789,  and  was  educated  in  the  German 
schools  of  his  native  state,  which  were  the 
only  schools  in  his  locality,  as  most  of  the 
people  in  the  community  spoke  the  German 
language.  In  181 8  he  removed  to  Tuscara- 
was county,  Ohio,  where  he  purchased  land 
and  engaged  in  farming  until  1852,  when  he 
sold  his  property  there  and  came  to  Illinois. 
He  died  in  Champaign  county  in  1873.  He 
was  an  earnest  and  devout  Christian  man.  a 
member  of  the  Moravian  church  in  early 
life,  but  after  coming  to  this  state  he  united 
with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  He 


voted  for  General  Jackson  and  was  a  Whig 
in  politics  until  the  organization  of  the  Re- 
publican party  when  he  became  one  of  its 
stanch  supporters.  In  his  fatnliy  were  four 
children,  three  sons  and  one  daughter,  name- 
ly: Thomas  wedded  Mary  Taylor,  a  native  of 
Ohio,  and  both  are  now  deceased;  Hannah 
was  married  in  1840  to  Daniel  Moore,  and 
after  his  death  was  married,  in  1848,  to 
James  Brash,  now  deceased,  and  she  is  liv- 
ing in  Urbana,  at  the  age  of  eighty-two 
years;  Joshua,  our  subject,  is  next  in  order 
of  birth;  and  Joel  married  Hester  Davis,  and 
both  are  now  deceased. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  received  his 
education  in  the  subscription  schools  of  Ohio, 
which  he  attended  about  three  months 
during  the  year,  while  the  remainder  of  the 
time  was  devoted  to  work  upon  the  home 
farm.  He  remained  with  his  parents  until 
he  was  married,  at  the  age  of  twenty-three 
years,  to  Miss  Sarah  Whitehead,  who  was 
born  in  Manchester,  England,  in  1821,  but 
in  1827  was  brought  to  the  United  States 
by  her  parents,  John  and  Sarah  (Grindard) 
Whitehead,  also  natives  of  England,  the 
family  locating  in  Tuscarawas  county,  Ohio. 
By  trade  her  father  was  a  wool  comber  and 
weaver,  and  followed  that  occupation  both  in 
England  and  America.  He  finally  purchas- 
ed an  interest  in  a  woolen  mill  in  Tuscarawas 
county,  and  continued  his  connection  with 
the  business  until  his  death.  He  was  born 
in  Christmas  day,  1777,  and  died  on  Christ- 
mas day,  1859.  He  had  ten  children,  of 
whom  Mrs.  Heller  was  sixth  in  order  of  birth. 
Two  sons  served  for  three  years  in  the 
Union  army  during  the  Civil  war. 

Fourteen  children  were  born  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Heller,  but  nine  of  these  died  when 
less  than  three  years  old.  The  others  are 
as  follows:  (i)  Hannah  is  the  wife  of 


26 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Joseph  K.  Davison,  who  is  employed  in  the 
government  printing  office  in  Washington, 
D.  C.,  and  they  have  one  daughter,  Emma. 
(2)  Richard,  a  resident  of  Urbana,  married 
Mary  Patterson,  and  they  have  four  chil- 
dren, Eva,  Florence,  Ward  and  Alice.  (3) 
James  lives  at  home  with  his  parents,  and 
runs  a  corn  sheller,  threshing  machine  and 
clover  huller.  (4)  Mary  M.  is  the  wife  of 
George  Charles,  a  blacksmith  in  the  Big 
Four  railroad  shops  at  Champaign,  and 
they  have  three  children,  Neola,  Ruby  and 
James  R.  (5)  John  T.,  a  resident  of  In- 
dianapolis, Indiana,  has  been  an  engineer 
on  the  lightning  express  train  on  the  Big 
Four  railroad  for  four  years.  He  wedded 
Mary  Demsey.and  they  have  three  children: 
Wallace,  and  Chester  and  Fay,  twins. 

After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Heller  was  en- 
gaged in  farming  in  Ohio  until  the  fall  of. 
1851,  when  he  moved  to  Iowa.  The  fol- 
lowing spring  he  came  to  Champaign  county, 
Illinois,  but  in  1853  he  removed  to  the 
southern  part  of  this  state,  where  he  owned 
and  operated  a  farm  for  a  few  years.  On 
selling  his  property  there  he  returned  to 
Champaign  county,  where  he  has  since  made 
his  home,  and  was  for  many  years  engaged 
in  agricultural  pursuits.  His  labors  were 
interrupted  during  the  war  of  the  Rebellion 
by  his  service  in  the  war.  In  August,  1862, 
he  enlisted  in  Company  G,  Seventy-sixth 
Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  he  partici- 
pated in  the  battles  of  Champion  Hills, 
Jackson  and  Chickamauga.  With  his  com- 
mand he  then  went  to  Meriden,  Mississippi, 
and  from  there  to  Little  Rock,  Arkansas, 
where  he  was  taken  ill  and  sent  to  the  hos- 
pital at  Cairo,  Illinois.  Later  he  was 
transferred  to  Jefferson  Barracks,  Missouri, 
and  from  there  to  Quincy,  Illinois,  where 
he  was  discharged  and  then  returned  home. 


As  soon  as  he  had  sufficiently  recovered  his 
health  he  resumed  farming,  and  continued 
to  engage  in  that  occupation  for  several 
years,  but  is  now  living  a  retired  life  in  Ur- 
bana. Since  casting  his  first  presidential 
vote  for  John  C.  Fremont,  in  1856,  he  has 
affiliated  with  the  Republican  party.  A 
brave  and  fearless  soldier,  his  loyalty  as  a 
citizen  and  his  devotion  to  his  country's  in- 
terests have  been  among  his  marked  charac- 
teristics, and  the  community  is  fortunate 
that  numbers  him  among  its  citizens.  Re- 
ligiously he  is  a  consistent  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  is  held  in 
high  regard  by  all  who  know  him. 


JOSEPH  O.  CUNNINGHAM,  The  pro- 
fession of  the  law,  when  clothed  with 
its  true  dignity  and  purity  and  strength 
must  rank  first  among  the  callings  of  men, 
for  law  rules  the  universe.  .The  work 
of  the  legal  profession  is  to  formulate, 
to  harmonize  to  regulate,  to  adjust,  to  ad- 
minister those  rulesand  principles  that  under- 
lie and  permeate  all  government  and  society 
and  control  the  varied  relations  of  man.  As 
thus  viewed,  there  attaches  to  the  legal  pro- 
fession a  nobleness  that  cannot  but  be  re- 
flected in  the  life  of  the  true  lawyer,  who, 
conscious  of  the  greatness  of  his  profession, 
and  honest  in  the  pursuit  of  his  purpose, 
embraces  the  richness  of  learning,  the  pro- 
foundness of  wisdom,  the  firmness  of 
integrity  and  the  purity  of  morals,  together 
with  the  graces  of  modesty,  courtesy  and  the 
general  amenities  of  life.  Mr.  Cunningham 
is  now  the  oldest  representative  in  years  of 
continuous  connection  of  the  Urbana  bar 
and  also  takes  precedence  as  one  of  its  most 
honored  and  able  representatives.  Through 


J^r  ^^&*&*S*S^<S*>£^ 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


29 


almost  half  a  century  he  has  been  identified 
with  the  interests  of  this  city,  and  upon  its 
social,  business,  politics,  education  and 
moral  life  he  has  left  the  impress  of  his 
strong  individuality.  In  Urbana  not  to 
know  Mr.  Cunningham  argues  one's  self  un- 
known and  therefore  no  history  of  the 
county  would  be  complete  without  the 
record  of  his  upright  life,  which  has  been 
an  inspiration  and  a  benediction  to  many. 
Joseph  O.  Cunningham  was  born  in 
Lancaster,  Erie  county,  New  York,  Decem- 
ber 12,  1830,  a  son  of  Hiram  W.  and  Eunice 
(Brown)  Cunningham.  His  great-grand- 
parents on  the  paternal  side  were  Thomas 
and  Lucy  (Hutchinson)  Cunningham,  who 
lived  and  died  in  Milford,  Otsego  county, 
New  York.  Their  son,  Layton  Cunningham, 
was  a  native  of  Connecticut,  and  was  mar- 
ried in  Litchfield,  that  state,  to  Phoebe 
Way,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Sarah  (Lewis) 
Way,  also  of  Litchfield,  whence  Mr.  Cun- 
ningham removed  with  his  wife  to  Otsego 
county,  New  York.  Before  the  breaking 
out  of  the  war  of  1812  he  went  to  Erie 
county,  in  the  Empire  state,  and  his  sons 
joined  the  American  army  at  the  time  of  the 
conflict,  participating  in  the  skirmishes  pre- 
ceding the  burning  of  Buffalo.  He  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation  and  secured  a  tract 
of  new  land  within  the  Holland  purchase. 
The  tracks  of  the  New  York  Central  Rail- 
road now  cross  the  farm  which  he  there 
developed  and  which  he  made  his  home 
until  his  death.  On  the  maternal  side 
Mr.  Cunningham,  of  this  review,  can  trace 
his  ancestry  back  to  William  Brown,  of 
Pownal,  Bennington  county,  Vermont  whose 
son,  Richard  Brown,  the  great-grandfather 
of  our  subject,  also  lived  at  Pownal  where 
he  followed  blacksmithing  and  manufactur- 
ing. After  the  battle  of  Bennington  many  of 
2 


the  injured  firearms  were  gathered  up  and 
brought  to  his  shop  for  repairs,  but  all  were 
carried  off  by  a  freshet  of  the  Hoosac  river 
and  lost.  His  son,  Joseph  Brown,  was  born 
at  Powna^,  Vermont,  and  married  Sarah 
Chapman,  of  Providence,  Rhode  Island, 
daughter  of  Nathaniel  Chapman.  Just  be- 
fore the  inauguration  of  the  war  of  1812 
Joseph  Brown  removed  with  his  family  to 
Plattsburg,  New  York,  where  he  followed 
the  blacksmith's  trade,  and  where  he  died. 
Hiram  W.  Cunningham,  the  father  of 
our  subject,  was  born  in  Otsego  county,  New 
York,  November  6,  1803,  and  on  the  ist  of 
February,  1830,  he  married  Eunice  Brown, 
who  was  born  in  Pownal,  Vermont,  but  had 
accompanied  her  widowed  mother  to  the 
Empire  state  subsequent  to  the  second  war 
with  England.  She  was  first  married  to 
Corydon  Sheldon,  who  died  leaving  one 
child,  Hon.  Jairus  C.  Sheldon,  who  is 
now  a  resident  of  Urbana,  Illinois. 
Hiram  Cunningham  had  been  reared  in 
Lancaster,  New  York,  and  when  thirty 
years  of  age  he  removed  with  his  family  to 
Clarksfield,  Huron  county,  Ohio,  where  he 
secured  a  tract  of  wild  land  in  the  midst  of 
a  dense  forest.  There  he  developed  a  good 
homestead,  clearing  one  hundred  acres  of 
that  heavily  timbered  tract.  He  was  prom- 
inent in  the  public  affairs  of  the  county, 
and  in  educational  matters  as  well,  and  was 
a  leading  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  serving  as  class  leader,  steward  and 
Sunday-school  superintendent  for  many 
years.  He  died  July  11,  1866,  after  which 
his  widow  sold  the  farm  and  came  to  Cham- 
paign county,  Illinois, to  make  her  home  with 
her  youngest  daughter,  who,  however,  died  a 
year  later.  Mrs.  Cunningham  then  returned 
to  Ohio  with  the  remains,  and  in  the  Buck- 
eye state  her  death  occurred  on  the  9th  of 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


March,  1869.  The  children  by  the  second 
marriage  were  Joseph  O.  ;  A.  Palmer,  who 
died  in  Champaign  county,  in  1893;  Mrs. 
Olive  M.  Fisher,  of  Vermillion  county; 
Orton  C.,  who  died  in  Urbana,  in  1871; 
Edwin  \V.,  now  an  attorney  of  Emporia, 
Kansas;  and  Emma,  who  died  in  1869. 

Joseph  O.  Cunningham  acquired  his  pre- 
liminary education  in  a  little  log  schoolhouse 
in  Ohio,  where  he  not  only  mastered  the  com- 
mon English  branches,  but  also  studied  ele- 
mentary algebra.  He  was  afterward  a 
student  in  Baldwin  Academy,  at  Berea, 
Ohio,  and  in  Oberlin  college  completed  his 
literary  course.  In  the  meantime  he  had  en- 
gaged in  teaching,  and  after  leaving  college 
he  went  to  Vermillion  county,  Indiana, 
where  he  was  employed  as  a  teacher  for  a 
year,  spending  his  leisure  time  in  that  period 
in  studying  law.  He  came  to  Urbana  June 
1 8,  1853,  and  purchased  the  Urbana  Union, 
the  first  paper  published  in  Champaign 
county.  He  continued  as  editor  and  pro- 
prietor of  that  journal  for  five  years  until 
1858,  and  was  the  only  Republican  editor 
between  Kankakee  and  Cairo,  at  a  time 
when  it  was  extremely  unpopular  and  some- 
what dangerous  to  advocate  abilition  princi- 
ples. 

In  1856  Judge  Cunningham  was  admitted 
to  the  bar,  and  after  severing  his  connection 
with  journalistic  work,  he  attended  law 
school  in  Cleveland,  Ohio.  He  then 
opened  an  office  and  from  the  ist  of  May, 
1859  to  the  present  time  has  never  missed  a 
term  of  court,  handling  much  of  the  import- 
ant litigation  in  the  civil  courts  of  the  circuit. 
He  first  entered  into  partnership  with  J. 
W.  Sim,  later  county  judge,  was  afterward 
associated  in  business  with  W.  B.  Webber, 
and  from  1893  Frank  H.  Boggs  has  been 
his  partner.  His  work  has  been  largely 


chancery  and  probate  practice.  In  1861  he 
was  elected  county  judge,  filling  the  office 
for  four  years, — the  period  of  the  war.  He 
has  enjoyed  a  distinctively  representative 
clientage  almost  from  the  beginning  and  his 
devotion  to  his  clients'  interest  is  prover- 
bial. His  knowledge  of  legal  principles  is 
comprehensive  and  profound  and  his  keenly 
analytical  mind  enables  him  to  apply  these 
with  accuracy  to  the  points  in  litigation. 
He  published  a  book  entitled  "  A  practical 
treatise  upon  the  jurisdiction  of  and  practice 
in  county  courts  of  Illinois,"  a  collation  of 
statutes  and  authorities  edited  by  William  C. 
Jones  and  J.  O.  Cunningham.  It  is  now  in 
the  second  edition.  The  first  part,  relating 
to  wills  and  the  settlement  of  estates,  was 
all  prepared  by  Mr.  Cunningham,  and  much 
of  the  second  part  is  his  work.  In  this  way, 
as  well  as  in  active  practice  in  the  courts, 
he  has  left  the  impress  of  his  individuality 
upon  the  jurisprudence  of  the  state. 

On  the  I3th  of  October,  1853,  Mr. 
Cunningham  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Mary  McConoughey,  of  Bainbridge,  Geauga 
county,  Ohio,  whom  he  met  while  a  student 
in  Oberlin  college.  Her  father  was  Colonel 
P.  D.  McConoughey,  who  removed  from 
Massachusetts  to  Bainbridge,  Ohio,  in  1810, 
becoming  a  pioneer  of  the  latter  state.  He 
was  a  representative  of  an  old  family  living 
at  Blandford,  Hamden  county,  Massachu- 
setts, and  subsequent  to  the  war  of 
1812  was  a  colonel  of  militia.  Judge  Cun- 
ningham and  his  wife  began  their  domestic 
life  on  Race  street,  Urbana,  where  they  re- 
mained for  sixteen  years,  after  which  they 
spent  a  quarter  of  a  century  in  a  very  beau- 
tiful and  spacious  home  which  they  gave  to 
the  church  to  be  used  as  a  home  for  the 
deaconesses  and  orphans.  For  the  past 
five  years  they  have  resided  at  their  attrac- 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


tive  residence  on  Green  street,  Urbana.  For 
many  years  they  have  been  active  and  faith- 
ful members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  have  contributed  liberally  to  its  sup- 
port and  for  the  erection  of  the  house  of 
worship.  During  the  greater  part  of  the  time 
the  Judge  has  held  some  office  in  the  church. 
In  1896  he  was  a  delegate  to  the  general 
Methodist  conference,  at  Cleveland,  Ohio, 
and  is  a  provisional  delegate  to  the  con- 
ference in  Chicago.  He  has  initiated  a 
movement  for  the  purpose  of  giving  a  more 
practical  turn  to  church  work  in  founding 
hospitals,  and  homes,  after  the  manner  of 
the  Catholic  churches.  He  has  a  mind 
which  can  rise  above  all  personal  considera- 
tions and  is  oftimes  concerned  with  those 
large, loving  interests  which  affect  humanity. 
His  strong  mentality  and  superior  intellectual 
attainments  have  brought  him  prominence 
as  one  of  the  gifted  men  of  the  state,  but 
probably  his  greatest  work  has  come  in  con- 
nection with  The  Deaconesses  and  Orphans' 
Home,  for  the  influence  of  his  work  is  as 
immeasurable  as  the  universe,  and  its  effect 
will  be  felt  through  all  time.  He  owned  a 
beautiful  home  north  of  Urbana  which  he 
donated  to  the  Woman's  Home  Missionary 
Society,  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
together  with  fifteen  acres  of  land.  He  and 
his  wife  submitted  the  following  proposition 
to  the  conference  board  and  it  was  incorpo- 
rated in  the  deed: 

"  Dear  Brothers  and  Sisters:  We  are  the 
owners,  in  fee  simple,  free  of  incumbrance, 
of  our  home  near  Urbana,  which  consists  of 
fifteen  acres  of  land  upon  which  are  situated 
a  two-story  brick  house,  with  mansard  story 
the  house  having  in  all  fourteen  rooms,  three 
halls,  a  bathroom,  supplied  with  hot  and 
cold  water,  ample  closets,  with  cellar  and 
ice  house;  also  a  brick  gardener's  cottage  of 


three  rooms  and  cellar;  both  of  the  houses 
are  under  metal  roofs  and  have  contiguous 
thereto  ample  barns  with  carriage  room, 
also  three  wells,  three  cisterns,  a  steel 
windmill  pump  and  elevated  tank  from  which 
the  lawn  and  buildings  are  supplied  with 
water.  This  property  we  desire  to  give  as 
a  free  gift  to  some  benevolent  purpose  where 
God's  poor  shall  be  the  beneficiaries,  our 
preference  favoring  orphans  and  dependent 
children.  In  canvassing  the  question  as  to 
who  shall  be  the  almoners  of  our  humble 
bounty,  our  minds  first  turn  to  the  church 
which  bears  our  names  on  its  records  as  the 
most  suitable  agency  to  be  selected.  The 
purpose  which  called  into  existence  your 
board,  also  highly  commends  itself  to  our 
minds  and  judgment,  and  we  see  no  reason 
why  that  devoted  sisterhood  which  has 
lately  been  organized  to  meet  the  later 
needs  of  our  civilization,  may  not  appro- 
priately share  a  home  with  the  poor 
waifs  who  by  death  and  other  casualty  are 
cast  upon  the  care  of  the  church. 

"  We  therefore  first  make  you  the  offer 
to  convey  the  property,  our  beloved  home 
for  a  quarter  of  a  century,  as  a  free  gift  to 
the  Woman's  Home  Missionary  Society  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  to  receive 
the  title  and  administer  the  trust  without 
other  conditions  than  these:  that  it  shall 
forever  be  kept  as  a  Deaconeses  and  Child- 
ren's Home,  hoping  and  praying  that  it  shall 
not  only  most  abundantly  meet  these  needs 
of  the  church,  but  that  it  shall  in  some  de- 
gree turn  the  attention  of  the  church  and  its 
members  to  the  pressing  demands  made 
upon  it  in  our  day  and  in  our  midst  for  the 
care  and  nurture  of  our  poor. 

J.  O.  CUNNINGHAM, 
MARY  CUNNINGHAM. 
Thanksgiving  Day,  1894. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


The  gift  was  accepted  by  the  board  with 
appropriate  ceremonies  and  named  in  honor 
of  the  donors. 

Judge  Cunningham  has  taken  an  active 
part  in  the  historical  proceedings  of  the 
county  and  is  now  president  of  the  Histori- 
cal society  of  Champaign  county.  He  is 
also  a  member  of  the  Clarksfield,  Ohio, 
Memorial  Society,  before  which  he  has  de- 
livered most  able  addresses.  He  has  also 
written  many  articles  for  local  papers  and 
is  a  most  fluent,  entertaining,  instructive  and 
forceful  speaker.  In  March,  1859,  he  be- 
came a  member  of  Iris  lodge,  F.  &  A.  M. 
of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  in  April,  1860,  was 
dimitted  to  the  lodge  in  Urbana,  of  which 
he  has  been  master  for  six  years.  He  has  also 
been  its  representative  to  the  grand  lodge, 
wason  the  committee  on  work  and  was  one  of 
the  authors  of  the  present  work.  He  also 
belongs  to  the  chapter,  council  and  com- 
madery,  and  for  some  time  was  a  trustee  of 
the  Masonic  property  in  Urbana.  His 
political  support  was  given  the  Republican 
party,  until  1876,  having  allied  himself  with 
that  party  upon  its  organization.  He  was 
one  of  its  most  prominent  representatives  in 
the  state  at  an  early  day  and  was  a  warm 
personal  friend  of  Abraham  Lincoln.  He 
still  has  in  his  possession  a  letter  which  he 
received  from  the  martyred  president,  and 
has  many  pleasant  recollections  of  him. 

For  some  years  the  Judge  acted  in- 
dependently in  politics,  but  for  the  last  few 
years  he  has  voted  the  Prohibition  ticket. 

Judge  Cunningham  was  a  member  of  the 
first  board  of  trustee  of  the  University,  of  Illi- 
nois then  called  the  industrial  University  and 
was  present  at  its  first  meeting  held  in  the 
senate-chamber  in  the  state  house  at  Spring- 
field. He  was  first  appointed  by  Gov. 
Oglesby  and  re-appointed  by  Gov.  Palmer, 


and  during  all  of  the  six  years  in  which  he 
served  he  was  on  the  executive  committee, 
which  met  monthly  and  which  transacted 
all  the  business.  This  was  during  the  erec- 
tion of  the  first  buildings.  By  the  first 
board  Dr.  Gregory  was  elected  the  first 
Regent  of  the  University. 

Since  his  withdrawal  from  the  Re- 
publican party,  Judge  Cunningham  has  twice 
been  nominated  by  the  united  oposition  as  a 
candidate  for  State  senator,  and  in  the  face 
of  a  Republican  majority  of  over  two  thou- 
sand in  the  district  came  within  six  hundred 
and  thirty-six  votes  of  an  election  on  one 
occasion,  and  six  hundred  and  thirty-seven 
votes  on  the  other.  He  was  also  nominated 
for  circuit  judge  in  1897  and  received  a 
very  flattering  vote,  earring  his  own  Repub- 
lican city  by  a  good  majority. 

Judge  Cunningham  was  present  at  the 
first  recitation  heard  in  the  University  by 
Dr.  Gregory,  who  was  so  busy,  however, 
that  he  needed  some  one  for  this  part  of  the 
work.  He  inquired  of  the  Judge  if  he  did 
not  know  of  some  one  he  could  secure  for 
the  work,  and  was  referred  to  Mr.  T.  J. 
Burrell,  who  had  just  closed  a  session,  of 
school  in  Urbana.  Sending  him  over  to 
Dr.  Gregory,  Mr.  Burrell  became  connected 
with  the  intitution  and  has  served  it  until 
the  present  time. 

The  law  library  of  the  Judge  is  very  ex- 
tensive, but  his  private  library  indicates  the 
extent  of  his  reading  and  information,  con- 
taining scientific,  historical  and  biographi- 
cal works  as  well  as  the  classics  of  all  ages. 
He  has  enjoyed  triumphs  in  his  professional 
career  and  honors  in  public  life,  but  in  pri- 
vate life  he  has  gained  that  warm  personal 
regard  which  arises  from  true  nobility  of 
character,  deference  for  the  opinions  of 
others,  kindness  and  geniality.  At  this 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


33 


point  it  would  be  almost  tautological  to 
enter  into  any  series  of  statements  as  show- 
ing our  subject  to  be  a  man  of  broad  intelli- 
gence and  genuine  public  spirit,  for  these 
have  been  shadowed  forth  between  the  lines 
of  this  review.  Strong  in  his  individuality, 
he  never  lacks  the  courage  of  his  convictions, 
but  there  are,  as  dominating  elements  in  this 
individuality,  a  lively  human  sympathy  and 
an  abiding  charity,  which,  as  taken  in  con- 
nection with  the  sterling  integrity  and 
honor  of  his  character,  have  naturally  gained 
to  Judge  Cunningham  the  respect  and  con- 
fidence of  men. 


WILLIAM  BLACK  is  worthy  of  special 
mention  in  the  annals  of  Champaign 
county,  as  he  has  given  about  thirty-five 
years  of  his  life  to  agricultural  pursuits  here, 
and  has  neglected  no  opportunity  of  proving 
his  patriotic  interest  in  the  development  of 
the  resources  of  this  locality,  and  the  pro- 
motion of  its  prosperity.  His  record  as  a 
business  man  and  neighbor,  as  the  head  of 
a  family,  and  friend  to  right  and  justice,  is 
a  legacy  which  will  be  of  more  value  to  his 
children  and  descendants  than  a  vast  fortune. 
A  native  of  Forfordshire,  Scotland,  born 
March  18,  1836,  Mr.  Black  possesses  the 
sterling  traits  of  character  for  which  his  an- 
cestors were  noted,  and,  in  turn,  has  handed 
down  to  his  children  the  tendencies  notice- 
able in  the  Scottish  race.  His  parents, 
James  and  Elizabeth  (Fraser)  Black,  were 
natives  of  Forfordshire,  where  the  former 
pursued  his  calling  as  a  stationary  engineer, 
being  employed  in  a  linen  factory.  When 
our  subject  was  eighteen  years  of  age,  the 
family  removed  to  the  United  States,  and, 
proceeding  to  Chicago,  the  father  there  fol- 


lowed his  accustomed  work  in  a  threshing 
machine  manufactory.  When  a  year  had 
elapsed,  however,  he  decided  to  found  a 
home  in  the  country,  and  in  1855  he  bought 
a  farm  in  Sadorus  township,  Champaign 
county.  From  that  time  until  his  death, 
which  event  took  place  in  1891,  he  dwelt 
upon  his  homestead,  revered  and  honored  by 
everyone.  His  estimable  wife  was  sum- 
moned to  the  better  land  in  1890,  and  he 
had  no  desire  to  live  longer,  feeling  that  his 
life  work  was  well  rounded  and  complete. 
Four  of  their  five  children  lived  to  maturity, 
namely:  William;  Wallace,  whose  home  is 
in  Sadorus  township;  Ellen,  who  has 
passed  to  the  silent  land;  and  Jane,  wife  of 
Charles  Brown  of  Oklahoma  territory. 

In  his  youth  William  Black  had  very 
limited  educational  opportunities,  but  he 
was  by  nature  keenly  observant,  and,  in 
spite  of  circumstances,  managed  to  acquire 
sufficient  knowledge  of  business  and  general 
information  for  his  needs.  He  was  but 
fourteen  years  of  age  when  he  commenced 
an  apprenticeship  to  the  blacksmith's  trade, 
and  had  just  finished  the  four  years  required 
of  him  when  the  family  started  for  Ameri- 
ca. In  Chicago  he  was  employed  by  the 
same  company  as  was  his  father,  and  when, 
with  him,  he  came  to  this  county  he  with  his 
father  and  brother  purchased  a  quarter  sec- 
tion of  land,  which  they  cultivated  for  about 
a  year.  William  Black  then  returned  to  Chi- 
cago, where  he  worked  in  the  railroad  shops 
of  the  Illinois  Central  for  several  years,  and 
then  went  to  Omaha,  when  it  was  merely  a 
hamlet,  with  Indians  abounding  in  the 
neighborhood.  There  he  was  employed 
upon  the  Union  Pacific  railroad,  which  was 
in  process  of  construction.  In  1866,  the 
young  man  returned  to  Champaign  county 
and  purchased  one  hundred  and  seventy-one 


34 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


acres  of  prairie  land  in  Sadorus  township. 
This  he  diligently  cultivated  and  improved, 
adding  thereto  two  hundred  and  twenty- 
seven  acres  within  a  few  years,  and  invest- 
ing now  and  then  in  more  land,  until  he 
became  one  of  the  large  property  holders  of 
the  county.  To-day  he  owns  five  hundred 
and  sixty'  acres  in  Sadorus  township,  two 
hundred  and  forty  acres  in  Tolono  township, 
and  eighty  acres  in  Scott  township.  All  of 
this  is  excellent  land,  well  cultivated  and 
productive,  and  this  state  of  affairs  has  been 
brought  about  by  years  of  arduous  toil  and 
good  management  on  the  part  of  the  owner. 
Formerly,  he  was  extensively  engaged  -in 
the  buying  and  selling  of  live  stock,  in  this 
manner  materially  increasing  his  income. 
In  all  of  his  transactions  he  was  noted  for 
scrupulous  integrity  and  reliability,  and  it 
has  been  no  flattery  to  say  of  him  that  his 
"word  is  as  good  as  his  bond." 

In  all  of  his  joys  and  sorrows  for  more 
than  two-score  years,  Mr.  Black  has  found 
a  helpmate  in  the  person  of  his  devoted  wife, 
formerly  Mary  Leslie,  to  whom  he  was 
married,  July  3,  1857.  Both  she  and  her 
father,  Robert  Leslie,  were  natives  of  the 
same  shire  as  our  subject,  and  Mr.  Leslie 
served  for  many  years  in  the  British  army. 
Mrs.  Black,  who  is  the  only  survivor  of  her 
family,  was  one  of  four  children.  To  the 
union  of  our  subject  and  wife  eight  children 
have  been  born,  namely:  John,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  farming  in  Scott  township,  married 
Minnie  Hartrick  and  has  five  children; 
James,  who  went  to  Alaska  and  was  drowned 
in  the  Pekin  river,  on  April  i,  1898;  Oliver, 
William,  a  graduate  of  the  Wesleyan  Col- 
lege at  Bloomington,  and  now  a  prominent 
member  of  the  Decatur  bar;  Isabella,  wife 
of  Edward  Armstrong,  of  Champaign,  and 
mother  of  two  children;  Margaret,  wife  of 


D.  H.  Barracks,  of  Sadorus,  and  mother  of 
one  child;  Laura  and  Alice,  who  reside  at 
home  and  are  pursuing  a  Course  in  the  Uni- 
versity. The  family  located  in  this  city  in 
1895,  and  have  a  pleasant  home  at  No.  404 
W.  Hill  street. 

In  his  political  affiliations,  Mr.  Black  is  ' 
an  ardent  Republican,  and  fraternally,  he  is 
a  Mason,  being  identified  with  Sadorus 
Lodge,  No.  535,  of  Champaign.  He  has 
not  sought  nor  desired  public  office,  but  has 
faithfully  discharged  every  duty  devolving 
upon  him  as  a  citizen. 


T^HOMAS  B.  KYLE,  of  Urbana,  is  a 
1  veteran  of  the  Civil  war  and  bears  an 
honorable  record  for  brave  service  in  the 
cause  of  freedom  and  union,  and  in  the 
paths  of  peace  has  won  an  enviable  reputa- 
tion through  the  sterling  qualities  which  go* 
to  the  making  of  a  good  citizen.  During 
his  long  residence  in  this  county  he  has  been 
prominently  identified  with  public  affairs,: 
and  has  served  as  county  surveyor  and  en-; 
gineer  from  1868  with  the  exception  of  one: 
term. 

Mr.  Kyle  was  born  near  Xenia,  Greene 
county,  Ohio,  January  8,  1824,  a  son  of 
Samuel  and  Rachel  (Jackson)  Kyle.  The 
father  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  of  Scotch- 
Irish  ancestry.  At  a  very  early  day  two. 
Kyle  families  moved  from  Germany  to  Scot- 
land, and  later  representatives  of  these 
settled  in  the  North  of  Ireland,  whence  they 
came  to  America  in  colonial  days.  Our 
subject's  grandfather,  Samuel  Kyle,  was 
born  in  this  country,  and  with  his  six 
brothers  took  up  arms  against  the  mother 
country  during  the  Revolutionary  war  and 
aided  the  colonies  in  achieving  their  inde- 
pendence. He  continued  his  residence  in 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


35 


Pennsylvania  until  the  father  of  our  subject 
was  seven  years  old  and  then  removed  to 
Kentucky,  locating  there  soon  after  the 
Revolution.  The  family  believed  they  had 
chosen  the  finest  location  in  the  world,  but 
when  Kentucky  became  a  slave  state,  they, 
together  with  a  large  colony,  went  to  Ohio, 
then  a  territory,  and  located  near  Xenia. 
There  our  subject's  father  took  up  a  tract  of 
new  land  and  continued  to  make  his  home 
until  his  death.  In  politics  he  was  first  a 
Whig  and  later  a  Republican,  and  for 
twenty-one  years  served  as  judge  of  the 
court  of  common  pleas.  He  was  quite  a 
prominent  and  influential  man  in  his  com- 
munity. He  was  a  member  of  the  Seceders 
(or  Presbyterian)  Church  until  1857,  when 
he  and  his  wife  united  with  the  Associate 
Reformed  Church,  now  the  United  Presby- 
terian Church.  His  wife  also  died  near 
Xenia. 

During  his  boyhood  and  youth  Thomas 
B.  Kyle  received  a  good  practical  education 
in  the  common  schools  and  academy  at 
Xenia,  including  a  course  in  surveying  and 
civil  engineering,  to  which  he  ha£  since  giv- 
en his  attention  almost  exclusively.  On  the 
23rd  of  April,  1851,  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Margaret  J.  Henderson,  a 
daughter  of  Adam  Henderson,  who  removed 
from  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  to  Ohio. 
They  began  their  domestic  life  upon  a  farm 
given  him  by  his  father  near  the  old  home- 
stead, and  there  they  lived  until  1860,  while 
he  devoted  his  time  to  surveying  in  Xenia. 
The  following  two  years  he  was  differently 
employed. 

In  the  meantime  the  Civil  war  broke 
out,  and  Mr.  Kyle  raised  a  company,  of 
which  he  was  commissioned  captain,  and 
which  was  mustered  in  at  Columbus,  Ohio, 
April  i,  1864,  as  Company  C,  Sixtieth  Ohio 


Volunteer  Infantry.  The  regiment  was 
first  ordered  to  Washington,  D.  C.,  and 
was  at  once  assigned  to  Burnside's  corps, 
Army  of  the  Potomac.  They  soon  realized 
all  the  horrors  of  war,  their  first  engagement 
being  the  terrible  battle  of  the  Wilderness, 
and  they  were  under  almost  continuous  fire 
day  and  night  from  April  until  the  middle 
of  July,  1864,  when  they  entrenched  them- 
selves before  Richmond  and  Petersburg. 
During  the  following  fall  and  winter  they 
took  those  strongholds  and  remained  there 
until  the  close  of  the  war.  They  participat- 
ed in  the  closing  scenes  known  as  the  grand 
review  at  Washington,  D.  C.,  and  were 
mustered  out  at  Columbus. 

Mr.  Kyle  returned  to  Xenia,  but  in  the 
fall  of  1865  moved  to  Crawford  county, 
Illinois,  and  in  1 866  came  to  Urbana,  Illinois, 
where  he  has  since  lived.  He  at  once  turn- 
ed his  attention  to  surveying,  and  after  serv- 
ing as  deputy  county  surveyor  for  two 
years,  he  was  elected  county  surveyor,  which 
office  he  has  since  filled  with  the  exception 
of  one  term,  with  credit  to  himself  and  to 
the  entire  satisfaction  of  the  general  public. 
He  has  laid  out  most  of  the  towns  and  ceme- 
teries of  the  county,  and  has  done  much 
surveying  for  city  improvements  along 
engineering  lines  for  the  purpose  of  opening 
ditches,  tile  drains  and  the  sewerage  water 
works.  He  is  now  the  oldest  in  point  of 
service  of  any  county  surveyor  known  in 
the  state,  and  nearly  the  oldest  in  years. 
He  has  not  only  witnessed  the  wonderful 
changes  that  have  taken  place  here  in  the 
last  third  of  a  century,  but  has  taken  an  act- 
ive part  in  its  development.  On  his  arrival  in 
the  county,  he  believed  it  would  take  at 
least  one  hundred  years  to  convert  the  wet 
prairie,  covered  with  sloughs  and  ponds, 
into  desirable  farms  and  homes,  but  this 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


has  already  been  accomplished,  and  Cham- 
paign county  now  ranks  among  the  best  in 
this  great  commonwealth. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kyle  were  born  six 
children,  namely:  Samuel  R. ,  now  con- 
nected with  the  National  library  at  Wash- 
ington, D.  C. ;  James  H.,  who  as  a  Presby- 
terian missionary  went  to  Dakota,  and  is 
now  serving  as  United  States  senator  from 
South  Dakota,  his  home  being  in  Aberdeen, 
and  is  one  of  the  most  promint  and 
influential  citizens  of  the  state;  Joseph,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years;  Fannie  E., 
who  graduated  from  the  University  of  Illi- 
nois at  Champaign,  then  read  medicine  at 
Ann  Arbor,  Michigan,  and  later  successfully 
engaged  in  practice  at  Sioux  Falls,  South 
Dakota,  for  four  years,  but  died  in  Chicago 
from  an  operation'  perfomed  to  remove  a 
tumor;  Martha  J.,  who  was  also  educated 
at  the  University  of  Illinois,  and  is  now  a 
teacher  in  that  institution;  and  Minnie  A., 
wife  of  Edward  Huntington,  Rantoul.  The 
wife  and  mother  died  in  June,  1897.  She 
was  a  consistent  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
church,  to  which  Mr.  Kyle  also  belongs. 
For  twenty-five  years  he  has  now  made  his 
home  at  No.  502  Goodwin  avenue.  He  is 
six  feet,  six  inches  in  height,  and  had  two 
brothers  of  the  same  height,  while  his 
ancestors  on  both  sides  were  all  tall  and 
large.  He  is  widely  and  favorably  known, 
and  justly  merits  the  high  regard  in  which 
he  is  uniformly  held. 


HARTWELL  C.   HOWARD,  M.   D.,  is 
a    skilled    physician    and    surgeon    of 
Champaign,    Illinois,    and    has    longer    en- 
gaged in  active   practice  at  this  place  than 
any  other,  there  being  but  two  others  in  the 


county  who  located  here  earlier  and  are  still 
living.  His  knowledge  of  the  science  of 
medicine  and  surgery  is  broad  and  compre- 
hensive, and  his  ability  in  applying  their 
principles  to  the  needs  of  suffering  humanity 
has  gained  him  an  enviable  prestige  in  pro- 
fessional circles. 

Dr.  Howard  was  born  in  Gates,  Monroe 
county.  New  York,  now  within  the  city  lim- 
its of  Rochester,  July  12,  1829,  and  is  a  son 
of  Eleazer  and  Matilda  (Wood)  Howard, 
both  representatives  of  old  New  England 
families.  The  Howard  family  was  founded 
in  America  by  three  brothers,  one  of  which 
located  in  Massachusetts,  another  in  Mary- 
land and  the  third  in  Virginia,  and  the 
grandfather  of  our  subject,  Ezra  Howard, 
was  a  soldier  of  the  Revolutionary  war  from 
Connecticut.  The  father  was  born  and 
reared  in  Windham  county,  Connecticut, 
but  after  his  marriage  removed  to  Monroe 
county,  New  York,  becoming  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  that  section.  He  cut  cord  wood 
in  what  is  now  the  center  of  Rochester. 
He  first  purchased  a  farm  in  Henrietta, 
eight  miles  south  of  the  city,  and  from  there 
moved  to  Gates,  where  he  owned  three  of 
the  four  corners  in  the  center  of  the  town, 
and  conducted  a  hotel  for  many  years  in 
connection  with  the  operation  of  his  farm. 
As  one  of  the  prominent  and  influential  citi- 
zens of  the  place,  he  was  called  upon  to 
serve  as  justice  of  the  peace,  supervisor  and 
in  other  local  offices.  When  our  subject 
was  fourteen  the  family  removed  to  Ohio 
and  located  near  Columbus,  which  at  that 
time  contained  a  population  of  only  thirty- 
five  hundred.  There  the  father  purchased 
a  farm  and  mills  which  he  carried  on  for  a 
number  of  years,  and  then,  in  1850,  came  to 
McLean  county,  Illinois,  locating  near  Le 
Roy,  where  he  was  extensively  engaged  in 


H.  C.  HOWARD,  M.  D. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


39 


farming  and  stock  raising  until  his  death. 
He  died  in  March,  1872,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-two  years,  and  his  wife,  who  was  a 
native  of  Ashford,  Connecticut,  died  in 
March,  1878,  at  the  age  of  eighty-six. 

Dr.  Howard  obtained  his  literary  educa- 
tion in  the  schools  of  Gates,  New  York,  and 
Columbus,  Ohio,  and  in  early  life  assisted 
his  father  on  the  farm  and  in  the  mill.  He 
commenced  reading  medicine  with  Prof. 
John  W.  Hamilton;  later  attended  three 
courses  of  lectures  at  the  Medical  College  in 
Columbus;  next  pursued  his  studies  under 
the  direction  of  Prof.  John  W.  Butterfield 
for  one  year;  and  spent  the  following  two 
years  and  a  half  in  New  York  City,  being 
one  of  the  twelve  house  physicians  in  the 
Emigrant  hospital,  connected  with  the  fever 
department  then  in  charge  of  the  famous 
Dr.  Thomas  Addis  Emmett,  and  had  charge 
of  three  hundred  beds.  He  lost  two  assist- 
ants and  himself  had  ship  fever  twice.  Here 
he  had  ample  opportunity  to  make  a  thor- 
ough study  of  typhus  and  other  fevers,  and 
he  also  attended  lectures,  graduating  from 
Starling  Medical  College,  of  Columbus, 
Ohio,  in  1850. 

In  1854  Dr.  Howard  first  came  to  this 
state,  being  on  his  way  to  California.  He 
stopped  to  visit  his  father  and  mother,  and 
finding  them  ill,  remained  to  care  for  them 
until  the  company  with  whom  he  was  trav- 
eling had  proceeded  so  far  that  it  was  im- 
possible for  him  to  overtake  them.  He  had 
already  become  disgusted  with  practice 
which  he  had  carried  on  in  Astoria  and  Har- 
lem, New  York,  where  it  was  then  the  cus- 
tom to  give  the  physician  something  to  drink 
at  every  house  he  entered,  and  he,  believing 
that  this  would  eventually  prove  his  ruin,  as 
it  had  so  many  prominent  New  York  doctors, 
he  left  his  practice  and  started  for  California. 


On  the  recovery  of  his  parents,  Dr. 
Howard  came  to  Champaign  and  erected  the 
first  flouring  mill  at  this  place,  intending  to 
follow  a  business  career.  The  first  Board 
of  Trade  of  the  town  was  established  at  that 
time  and  he  became  its  first  president.  After 
conducting  his  mill  for  a  few  months,  he 
found  that  the  wheat  then  grown  on  the  prairie 
did  not  make  good  flour  and  he  sold  out. 
In  the  meantime,  while  stopping  with  a 
crowd  gathered  around  a  man  whose  leg  had 
been  broken  by  the  cars,  a  man  stepped  up 
to  him  and  said,  "  Here,  Doctor,  my  friend 
has  a  broken  leg  and  you  must  take  care  of 
him."  Our  subject  protested  that  he  was 
only  a  citizen,  but  the  man  replied,  "Yes, 
Doctor,  I  know  you.  You  took  care  of  men 
in  the  ward  on  the  island."  This  occurred 
in  1855  and  from  that  time  on  he  has  en- 
gaged in  practice.  It  was  not  long  before 
his  professional  duties  kept  him  very  busy, 
his  practice  extending  over  a  radius  of  twenty 
miles  in  every  direction.  For  many  years 
he  did  most  of  the  surgical  work  in  the 
county  and  he  still  has  much  of  it.  He  is 
a  charter  member  of  the  County  Medical 
Society,  of  which  he  has  served  as  president, 
and  is  also  a  prominent  member  of  the  State 
Medical  Society;  the  American  Medical  Asso- 
ciation; the  Mississippi  Valley  Medical  Asso- 
ciation and  the  Tuberculosis  Society  of  Illi- 
nois. In  the  last  named  organization  he 
has  done  some  very  effective  and  original 
work.  His  specialty  has  been  tuberculosis  and 
he  has  cured  over  one  hundred  patients  who 
were  suffering  from  that  disease.  He  recently 
read  a  paper  on  that  subject,  before  the 
Wabash  Medical  Society  at  St.  Louis  and 
reported  twenty-eight  cases  where  the  pa- 
tient was  still  alive  and  well.  The  Doctor 
owns  a  beautiful  office  building  at  No.  1 1 1 
West  Church  street,  which  grounds  he  has 


40 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


now  occupied  for  thirty-eight  years.  At  one 
time  he  was  president  of  the  Champaign 
Twine  &  Bagging  Company,  which,  owing  to 
poor  management,  was  not  very  successful. 

In  1856,  Doctor  Howard  married  Miss 
Miranda  E.  Monroe,  a  native  of  Rochester, 
N.  Y. ,  who  died  in  August,  1897,  leaving 
four  children  who  are  still  living,  namely: 
Edwin,  a  resident  of  Florida;  Mary;  Charles 
P.,  a  dentist  of  Champaign;  and  Hartweil 
C. ,  who  is  attending  the  medical  depart- 
ment of  the  Harvard  University. 

The  Doctor  cast  his  first  presidential  vote 
for  General  Scott,  and  since  voting  for  Fre- 
mont in  1856,  has  been  a  stanch  supporter 
of  the  Republican  party.  For  two  terms 
he  was  member  of  the  common  cou-ncil  of 
Champaign  from  the  third  ward,  and  while 
a  member  of  that  body,  did  much  to  pro- 
mote the  brick  paving  and  first  water  ordi- 
nances. He  refused  longer  to  accept  that 
office.  He  was  twice  the  candidate  of  his 
party  for  mayor  of  the  city  but  was  not 
elected.  He  was  a  member  of  the  second 
board  of  township  school  trustees  when  there 
was  but  one  school  in  the  township,  but 
while  holding  that  office,  the  board,  after  a 
big  fight,  decided  to  establish  three  other 
schools.  They  added  to  the  school  fund  and 
laid  the  foundation  for  the  large  amount 
which  they  now  have.  Dr.  Howard  was  the 
first  Mason  initiated  in  Champaign,  and  is 
now  a  member  of  the  chapter,  council  and 
commandery,  and  also  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  In  manner  he  is 
pleasant  and  cordial,  which,  combined  with 
his  sterling  worth  makes  him  popular  in  social 
as  well  as  professional  circles.  Wherever 
known,  he  is  held  in  high  regard,  and  as  an 
honored  pioneer  and  highly  respected  citizen 
he  is  certainly  deserving  of  honorable  men- 
tion in  the  history  of  his  adopted  county. 


EH.  RENNER  &  BROTHER,  pro- 
prietors of  a  large  and  flourishing  livery 
and  sale  stable  at  No.  206  East  Main  street, 
Urbana,  and  numbered  among  the  most  en- 
terprising young  business  men  of  Champaign 
county,  are  worthy  representatives  of  a 
pioneer  family  of  this  locality,  and  their 
numerous  acquaintances  and  friends  through- 
out this  section  of  the  state  will  be  interested 
in  an  outline  of  their  history. 

Many  generations  of  the  Renriers  have 
lived  and  died  in  this  country,  and,  until 
quite  recently,  those  bearing  the  name  were 
zealous  Lutherans  in  religious  belief,  and 
one  t)f  the  ancestors  of  our  subjects  was  a 
Hetzel,  of  the  sturdy  old  Huguenot  stock. 
Their  great-grandfather,  Isaac  Renner,  was 
born  and  passed  his  entire  life  in  Frederick 
county,  Virginia,  and  his  father  and  ances- 
tors resided  in  Pennsylvania  from  the  early 
days  of  its  settlement.  Next  in  the  line  of 
descent  from  Isaac  was  Henry  Renner,  born 
in  Frederick  county,  in  1796.  He  married 
Mary  M.  Willey,  April  18,  1826.  She  was 
a  daughter  of  a  minister  of  the  German  Re- 
formed church,  and  was  born  June  29,  1800. 
Rev.  Mr.  Willey  was  a  native  of  Switzer- 
land, and  came  to  America  in  the  capacity 
of  a  missionary,  and  was  greatly  aided  in 
his  noble  work  by  his  wife,  who  was  of 
Huguenot  ancestry.  Henry  Renner  and 
wife  located  in  Ohio  in  1852,  and  in  1868 
came  to  Rantoul,  Illinois,  where  she  died  in 
1870,  and  he  in  1882.  The  absolute  in- 
tegrity and  sincerity  of  Henry  Renner  gave 
rise  to  the  local  saying  "As  honest  as 
Father  Renner "  and  everyone  who  knew 
him  admired  and  respected  him.  Reared 
in  the  strict  tenets  of  the  Lutheran  church, 
his  mind  gradually  became  liberalized  by  ex- 
perience and  reading,  and,  after  being  con- 
nected with  the  Presbyterian  church  for  sev- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


eral  years  he  united  with  the  Congregational 
denomination  upon  his  removal  to  Rantoul. 
To  himself  and  estimable  wife  four  children 
were  born  in  Virginia.  Anna  C.  is  the 
widow  of  William  Winslow,  and  lives  in 
Milan,  Ohio.  Mary  J.  and  Mrs.  Winslow 
both  wire  successful  teachers  in  the  Buck- 
eye state  for  many  years.  Mary  J.  never 
married,  and  was  connected  with  the  excel- 
lent schools  of  Columbus,  Ohio,  and  other 
towns  until  her  health  became  impaired, 
and  a  few  years  later  she  passed  to  the 
silent  land.  Rebecca  Frances  is  the  wife  of 
Isaiah  Hardy,  of  Urbana. 

Henry  W. ,  the  only  son  of  Henry  and 
Mary  M.  (Willey)  Renner,  was  born  in  Shen- 
andoah  county,  Virginia,  March  5,  1830, 
and  his  education  was  chiefly  obtained  in 
Woodstock,  Virginia,  and  Ohio,  whither  his 
parents  removed  when  he  was  a  youth.  His 
father  owned  a  blacksmith  shop  and  the  lad 
learned  the  business,  which  he  followed  to 
some  extent  for  a  number  of  years,  while  in 
the  winters  he  taught  schrol.  The  cares  of 
life  fell  upon  him  too  soon,  for  his  father, 
having  become  crippled  by  an  accident,  the 
only  son  pledged  himself  to  stand  by  his 
parents  until  they  had  paid  for  a  comfort- 
able homestead,  and  this  task  was  nobly 
fulfilled.  When  free  to  give  his  attention 
to  his  own  fortunes,  he  married  Phoebe  A., 
daughter  of  Hon.  E.  O.  and  Lucinda 
(Whitehead)  Williams,  at  their  home  in 
Licking  county,  Ohio,  the  ceremony  being 
performed  April  2,  1857.  The  young 
couple  soon  started  in  a  wagon  across  coun- 
try to  found  a  home  in  Illinois,  arriving  at 
their  destination  on  the  25th  of  May.  For 
eight  years  they  dwelt  upon  a  farm  of  eighty 
acres,  situated  oh  section  4,  Condit  town- 
ship, and,  in  the  meantime,  added  forty 
acres  to  the  original  tract.  At  the  close  of 


the  Civil  war,  Mr.  Renner  bought  a  quarter 
section  of  land  on  section  4,  Rantoul  town- 
ship, and  there  made  his  home  until  Febru- 
ary, 1894,  when  he  removed  to  Urbana.  At 
one  time  he  owned  two  good  farms  in  Ran- 
toul township,  but  has  since  sold  them,  and 
bought  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  in  Ver- 
milion county,  which  he  has  since  disposed 
of  and  has  purchased  400  acres  in  Jackson 
county,  Illinois.  For  years  he  was  success- 
fully engaged  in  raising  draught  horses,  and 
owned  a  number  of  imported  high-bred 
Percherons. 

Few  men  in  his  section  of  the  country 
were  more  active  in  all  lines  of  progress 
than  was.  Henry  W.  Renner  during  his 
prime.  In  the  winter  season  he  taught 
school,  and  he  always  manifested  deep  in- 
terest in  educational  matters,  serving  as  a 
trustee  of  the  district  schools  for  some  time. 
In  all  of  the  public  affairs  of  his  community 
he  had  a  patriotic  concern,  and  few,  in- 
deed, were  the  local  offices  which  he  did  not 
fill — and  that  with  diligence  and  efficiency. 
He  was  township  assessor,  collector,  super- 
visor, magistrate  or  justice  of  the  peace, 
commissionerof  highways,  and,  as  previously 
stated,  a  school  trustee.  When  the  Ran- 
toul Cheese  Factory  was  started,  he  was 
foremost  in  the  enterprise,  serving  as  a 
director  for  a  period.  Until  1873,  he*  was 
identified  with  the  Democratic  party,  then 
united  with  the  farmers'  and  greenback 
movement,  and,  of  late  years,  has  given  his 
allegiance  to  the  Prohibition  party.  Relig- 
iously, he  has  had  the  benefit  of  the  training 
and  bias  of  several  denominations,  and  thus 
is  not  narrow  in  his  views,  heartily  loving 
all  of  the  great  bodies  of  Christ  who  adhere 
to  the  essential  elements  of  the  gospel. 
Naturally,  he  became  connected  with  the 
Presbyterian  church,  to  which  his  parents 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


belonged,  in  Woodstock.  Virginia,  and  was 
not  half  way  through  his  'teens  when  he 
commenced  teaching  in  the  Sunday-school — 
a  work  he  has  kept  up  ever  since,  being 
deemed  one  of  the  most  valuable  laborers  in 
this  great  department  of  the  church's  use- 
fulness. Before  he  was  eighteen  he  as- 
sisted in  the  organization  of  Sunday-schools 
in  isolated  districts,  and  later  did  invalu- 
able work  along  the  same  line  in  the  town- 
ship and  county  Sunday-school  association 
of  Champaign  county.  He  was  one  of  the 
original  members  of  the  Jersey  Presbyterian 
church  in  Condit  township,  and  held 
the  offices  of  trustee,  secretary  and  ruling 
elder  there.  Subsequently,  he  officiated  as 
a  trustee,  secretary  and  deacon  in  the  First 
Congregational  church  at  Rantoul.  Since 
1882,  he  has  been  identified  with  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  has  been 
a  class-leader  and  steward  in  the  Urbana 
congregation.  The  Champaign  Sunday- 
school  Association  was  organized  July  24- 
25,  1866,  and  Mr.  Renner  was  present  at 
the  convention  held  the  ensuing  Septem- 
ber. On  July  4,  1867,  he  was  honored  by 
being  made  president  of  the  Rantoul  branch 
association,  and  five  years  later  was  elected 
president  of  the  county  organization.  He 
occupied  the  office  of  vice-president  of  the 
body  for  twenty-six  years,  and  since  1872 
has  served  as  a  member  of  the  executive 
committee.  No  commentary  beyond  the 
simple  statements  given  above  is  necessary, 
as  the  fact  that  he  has  so  often  been  called  to 
fill  extremely  responsible  positions  is  in  itself 
abundant  evidence  of  his  ability  and  zeal. 
Faithfully  did  the  young  wife  of  Henry 
W.  Renner  peform  the  arduous  duties  which 
fell  to  her  share  in  their  pioneer  home  on 
the  prairies  of  Illinois.  She  had  lost  her 
mother  when  she  was  less  than  fourteen 


years  old,  and  thus  early  the  cares  of  life 
came  to  her,  as  she  nobly  strove  to  fill  that 
mother's  place  in  the  home.  She  was  a  great 
worker  in  the  Presbyterian  church  and  a 
singer  in  the  choir  until  her  marriage  and 
removal  to  the  west,  and  until  the  close  of 
her  days  she  led  a  consistent,  beautiful  Chris- 
tian life.  She  was  summoned  to  her  reward, 
November  26,  1873,  and  left  five  children 
to  mourn  her  loss,  namely:  Enos  H. ;  Anna 
L. ,  wife  of  William  A.  Rush;  Sylvester  W. ; 
and  Mary  C.  and  Libbie  S.,  twins.  On  the 
28th  of  September,  1876,  Mr.  Renner  mar- 
ried Julia,  daughter  of  James  D.  and  Erne- 
line  Smith,  formerly  of  Pennsylvania.  They 
became  the  parents  of  one  son,  Charles  A., 
who  died  in  infancy.  Mrs.  Renner  received 
exceptional  educational  advantages  and, 
after  her  graduation  in  the  Western  Female 
Seminary,  at  Oxford,  Ohio,  she  devoted 
herself  to  teaching,  in  which  she  was  very 
successful.  Like  her  husband,  she  is  greatly 
interested  in  religious  and  benevolent  work 
and  in  all  movements  calculated  to  elevate 
the  race  and  increase  the  happiness  of  hu- 
manity. 

Enos  H.  Renner,  the  eldest  son  of  Henry 
W.  Renner,  was  born  on  the  pioneer  farm 
in  Condit  township,  Champaign  county,  Jan- 
uary 16,  1858.  He  passed  his  boyhood 
there  and  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits 
until  he  had  attained  maturity.  From  his 
father,  doubtless,  he  inherited  his  love  of 
books  and  keenness  in  the  acquisition  of 
.knowledge,  and,  after  completing  the  dis- 
trict school  course  he  attended  the  Rantoul 
high  school,  and  finished  his  literary  and 
scientific  education  in  the  University  of  Illi- 
nois. When  about  nineteen  years  old,  he 
commenced  teaching,  and  for  the  following 
six  years  was  occupied  in  this  line  of  work, 
chiefly  within  the  county  boundaries.  In 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


1885  he  located  in  Champaign,  and  for  a 
year  conducted  a  coal  business  alone,  at  the 
end  of  which  time  his  brother,  S.  W., 
joined  him,  the  firm  name  becoming  E.  H. 
Renner  &  Brother.  They  increased  their 
business  by  laying  in  a  stock  of  farm  machin- 
ery and  gradually  became  interested  in  team- 
ing and  transferring  merchandise.  During 
the  winter  of  1891-2,  they  carried  on  a  liv- 
ery and  sale  stable  at  Urbana  and  at  Cham- 
paign, but  the  first  named  being  the  more 
flourishing  of  the  two,  they  later  gave  up 
the  Champaign  branch.  They  make  a  spec- 
ialty of  doing  heavy  hauling  and  particular 
teaming,  and,  by  keeping  strictly  temperate 
and  reliable  men  in  their  employ,  and  by  a 
commendable  system  of  transacting  busi- 
ness, they  have  won  the  approval  and  pat- 
ronage of  the  public.  In  their  well-equipped 
livery  may  be  found  a  fine  line  of  carriages, 
coaches,  landaus  and  hansoms,  and  they 
make  a  special  point  of  furnishing  carriages 
for  social  events  and  funerals.  From 
twenty  to  thirty  good  horses  are  kept,  and 
from  the  number  any  style  of  roadster  or 
saddle  animal  may  be  selected.  Both  of 
the  young  men  who  stand  at  the  head  of 
this  business  are  straightforward  and  hon- 
orable in  all  their  dealings,  and  well  worthy 
of  the  enviable  place  which  they  hold  in  the 
judgment  of  their  acquaintances.  E.  H. 
Renner  is  associated  with  S.  C.  Fox  in  the 
undertaking  business,  and  is  thoroughly 
qualified  as  an  embalmer  and  director  of 
funerals,  holding  a  license  from  the  state 
board  of  health  to  that  effect., 

Fraternally,  E.  H.  Renner  is  a  Knight 
of  Pythias,  belonging  to  Triumph  Lodge, 
No.  73,  of  Urbana.  He  also  is  identified 
with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  and 
the  Court  of  Honor.  For  the  past  decade 
he  has  been  an  officer  and  active  member 


of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  church  of 
Urbana,  and,  having  strong  views  on  the 
subject  of  the  liquor  traffic,  he  uses  his  bal- 
lot in  favor  of  the  nominees  of  the  Prohibi- 
tion party.  • 

The  marriage  of  E.  H.  Renner  and 
Luella  Phillips,  youngest  child  of  Thomas 
and  Elizabeth  (Young)  Phillips,  was  sol- 
emnized in  Urbana,  November  9,  1886. 
Mrs.  Renner  was  born  February  23,  1868, 
and  was  reared  in  the  house  which  she 
and  her  family  now  occupy.  Her  elder 
brother,  John,  resides  in  this  town,  and 
Edward  is  a  resident  of  Philo,  Illinois. 
Mary,  the  only  sister,  is  the  widow  of  Richard 
Joe,  of  Nebraska.  Six  children  bless  the 
union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Renner,  namely: 
Wendell  P.,  Mary  F.,  Sylvia  P.,  Julia  E., 
Enos  H.,  Jr.,  and  Sylvester  G. 

The  junior  member  of  the  firm  of  E.  H. 
Renner  &  Brother  is  Sylvester  W.  Renner, 
who  was  born  on  his  parents'  farm  in  this 
county,  April  9,  1863,  and  received  his 
elementary  education  in  the  schools  of  the 
neighborhood.  Desiring  to  fully  equip  him- 
self for  a  successful  business  career,  he  com- 
pleted his  preparation  for  the  active  duties 
of  life  by  a  course  in  the  Champaign  Com- 
mercial College.  In  1886,  as  stated  in  the 
sketch  of  his  brother,  he  became  associated 
with  him  and  from  that  time  until  the  pres- 
ent their  financial  interests  have  been 
closely  connected.  Their  relations  are 
extremely  harmonious,  and  each  performs 
the  special  duties  agreed  upon  between 
them,  without  friction,  or  discontent.  Syl- 
vester W.  has  charge  of  the  buying  and 
selling  and  training  of  the  horses,  for  he  is  a 
competent  judge  of  their  merits.  He  has 
the  same  energy  and  foresight  in  business 
affairs  as  has  his  elder  brother  and  honored 
father,  and  is  rapidly  forging  to  the  front. 


44 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


On  the  1 8th  of  October,  1887,  Sylvester 
W.  Renner  and  Maggie  C.  Yates  were  united 
in  marriage.  She  is  a  daughter  of  John  and 
Mary  Yates,  who  are  of  English  birth,  while 
her  own  nativity  occurred  in  this  county.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Renner  have  three  living  children, 
namely:  Roma  E. ,  Willey  E.,  and  Ruth, 
and  their  third  child,  Hellen,  died  in 
infancy. 

Politically,  S.  \V.  Renner  is  a  Democrat, 
and  socially,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Court 
of  Honor  and  the  Tribe  of  Ben  Hur.  Both 
himself  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Parks 
Chapel  Methodist  Epicopal  church.  For 
the  past  six  years  he  has  been  actively  in- 
terested in  the  work  of  this  church,  serving 
as  one  of  the  building  committee  under  whose 
auspices  the  present  chapel  was  constructed, 
after  the  destruction  by  "fire  of  the  former 
house  of  worship,  of  which  he  also  acted  as 
one  of  the  building  committee.  He  is  a 
trustee  and  chorister  of  the  chapel,  and  aids 
in  every  department  of  church  enterprise. 


BAXTER  D.  HARBISON,  one  of  the 
honored  citizens  of  Champaign,  has 
now  reached  the  eveningtime  of  life,  yet 
enjoys  good  health  for  one  of  his  advanced 
years,  and  is  exceedingly  well  preserved  in 
mind  and  body.  An  interesting  conversa- 
tionalist, as  he  possesses  much  general  in- 
formation and  is  liberal  in  his  views  upon 
all  questions  of  the  day,  it  is  a  pleasure  to 
pass  an  evening  in  his  company,  listening  to 
the  story  of  his  busy  and  eventful  life — a  life 
filled  with  good  deeds. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject 
was  David  Harbison,  a  native  of  Ireland, 
who,  upon  coming  to  the  United  States,  set- 
tled first  in  Pennsylvania,  and  later  located 


in  Virginia,  finally  becoming  a  resident  of 
Shelby  county,  Kentucky.  David  Harbison, 
Jr.,  father  of  Baxter  D.,  was  born  in  the  Old 
Dominion,  or  Pennsylvania,  and  died  upon 
his  farm  in  Shelby  county,  Kentucky,  about 
1820,  leaving  a  widow  and  six  children. 
She  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Martha  D. 
Venable  and  was  born  in  Virginia.  Their 
children  were  named  as  follows:  James  V., 
George  L. ,  Clement  S.,  Davis,  Paulena  C. 
and  Baxter  D.  Davis,  now  in  his  eighty- 
seventh  year,  resides  in  Shelby  county,  Ken- 
tucky. 

Baxter  D.  Harbison  was  born  in  the 
county  just  mentioned,  April  5,  1818,  and, 
as  may  be  imagined,  he  had  scant  oppor- 
tunity to  acquire  an  education.  He  had 
been  bereft  of  his  father  at  the  age  of  two 
years,  and  as  soon  as  possible  he  began 
earning  his  own  livelihood.  He  felt  quite 
rich  when,  at  last,  he  received  twelve  dol- 
lars and  a  half  a  month,  besides  his  board, 
for  his  services  on  farms,  and  for  two  years 
he  and  his  brother  Davis  engaged  in  the 
management  of  a  farm.  Afterwards,  our 
subject  worked  with  his  stepfather  for  a 
period,  but  in  1840  he  determined  to  go  to 
the  west.  Buying  some  four  hundred  acres 
of  land  in  Saline  county,  Missouri,  about 
sixty  acres  only  of  the  place  having  been 
brought  under  cultivation,  he  proceeded  to 
improve  the  property  during  the  ensuing 
decade.  He  then  disposed  of  the  land 
and  bought  four  hundred  acres  in  Lafayette 
county,  same  state,  near  which  the  present 
town  of  Higginsville  is  located.  After  judi- 
ciously expending  a  certain  amount  of  money 
in  improvements,  and  reducing  the  home- 
stead to  fine  order,  he  sold  out  at  nearly 
double  the  price  he  had  paid  for  it,  seven 
years  before,  and  returned  to  his  native 
county. 


THE  BIOGRAHPICAL    RECORD. 


45 


Living  there,  from  the  spring  of  1857  to 
1860,  without  buying  a  farm,  he  then  in- 
vested in  a  place  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres,  later  increasing  the  farm  to  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres,  but  three  years  of 
labors  there,  during  the  unsettled  state  of 
affairs  at  that  period,  were  sufficient,  and  in 
1863  he  located  in  Champaign  county, 
where  he  had  five  years  previously  made 
substantial  investments  in  land,  and  this 
locality  he  has  since  looked  upon  as  his 
home.  At  one  time  he  owned  sixteen  hun- 
dred acres  in  Sadorus,  Colfax  and  Scott 
townships,  Champaign  county,  and  in  Piatt 
county,  and  from  time  to  time  he  has  sold 
tracts  of  this  land,  and  has  closed  out  all  his 
land.  He  owns  a  number  of  valuable  city 
lots  in  Champaign  and  Urbana. 

In  1839,  Mr.  Harbison  married  Lucy  J. 
Venable,  a  second  cousin,  who  proved  a  de- 
voted wife,  sharing  his  early  hardships  with 
fortitude,  and  cheering  and  aiding  him 
in  his  struggles  for  a  livelihood.  After  a 
happy  life  together  of  more  than  thirty-six 
years,  the  shadow  of  death  settled  down 
upon  their  cosy  home,  and  in  August,  1875, 
the  wife  was  called  to  the  better  land.  Mr. 
Harbison's  home  is  cared  for  by  his  niece, 
Mary  Harbison,  who  is  kind  and  attentive 
as  a  daughter,  and  whom  he  loves  as  such. 

In  his  younger  days,  Mr.  Harbison  was 
affiiliated  with  the  Odd  Fellows'  order, 
joining  them  in  1846.  For  twenty  years  he 
has  been  an  elder  in  the  Presbyterian 
church,  and  is  a  generous  contributor  to  its 
support.  He  uses  his  franchise  in  favor  of 
the  Prohibition  party,  save  in  local  affairs, 
when  he  is  perfectly  independent.  During 
his  residence  in  Saline  county,  Missouri,  he 
served  in  the  militia  for  some  four  years, 
and  for  two  years  he  acted  efficiently  as  city 
alderman  of  Champaign,  being  chairman  of 


the  committee  on  streets  and  alleys,  and 
rendering  valuable  aid  in  numerous  ways  to 
local  progress.  He  enjoys  helping  the  suf- 
fering and  unfortunate,  and  his  friends  are 
legion. 


SN.  NEBLOCK,  deceased,  was  for  many 
years  a  leading  blacksmith  of  Urbana, 
and  was  also  one  of  the  brave  and  loyal  de- 
fenders of  the  Union  during  the  dark  days  of 
the  Civil  war.  A  native'  of  Ohio,  he  was 
born  in  Guernsey  county,  August  8,  1834, 
and  was  a  son  of  David  Y.  and  Ann  (Mat- 
tox)  Neblock.  He  was  educated  in  the 

schools  of  his  native  state,  and  there  learned 

• 

the  blacksmith's  trade,  which  he  made  his 
life-work.  After  his  father's  death,  which 
occurred  in  Ohio,  he  and  his  mother  came 
to  Champaign  county,  Illinois,  when  he  was 
nineteen  years  of  age,  and  located  in  Homer 
township,  where  he  at  first  worked  at  his 
trade  for  others,  but  later  owned  and  con- 
ducted a  shop  of  his  own. 

In  1852,  Mr.  Neblock  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Edith  C.  Jett,  who  was 
born  in  Clark  county,  Ohio,  December  12, 
1834,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Mary  A. 
(Bishop)  Jett.  She  was  reared  in  her  native 
state,  where  her  father  died,  and  a  few  years 
later  she  accompanied  her  mother  and  step- 
father on  their  removal  to  Champaign 
county,  Illinois,  locating  in  Homer  town- 
ship, where  her  mother  died.  She  had 
two  children  by  her  first  marriage,  James 
William,  who  died  at  the  age  of  six  years; 
and  Edith  C. ,  now  Mrs.  Neblock.  After 
the  death  of  her  first  husband  Mrs.  Jett 
married  Daniel  Orr.  There  was  a  daughter 
by  the  second  union,  Sarah  J.,  deceased 
wife  of  Jacob  Strayhorn,  of  Homer,  Illinois. 

Mrs.   Neblock's  maternal    grandparents 


46 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


were  Amos  and  Mary  Ann  Bishop.  The 
grandfather  was  a  soldier  of  the  war  of 
1812,  and  died  in  Ohio  at  an  advanced  age. 
The  grandmother  came  to  this  state  with 
her  second  husband,  Jacob  Ridinger,  .and 
both  died  here  many  years  ago. 

Of  the  twelve  children  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Neblock,  three  died  in  infancy.  The 
others  were  William,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
six  years;  Sylvester,  who  married  Lydia 
Chapman,  and  is  now  engaged  in  farming 
near  Penfield,  Illinois;  Alice/ wife  of  Jack- 
son Acres,  a  carpenter  of  Urbana;  Laura, 
wife  of  Douglas  Anderson,  of  Homer;  John, 
who  died  unmarried  at  the  age  of  thirty-two 
years;  Emma,  wife  of  William  Glascock,  a 
teamster  of  Urbana;  Bertie,  wife  of  Burt 
Bidwell,  of  Bloomington,  Illinois;  Neal, 
who  married  Frances  Earlywine,  and  lives 
in  Urbana;  and  Stella  Maude,  who  lives 
with  her  mother  at  No.  804  West  Uni- 
versity avenue. 

Mr.  Neblock  responded  to  the  first  call 
for  troops  at  the  opening  of  the  Rebellion, 
enlisting  in  Company  C,  Twenty-fifth  Illi- 
nois Volunteer  Infantry,  with  which  he 
served  for  one  year  and  nine  months.  On 
receiving  his  discharge  he  returned  home, 
but  in  1864  he  re-enlisted  as  second  lieuten- 
ant of  Company  H,  Illinois  Volunteer  In- 
fantry. Later  he  joined  Company  H, 
Twelfth  Illinois  Cavalry,  as  orderly  sergeant, 
and  remained  in  the  service  until  the  war 
ended.  He  took  part  in  the  battles  of 
Gettysburg,  Lookout  Mountain,  Chicka- 
mauga  and  Fort  Pillow;  was  in  several  en- 
gagements in  Missouri  during  Price's  raid 
through  that  state;  was  with  General  Sher- 
man on  his  famous  march  to  the  sea;  and 
participated  in  the  grand  review  at  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.,  at  the  close  of  the  war. 
Hostilities  having  ceased  and  his  services 


no  longer  being  needed,  he  was  honorably 
discharged  and  returned  home  with  an  en- 
viable war  record. 

Soon  after  the  war,  Mr.  Neblock  re- 
moved to  Danville,  Illinois,  and  later  to 
Ogden,  and  in  1884  took  up  his  residence  in 
Urbana,  where  he  made  his  home  until  call- 
ed to  his  final  rest  March  29,  1893.  Before 
his  death  he  drew  a  pension  ot  thirty  dollars 
per  month.  He  was  a  supporter  of  the 
Democratic  party  and  its  principles  and 
served  as  constable  of  Urbana  four  years, 
and  held  the  same  office  while  a  resident  of 
Homer  township,  this  county.  He  was  a 
prominent  member  of  Urbana  Lodge,  No. 
139,  I.  O.  O.  F. ,  in  which  he  served  as 
noble  grand,  and  he  was  buried  by  that  or- 
der. Religiously  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Christian  church. 


FRANCIS  M.  WRIGHT,  LL.B.— Prom- 
inent on  the  list  of  the  eminent  jurists 
of  central  Illinois  appears  the  name  of  Judge 
Francis  M.  Wright,  of  Urbana/  Occupying 
the  bench  of  the  sixth  judicial  circuit,  and 
of  the  appellate  court  of  the  third  district 
of  Illinois,  he  has  attained  marked  prestige 
in  connection  with  the  administration  of  the 
laws  of  this  great  commonwealth,  and  is  rec- 
ognized as  the  peer  of  any  of  the  most 
able  lawyers  of  the  Illinois  bar.  An 
enumeration  of  those  men  of  the  present 
generation  who  have  won  honor  and  public 
recognition  for  themselves,  and  at  the  same 
time  have  honored  the  state  to  which  they 
belong,  would  be  incomplete  were  there 
failure  to  make  prominent  reference  to  the 
one  whose  name  initiates  the  opening 
paragraph  of  this  review.  He  not  only  holds 
distinctive  precedence  as  an  eminent  lawyer, 


HON.  FRANCIS  M.  WRIGHT. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


49 


but  is  as  well  a  man  of  high  scientific  and 
literary  attainments,  a  valiant  and  patriotic 
soldier  and  a  man  of  affairs  who  has  wielded 
a  wide  influence.  A  strong  mentality,  an 
invincible  courage,  a  most  determined  in- 
dividuality have  so  entered  into  his  nature 
as  to  make  him  a  natural  leader  of  men  and 
a  director  of  opinion. 

Judge  Wright  was  born  on  Briar  Ridge, 
in  Adams  county,  Ohio,  August  5,  1844,  his 
parents  being  James  and  Elizabeth  (Copple) 
Wright.  The  father  was  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania, and  tradition  says  that  the  remote 
ancestors  were  Scotch-Irish.  Steven 
Wright,  the  grandfather,  came  from  the 
north  of  Ireland  to  America  and  took  up  his 
residence  in  Pennsylvania,  whence  he  re- 
moved to  Ohio,  where  his  last  days  were 
spent.  His  son  James  was  a  small  lad  at 
the  time  of  the  removal  to  the  Buckeye 
state.  He  became  a  mechanic,  and  also 
owned  and  occupied  a  farm.  A  leading  and 
influential  member  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal church,  he  served  as  class  leader 
and  as  superinendent  of  the  Sunday-school. 
His  wife,  who  was  also  born  in  the 
Keystone  state,  and  belonged  to  one 
of  the  old  Pennsylvania-Dutch  families, 
was  a  daughter  of  John  Copple,  a  native  of 
Germany,  who  removed  from  Pennsylvania 
to  Ohio  at  an  early  day.  James  Wright 
died  in  1854,  at  the  age  of  forty-three  years, 
but  the  mother  lived  to  be  seventy- nine 
years  of  age.  He  left  a  family  of  six  chil- 
dren, all  of  whom  reached  years  of  maturity. 

Judge  Wright  spent  his  boyhood  days 
upon  the  farm  and  in  the  common  schools 
acquired  his  preliminary  education  which 
was  supplemented  by  study  in  the  Ohio 
Valley  Academy,  at  Decatur,  Brown  county, 
Ohio.  The  questions  of  slavery  and  secess- 
ion greatly  interested  him,  and  when  the 


south  made  an  attempt  to  overthrow  the 
Union,  he  determined  to  strike  a  blow  in  be- 
half of  the  national  goverment.  Accordingly 
he  enlisted  in  June,  1861,  before  he  was 
eighteen  years  of  age,  becoming  a  member 
of  Company  I,  Thirty-ninth  Ohio  Volunteer 
Infantry.  He  was  mustered  in  at  Camp 
Colrain,  Ohio,  and  sent  first  to  Missouri, 
under  Fremont.  He  saw  active  service 
there,  and  was  afterward  with  Pope's  com- 
mand at  Island  No.  10  and  New  Madrid. 
He  remained  with  his  regiment  until  mus- 
tered out  in  July,  1865,  and  at  various  times 
was  promoted,  becoming  corporal,  sergeant, 
sergeant  major  and  second  lieutenant, 
holding  the  last  named  position  at  the  time 
of  his  discharge.  He  served  throughout  the 
Atlanta  campaign,  went  with  Sherman  on 
the  glorious  march  to  the  sea,  participated 
in  the  battles  of  Corinth  and  luka,  and  was 
probably  under  fire  in  forty  engagements. 
On  the  22d  of  July,  1864,  at  Atlanta,  he 
was  slightly  wounded,  but  did  not  leave  the 
field.  He  was  at  the  front  for  more  than 
four  years,  all  of  the  time  engaged  in  active 
service,  and  was  mustered  out  before  he  had 
attained  his  majority.  Of  such  a  war  rec- 
ord he  may  well  be  proud,  for  although 
others  enlisted  at  a  younger  age,  no  one  as 
young  as  himself,  so  far  as  he  knows,  saw 
four  years  of  active  service  upon  the  battle- 
fields of  the  south. 

During  the  war  Judge  Wright  had 
noticed  the  fine  appearance  of  many  men, 
and  upon  inquiry  as  to  their  business  found 
that  they  were  lawyers.  This  led  him  to 
determine  to  enter  the  legal  profession,  al- 
though his  parents  had  destined  him  for  the 
medical  fraternity.  Upon  his  return  to  the 
north  he  became  a  student  in  the  law  office 
of  Colonel,  afterward  Judge,  D.  W.  C. 
Loudon,  and  was  graduated  in  the  Cincin- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


nati  Law  College  with  the  degree  of  LL.  B. , 
in  the  class  of  1867.  He  was  then  admitted 
to  the  bar  and  for  a  short  time  practiced  in 
Georgetown,  Brown  county,  Ohio  (from 
where  Gen.  Grant  was  sent  to  West  Point) 
but  in  December,  1868,  came  to  Urbana, 
and  has  since  been  a  member  of  the  Illinois 
bar.  He  began  practice  alone,  but  afterward 
formed  a  partnership  with  Judge  W.  D. 
Somers,  with  whom  he  was  associated  for 
eleven  years,  the  firm  occupying  a  leading 
position  in  professional  circles  and  enjoying 
a  very  extensive  and  lucrative  clientage,  the 
volume  of  their  business  probably  exceeding 
that  of  any  law  firm  of  the  county.  After 
the  dissolution  of  the  partnership  he  en- 
joyed a  large  general  practice  until 'his 
elevation  to  the  bench,  to  which  he  was 
elected  in  June,  1891.  He  was  first  chosen 
as  judge  of  the  old  fourth  judicial  circuit, 
comprising  the  counties  of  Champaign, 
Piatt,  Macon,  Moultrie,  Douglas,  Coles, 
Edgar,  Clark  and  Vermilion.  On  entering 
upon  his  judicial  service  he  gave  up  private 
practice  entirely,  in  order  to  give  his  undi- 
vided attention  to  his  official  duties.  In 
1897  he  was  re-elected  in  the  new  sixth 
judicial  circuit,  comprising  the  counties  of 
Champaign,  Piatt,  Dewitt,  Macon,  Moultrie 
and  Douglas.  On  his  re-election  the 
supreme  court  appointed  him  one  of  the 
appellate  judges  of  the  state,  assigning  him 
to  the  second  district,  and  later  changed 
him  to  the  third  district.  Many  of  his  cases 
have  been  appealed  to  the  higher  court,  but 
in  the  majority  of  instances  his  decisions  have 
been  sustained.  His  decisions  indicate 
strong  mentality,  careful  analysis,  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  law  and  an  unbiased  judg- 
ment. The  judge  on  the  bench  fails  more 
frequently,  perhaps,  from  a  deficiency  in 
that  broad-mindedness  which  not  only  com- 


prehendsthe  details  of  a  situation  quickly  and 
that  insures  a  complete  self-control  under 
even  the  most  exasperating  conditions  than 
from  any  other  cause;  and  the  judge  who 
makes  a  success  in  the  discharge  of  his  mul- 
titudinous delicate  duties  is  a  man  of  well 
rounded  character,  finely-balanced  mind  and 
of  splendid  intellectual  attainments.  That 
Judge  Wright  is  regarded  as  such  a  jurist 
is  an  uniformly  accepted  fact. 

Judge  Wright  has  not  confined  his  at- 
tention entirely  to  the  law,  for  he  has  been 
an  active  factor  in  business  and  political  cir- 
cles. He  was  one  of  the  original  stockhold- 
ers and  directors  of  the  First  National  Bank, 
and  is  the  only  one  now  living  who  remains 
identified  with  the  institution  on  its  organ- 
ization. Later  he  was  vice-president,  and 
since  the  death  of  Mr.  Richards  has  been 
president  of  the  bank,  which  has  a  capital 
and  surplus  of  one  hundred  and  fifteen  thou- 
sand dollars.  It  is  regarded  as  one  of  the 
most  reliable  financial  institutions  in  this 
part  of  the  state.  In  politics  the  Judge  has 
always  been  a  Republican,  and  has  borne 
his  share  of  the  work  and  burdens  of  the  or- 
ganization. 

On  the  1 5th  of  July,  1868,  Judge  Wright 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Elizabeth 
West,  of  Brown  county,  Ohio,  daughter  of 
John  West,  Jr.  Four  children  have  been 
born  to  them:  Royal,  who  is  now  an  attor- 
ney of  Urbana;  Marion,  who  became  the 
wife  of  Charles  M.  Lewis,  and  died  in  June, 
1899;  Edith  and  Lora,  at  home.  They  oc- 
cupy a  beautiful  residence  at  No.  407  Green 
street,  and  enjoy  the  hospitality  of  the  best 
homes  of  Urbana.  Judge  Wright  has  been 
a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
from  childhood,  and  still  adheres  to  the 
church  of  his  ancestors.  Socially  he  is  a 
Mason  and  has  held  high  office  in  lodge, 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


chapter,  council  and  commandery.  He  has 
also  been  a  representative  to  the  grand  lodge. 
He  maintains  pleasant  relationship  with  his 
comrades  of  the  blue  and  recalls  memories 
of  the  tented  field  through  his  membership 
in  Black  Eagle  Post,  G.  A.  R. ,  and  with  the 
Chicago  Commandery  of  the  Loyal  Legion. 
Such  in  brief  is  the  history  of  one  who  by 
his  own  unaided  efforts  has  attained  to  a 
position  of  eminence  in  professional,  polit- 
ical and  social  life,  and  who  has  ever  re- 
ceived the  respect  which  is  accorded  sterl- 
iner  worth. 


DR.  J.  D.  SPORE,  a  successful  veteri- 
nary surgeon  of  Urbana,  is  of  sterling 
Highland-Scotch  ancestry,  and  possesses 
many  of  the  notable  characteristics  of  that 
strong-minded,  fearless  people.  His  pater- 
nal grandfather,  Jacob  Spore,  emigrated 
from  Scotland  to  America  at  an  early  day, 
and  located  in  the  vicinity  of  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  where  he  passed  the  rest  of  his  days. 
He  chose  for  a  wife,  Hannah  Ackerman, 
who,  as  the  name  indicates,  was  of  German 
extraction. 

One  of  the  sons  of  this  worthy  couple 
was  William,  father  of  our  subject.  When 
he  was  about  sixteen  years  of  age,  the  spirit 
of  ambition  and  enterprise  which  was  so 
marked  in  him  during  his  more  active  years, 
led  to  his  leaving  home,  and  going  to  the 
then  new  settlements  in  Indiana,  where  he 
was  employed  at  various  lines  of  work.  At 
length  he  became  a  land-owner  and  the  pro- 
prietor of  a  wood  yard,  near  Rising  Sun, 
Indiana,  on  the  Ohio  river,  his  business  be- 
ing to  furnish  steamboats  with  fuel.  De- 
cember 26,  1852,  he  joined  the  adventurous 
throngs  wending  their  way  to  the  gold  fields 
of  the  Pacific  coast,  and,  in  company  with 


his  wife's  brother,  John  Birdzell,  started 
on  the  long  overland  journey  in  a  wagon 
drawn  by  five  mules  and  a  misfit  pony. 
They  were  from  May  until  September  in 
making  the  hazardous  trip,  but  at  length  ar- 
rived in  San  Francisco.  For  the  next  four 
years  William  Spore  was  actively  engaged  in 
teaming  and  freighting  supplies  between  Sac- 
ramento and  San  Francisco  and  the  various 
mining  camps  of  that  region,  but  in  the 
meantime  he  remitted  to  his  wife  three  hun- 
dred dollars,  and  our  subject  has  in  his  pos- 
session an  Adams  Express  Company  certifi- 
cate of  that  amount,  sent  from  Coloma, 
California,  by  William  Spore  to  his  wife, 
Eunice  Spore,  December  6,  1852;  and  also 
keeps  as  a  relic  of  those  days  of  long  ago 
the  old  canvas  vest  in  which  his  father  car- 
ried the  three  hundred  dollars  in  gold.  In 
1856,  William  Spore  returned  to  Indiana 
and  engaged  in  lumbering,  cleanngaway  the 
heavy  timber  with  which  his  one-hundred- 
and-twenty-six-acre  farm  was  covered.  In 
1869,  the  western  fever  again  mastered  him, 
and  he  went  to  Virginia  City,  Nevada,  where 
his  nephew,  J.  W.  Bailey,  since  become 
wealthy  and  prominent,  was  engaged  in 
mining  enterprises.  There,  as  formerly, 
he  turned  his  attention  to  teaming  and  was 
made  superintendent  of  transportation,  see- 
ing to  the  proper  handling  of  the  ore  from 
the  time  it  was  brought  to  the  surface  until 
it  was  deposited  in  the  stamp  mill.  Re- 
turning home  at  the  end  of  about  nine 
months,  he  commenced  farming  and  raising 
live-stock.  Paying  special  attention  to  the 
breeding  of  fine  coach-horse  strains,  he  soon 
developed  almost  a  distinct  variety,  and,  to 
this  day,  those  who  knew  him  are  anxious 
to  gain  possession  of  the  scions  of  the  stock 
he  raised.  In  1876  he  located  on  a  quarter- 
section  of  land,  situated  in  section  19, 


UNIVBK 
ILLINOIS 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Staunton  township,  Champaign  county,  and 
it  was  not  until  October,  1890,  that  he  left 
the  farm.  He  died  at  his  Urbana  home, 
February  6,  1892,  and  is  survived  by  his 
widow.  Politically  he  supported  the  Dem- 
ocratic party,  while  in  religion,  he  was  a 
Methodist  and  held  official  positions  in  the 
local  church.  By  a  life  of  singular  good- 
ness and  rectitude,  devotion  to  his  home 
and  family,  and  to  his  duties  as  a  neighbor 
and  citizen,  he  won  the  lasting  esteem  and 
admiration  of  all,  and  is  sincerely  mourned 
by  his  old  associates. 

Of  his  six  children,  Dr.  J.  D.  Spore, 
born  July  3,  1857,  is  the  fourth.  Mary  J., 
the  eldest  of  the  family,  and  widow  of  James 
Carson,  resides  at  Thomasboro,  this  county. 
George  W. ,  who  enlisted  when  only  sixteen 
years  of  age  in  the  Second  Indiana  Battery, 
and  served  under  command  of  Captain 
Espy',  did  valiant  service  in  many  of  the 
most  important  campaigns  of  the  Civil  war, 
and,  at  the  end  of  three  years  of  active  bat- 
tling for  his  country,  died  at  Little  Rock, 
Arkansas,  from  the  effects  of  a  wound  re- 
ceived during  an  engagement  with  the  enemy, 
Ellen  F.  is  the  wife  of  Willis  Case,  a  farmer 
of  Urbana  townshp;  Minnie  H.  is  the  wife 
of  James  Elliott,  of  Urbana,  and  Alice  G. 
died  when  about  twenty-four  years  of  age. 

Dr.  J.  D.  Spore  was  reared  as  a  farmer's 
boy,  and  received  only  a  district  school 
education  prior  to  the  time  he  was  eighteen 
years  old.  He  had  inherited  his  father's 
great  interest  in  horses,  however,  and  had 
gained  much  practical  knowledge  of  the 
noble  steed  upon  the  home  farm,  and  it  is 
not  strange  that  he  determined  to  become  a 
veterinary  surgeon.  In  1876,  he  entered 
the  Indianapolis  Veterinary  College,  where 
he  pursued  a  course  of  study  for  one  term 
and  then,  returning  to  the  home  farm,  began 


practicing,  while  at  the  same  time  he  con- 
tinued his  theoretical  work.  After  spending 
another  season  in  work  at  the  Chicago 
Veterinary  College,  and  after  taking  a 
special  course  at  the  Charleston  Veterinary 
College,  with  years  of  practical  exerience 
interspersed,  he  established  an  office  at 
Urbana,  in  1890.  Not  the  least  valuable  of 
his  past  labors  were  conducted  under  the 
guidance  of  Dr.  Adam  Wolf,  a  prominent 
member  of  the  profession, now  deceased.  As 
he  is  the  only  resident  veterinary  surgeon 
in  Urbana,  he  receives  a  large  patronage, 
and  though  at  present  his  office  is  at 
Renners'  livery  stables,  he  expects  to  be- 
come a  partner  of  Dr.  F.  W.  Corkery.  until 
recently  a  member  of  the  faculty  of  the 
Chicago  Veterinary  College,  and  to 
establish  in  this  place  a  hospital  for  the 
treatment  of  all  kinds  of  equine  diseases. 
Dr.  Spore  holds  a  license  from  the  state 
board,  and  by  long  and  arduous  preparation 
and  earnest  work  has  become  thoroughly 
competent  in  his  particular  branch  of  the 
healing  art.  Following  in  the  political  foot- 
steps of  his  father,  he  votes  for  Democratic 
party  nominees. 

On  the  isth  of  September,  1878,  Dr. 
Spore  married  Laura  J.  Thompson,  daughter 
of  James  and  Amanda  Thompson,  who  re- 
moved from  Washington  county, 'Pennsyl- 
vania (her  birthplace),  to  Vermilion  county, 
Illinois,  in  1866.  The  four  children  who 
bless  the  union  of  the  Doctor  and  wife  are 
named,  respectively:  William  G.,  Vinton, 
Eddie  J.  and  Edna  J.,  the  latter  being 
twins. 


THOMAS  R.  LEAL,  a  well-known  gen- 
eral contractor  of  Urbana,  Illinois,  and 
county  superintendent  of  schools  for  sixteen 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


53 


years,  was  born  in  Stamford,  Delaware 
county,  New  York,  July  4,  1829,  a  son  of 
Dr.  James  and  Mary  (McClaughry)  Leal, 
the  latter  an  aunt  of  Major  McClaughry, 
formerly  the  efficient  warden  of  the  state 
prison  at  Joliet.  The  paternal  grandfather 
was  born  in  Scotland  and  came  to  this  coun- 
try when  a  child  of  twelve  years.  His  wife, 
a  Miss  Rose,  was  born  on  this  side  of  the 
Atlantic,  but  was  of  Scotch  descent.  Dur- 
ing one  of  the  early  Indian  wars  she  and 
two  brothers  were  taken  to  Canada  as  pris- 
oners by  the  Indians,  but  finally  made  their 
escape  and  returned  to  the  United  States. 
The  father  of  our  subject  was  born,  reared 
and  educated  in  Kortright,  Delaware  county, 
New  York,  learning  his  Latin  and  Greek  of 
an  old  minister  of  that  place,  and  getting  a 
liberal  education  in  that  way.  He  was  sur- 
geon in  a  New  Y'ork  Militia  regiment  and 
made  his  home  in  Stamford,  where  he  died 
at  the  early  age  of  twenty-seven  years.  In 
his  native  town  he  had  married  Miss  Mary 
McClaughry,  daughter  of  Thomas  McClaugh- 
ry, who  was  also  of  Scotch  descent.  After 
the  death  of  her  husband  she  returned  to 
her  father's  home  in  Kortright  where  she  re- 
mained a  widow  until  her  three  children 
were  grown,  and  she  died  in  Delaware 
county.  Religiously  she  was  a  faithful 
member  of  the  Reformed  Presbyterian 
church.  Of  the  family  only  our  subject  is 
now  living.  His  younger  brother,  Dr. 
James  H.  Leal,  died  at  his  home  in  Cali- 
fornia, being  worn  out  by  his  extensive 
practice.  The  sister  died  at  the  old  home 
in  Kortright,  New  York. 

The  boyhood  of  our  subject  was  passed 
at  Kortright,  and  he  received  a  good  practi- 
cal education  at  the  Hobart  and  Harpersfield 
Academies.  For  a  time  he  successfully  en- 
gaged in  teaching  school  in  his  native  state, 


and  on  coming  to  Illinois,  in  1852,  taught 
in  the  western  part  of  this  state,  teaching 
drawing  in  Carthage,  where  in  1897  his 
daughter  taught  the  same  art  in  the  teach- 
ers' institute,  He  continued  to  follow  that 
profession  in  Leroy,  McLean  county,  and  in 
Douglas  county  until  coming  to  Urbana  in 
1 856  to  accept  a  position  as  teacher  in  the 
village  schools. 

The  following  year,  Mr.  Leal  was  elected 
county  superintendent  on  the  Republican 
ticket.  At  that  time  there  were  only  forty- 
five  schools  in  the  county,  most  of  which 
were  new,  and  twenty-seven  of  these  were 
conducted  in  log  buildings,  but  when  he  re- 
tired from  office  sixteen  years  later  there 
were  over  two  hundred  substantial  school 
buildings  here,  either  frame  or  brick,  cost- 
ing from  five  hundred  to  seventy-five  thou- 
sand dollars.  As  the'  county  became  more 
thickly  settled,  the  attendance  at  school  in- 
creased in  proportion,  and  he  did  effective 
work  in  advancing  the  standard  of  the 
schools  by  securing  more  efficient  teachers. 
He  organized  the  first  institute  here,  and 
others  in  Effingham,  Coles,  Douglas,  Ver- 
milion, Piatt  and  Iroquois  counties.  At  that 
time  school  methods  were  crude  and  had  to 
be  popular  with  the  public  before  they  were 
adopted.  In  holding  his  institutes,  Mr. 
Leal  had  to  get  the  recognition  of  the 
prominent  people  of  the  place,  whom  he 
persuaded  to  attend  and  enter  the  class  of 
teachers,  and  in  this  way  he  got  all  inter- 
ested and  did  much  to  educate  the  teachers. 
At  his  second  institute  held  in  the  same 
place,  the  church  was  packed  to  the  doors. 
He  often  had  to  use  a  great  deal  of  tact  as 
there  were  many  who  were  opposed  to  pro- 
gressive methods.  He  not  only  helped  the 
teachers  to  become  better  instructors,  but 
was  also  instrumental  in  advancing  their 


54 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


wages.  He  was  one  of  the  most  active  and 
prominent  early  educators  of  Eastern  Illinois 
and  did  much  to  mold  the  school  interest  in 
this  county  and  also  prepared  them  to  vote 
the  large  sum  of  half  a  million  dollars  to  get 
the  University  located  here.  He  held  the 
office  of  county  superintendent  until  1872, 
when  he  was  succeeded  by  one  of  his  old 
teachers. 

His  health  demanding  outdoor  life,  Mr. 
Leal  then  purchased  a  farm  near  the  city 
and  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  until  he 
lost  his  property  by  going  security  for 
others.  At  that  time  he  owned  consider- 
able real  estate  on  Green  street,  Urbana, 
and  also  had  considerable  property  in 
Champaign.  He  now  owns  a  good  home 
on  Green  street  and  is  engaged  in  contract- 
ing, having  done  much  of  the  excavating 
for  the  large  buildings  of  the  University  be- 
sides laying  out  the  lawns  about  them.  He 
is  now  excavating  for  the  main  agricultural 
building  and  the  tunnel,  the  building  being 
the  largest  purely  agricultural  building  in 
the  world,  as  it  will  be  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
around  and  contain  over  an  acre  of  floor 
space.  For  this  a  number  of  thousand 
yards  of  excavating  has  been  done  and  it  is 
the  largest  contract  of  the  kind  ever  given 
in  this  county.  In  this  work  Mr.  Leal  gave 
employment  to  thirteen  teams.  He  has  had 
a  number  of  the  largest  contracts  here,  and 
has  done  excavating  and  filling  for  the  city 
under  contract.  He  has  also  served  as 
drainage  commissioner,  having  charge  of  the 
swamp  lands  that  were  condemned  and 
given  to  the  state. 

In  1 86 1  Mr.  Leal  married  Miss  Emeline 
Gordon,  of  Charleston,  Illinois,  a  daughter 
of  John  Gordon,  who  came  to  this  state 
from  Oswego,  New  York.  Of  the  eight 
children  born  to  them,  four  are  now  deceas- 


ed, two  sons  and  two  daughters,  all  dying 
within  twenty-one  days  of  diphtheria. 
Those  living  are  Mary,  who  was  educated 
at  the  University,  who  has  charge  of  the 
drawing  in  the  city  schools,  at  Leavenworth, 
Kansas;  Rosa  Belle,  who  was  also  educated 
at  the  University  and  is  now  a  teacher  at 
Homer,  Illinois;  Sophia,  a  graduate  of  the 
Illinois  University,  who  is  now  a  teacher  of 
languages  in  the  high  school  of  Urbana,  hav- 
ing one  hundred  ten  scholars  in  Latin  and 
about  seventy  in  German,  where  her  father 
once  had  only  six  or  seven  in  Latin;  and 
Grace,  at  home.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Leal  are  both 
active  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church, 
and  are  highly  respected  and  esteemed  by 
all  who  know  them.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Union  League  during  the  Civil  war,  and 
was  personally  acquainted  with  President 
Lincoln.  He  has  always  been  an  active 
member  of  the  Republican  party  and  while 
a  member  of  the  state  convention  helped  to 
nominate  John  A.  Logan  for  Congress. 
His  life  has  been  an  honorable  and  useful 
one,  and  he  justly  merits  the  high  regard  in 
which  he  is  held.  For  six  years  he  served 
as  a  member  of  the  State  Board  of  Educa- 
tion of  Illinois. 


CURTIS  F.  COLUMBIA.  To  no  resi- 
\^  dent  of  Champaign  county  is  its  his- 
tory more  familiar  than  to  Curtis  F. 
Columbia,  who  through  many  decades  has 
watched  its  progress,  aiding  largely  in  its 
material  development  and  substantial  im- 
provement as  the  years  have  gone  by.  Won- 
derful has  been  its  transformation  from  a 
district  of  wild  prairie  and  uncut  forests  to 
this  section  of  beautiful  homes,  rich  farms 
and  thrivingtowns  and  cities.  The  pioneers 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


55 


laid  the  foundation  for  its  present  prosperity 
and  to  them  is  certainly  due  great  credit  for 
the  work  they  accomplished.  From  the 
earliest  epoch  in  its  development  down  to 
the  present  time  Mr.  Columbia  has  been 
identified  with  the  upbuilding  and  advance- 
ment of  the  community,  and  no  history 
would  be  complete  without  the  record  of 
his  life. 

A  native  of  Madison  county,  Kentucky, 
his  father,  George  Columbia,  was  a  farmer 
of  that  locality,  but  died  during  the  early 
boyhood  of  our  subject.  Having  removed 
to  Hendricks  county,  Indiana,  the  latter 
secured  his  education  in  the  schools  there 
and  then  started  out  in  life  for  himself.  He 
determined  to  seek  a  home  in  Champaign 
county,  Illinois,  and  to  this  end  traded  a 
piece  of  land  in  Indiana  for  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  land  in  what  is  now  Condit 
township.  Little  of  the  land  in  this  vicinity 
had  been  broken,  the  nearest  improved  prop- 
erty being  at  Urbana,  which  was  a  little 
hamlet  of  log  cabins  containing  a  popula- 
tion of  about  three  hundred.  Where  the 
enterprising  city  of  Champaign  is  now 
located  was  a  tract  of  wild  prairie,  which 
had  not  even  been  reclaimed  for  farming 
purposes.  The  land  for  which  Mr.  Colum- 
bia traded  was  also  unbroken.  In  order  to 
provide  a  livelihood  he  worked  as  a  farm 
hand  for  about  one  year  in  the  employ  of 
John  Brier,  who  resided  on  the  Sangamon. 

On  the  28th  of  August.  1844,  Mr.  Colum- 
bia was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Nancy 
Cox,  a  native  of  North  Carolina.  Her 
father  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  this 
county,  and  was  a  very  prominent  and  in- 
fluential man  in  his  day.  He  served  as 
sheriff  of  the  county  for  eight  years,  also 
represented  his  district  in  the  State  Legis- 
lature, and  subsequently  removed  to  La 


Salle  county,  where  he  spent  his  remaining 
days,  his  death  occurring  many  years  ago. 
In  the  meantime  Mr.  Columbia  had  pur- 
chased three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
prairie  land,  on  which  he  built  a  log  cabin 
of  one  room,  sixteen  by  eighteen  feet.  This 
little  home  was  erected  by  him  and  his 
neighbors  in  a  single  day.  It  had  one  win- 
dow and  was  considered  the  best  house  in 
the  neighborhood  at  the  time.  Mr.  Colum- 
bia hewed  the  logs  and  shaved  the  shingles 
used  in  its  construction,  and  from  Urbana 
he  hauled  the  brick  from  which  the  chimney 
was  built.  That  pioneer  home  is  still  stand- 
ing.one  of  the  few  landmarks  that  yet  remain 
to  indicate  the  rapid  development  of  the 
county.  Gradually  Mr.  Columbia  cleared 
and  improved  his  place,  making  it  a  val- 
uable tract.  However,  in  1853,  he  sold 
that  property  and  purchased  eighty  acres  of 
prairie  land  elsewhere.  When  the  railroad 
was  built  he  platted  his  land  and  thus  laid 
the  foundation  for  Champaign.  He  had 
forty  acres  of  corn  where  the  most  thickly 
populated  section  of  the  city  is  now  found. 
He  first  platted  about  twenty  acres  and 
since  that  time  has  laid  off  eight  additions, 
known  as  the  Columbia  additions.  The 
city  now  largely  stands  as  a  monument  to 
his  thrift,  enterprise  and  wonderful  fore- 
sight. He  had  the  sagacity  to  foretell  the 
growth  of  this  fertile  section  of  the  state, 
and  with  a  firm  belief  in  its  future  he  made 
judicious  investments  in  land,  which  have 
resulted  in  bringing  to  him  a  handsome 
fortune.  For  a  few  years  he  carried  on 
agricultural  pursuits,  and  in  1860  he  estab- 
lished a  general  mercantile  store,  which  he 
conducted  for  five  years,  but  since  that  time 
he  has  given  his  attention  chiefly  to  the 
management  of  his  property  interests.  He 
erected  a  number  of  buildings,  including  a 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


portion  of  the  Union  block  and  six  dwelling 
houses,  and  in  many  other  ways  has  contri- 
buted to  the  welfare  and  growth  of  the  city. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Columbia  were  born 
eight  children:  Martha  died  at  the  age  of 
three  years;  Ellen  and  David  have  also  pass- 
ed away;  Thomas,  a  graduate  of  the  Physi- 
cians &  Surgeons  College  of  New  York  City, 
is  a  successful  practicing  physician  there, 
and  has  a  wife  and  three  children;  Mary  F. 
is  the  widow  of  Dr.  Pearman,  of  Champaign, 
and  has  one  child,  Arthur  C.;  Emma  is  the 
wife  of  J.  R.  Mann,  congressman  of  Chicago, 
and  they  have  one  child,  William  C. ;  John 
died  in  infancy;  and  Hattie  G.  is  at  home. 

For -fifty-six  years  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Colum- 
bia have  traveled  life's  journey  together, 
and  for  nearly  fifty  years  have  resided  in  the 
city  of  Champaign.  Their  home  is  a  pleas- 
ant one  and  the  abode  of  hospitality.  Their 
children  have  grown  to  mature  years,  and 
while  some  have  gone  out  from  the  old 
home,  each  have  for  it  a  strong  attachment, 
and  great  love  for  the  parents  that  gave 
them  birth. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Columbia  is  a 
Democrat,  and  in  1861  was  chosen  assessor. 
He  filled  the  offices  of  collector  and  assessor 
for  twelve  or  fourteen  years,  and  was  school 
trustee  or  director  for  many  years,  the  cause 
of  education  finding  in  him  a  warm  friend. 
He  attends  the  Baptist  church,  and  socially 
is  connected  with  Western  Star  Lodge,  No. 
240,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  and  was  3rd  grand  master 
of  the  lodge  and  Champaign  Chapter,  R.  A. 
M.  It  is  difficult  to  realize  that  one  who 
has  been  and  is  such  an  active  factor  in 
public  affairs  as  Mr.  Columbia  lived  in  ,the 
county  at  a  time  when  wild  game  roamed 
over  an  unbroken  prairie,  yet  he  has  here 
seen  thirty  or  forty  head  of  deer  at  one 
time.  Gradually  yet  swiftly  the  changes 


have  come  as  the  result  of  the  untiring  ef- 
forts and  perseverance  of  such  men  as  our 
subject,  men  who  can  look  beyond  the  exi- 
gencies of  the  present  and  labor  for  the 
future.  Throughout  an  active  business 
career  he  has  always  commanded  the  respect 
and  confidence  of  his  fellow  men  and  to-day 
in  Champaign  county  no  citizen  is  more 
honored  or  more  thoroughly  deserves  the 
esteem  of  his  fellow  men  than  Curtis  F.  . 
Columbia. 


JOHN  G.  CLARK.  Deeds  are  thoughts 
crystalized  and  according  to  their  results 
do  we  judge  the  worth  of  a  man  to  the 
country  that  has  produced  him,  and  in  his 
works  we  expect  to  find  the  true  index  to 
his  character.  The  study  of  the  life  of  the 
representative  American  never  fails  to  offer 
much  of  pleasing  interest  and  valuable  in- 
struction, developing  a  mastering  of  expedi- 
ents which  have  brought  about  most  wonder- 
ful results.  The  subject  of  this  review  is  a 
worthy  representative  of  that  type  of  Ameri- 
can character  and  of  that  progressive  spirit 
which  promote  public  good  in  advancing  in- 
dividual prosperity  and  conserving  popular 
interests.  He  is  now  extensively  engaged 
in  agricultural  pursuits,  and  in  this  depart- 
ment of  business  as  in  every  other  with 
which  he  has  been  connected,  he  is  meeting 
with  creditable  and  gratifying  success.  At 
the  same  time  he  finds  opportunity  to  aid  in 
the  promotion  of  various  movements  which 
contribute  to  the  public  good  and  is  regarded 
as  one  of  the  leading  residents  of  Champaign 
county. 

Mr.  Clark  was  born  in  Freeport,  Arm- 
strong county,  Pennsylvania,  November  25, 
1828,  his  parents  being  John  and  Katherine 
(Best)  Clark.  The  father  was  a  native  of 


JOHN  G.  CLARK. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


59 


the  same  county  and  there  spent  his  entire 
life,  following  the  occupation  of  farming. 
His  wife  was  born  and  reared  in  the  Key- 
stone state  and  was  a  daughter  of  Nicholas 
Best,  a  well-to-do  farmer  of  German  parent- 
age. After  his  marriage  Mr.  Clark  inherited 
a  farm  from  his  father,  and  to  its  cultivation 
and  improvement  devoted  his  energies 
throughout  his  entire  life,  but  both  he  and 
his  wife  died  when  their  children  were  small. 
Our  subject  found  a  home  with  a  Mr. 
Shields,  and  Mr.  Reddick,  a  Presbyterian 
minister,  with  whom  he  remained  for  three 
years.  He  was  given  the  opportunity  of 
attending  school  for  about  six  months  a 
year  and  thus  pursued  his  education  until 
sixteen  years  of  age,  when  he  began  teach- 
ing, having  charge  of  a  school  for  four 
months  and  receiving  twenty-five  dollars  per 
month  for  his  services.  He  boarded  round 
among  the  scholars,  after  the  manner  of  the 
times,  and  again  the  next  winter  he  engaged 
in  teaching.  The  following  spring  he  be- 
came a  student  in  Duff's^Mercantile  College, 
in  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania,  and  after  leaving 
that  institution  he  entered  the  office  of  Peter 
Graff  &  Company,  iron  founders,  who 
owned  and  operated  the  Buffalo  furnaces. 
For  ten  or  eleven  years  Mr.  Clark  remained 
with  them  in  clerical  positions,  and  sub- 
sequntly  became  interested  with  Mr.  Graff  in 
the  ownership  of  a  small  store  in  Worthing- 
ton,  near  the  furnaces.  This  was  his  first 
independent  business  venture.  He  con- 
tinued in  charge  of  the  store  until  1856, 
when  he  determined  to  seek  a  home  in  the 
west,  and  removed  to  Galesburg,  Illinois. 
There  he  took  a  contract  to  supply  car  tim- 
ber, wood  and  ties  to  the  Chicago, 
Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad,  and  also 
formed  a  similar  contract  with  the  Illinois 
Central,  at  the  same  time  furnishing  the 


wood  and  ties  which  it  used  in  the  various 
sections  of  the  lines.  In  this  enterprise  Mr. 
Clark  was  associated  with  J.  B.  Porterfield. 
They  did  a  very  extensive  business,  furnish- 
ing as  many  as  four  hundred  thousand  ties 
in  a  single  year  in  addition  to  all  the  wood 
used  as  fuel.  Mr.  Clark  frequently  had  as 
many  as  three  hundred  men  in  his  employ. 

On  the  ist  of  March,  1858,  he  removed 
to  Champaign,  then  a  small  town,  but  con- 
tinued his  connection  with  the  railroad  for 
ten  years  thereafter.  Since  then*. he  has 
been  engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising. 
He  purchased  his  first  farm  in  1858,  and  in 
1864  erected  thereon  a  beautiful  residence, 
which  is  now  in  the  city,  the  street  car  pass- 
ing by  his  door.  This  plainly  indicates  the 
growth  of  the  city.  With  the  growth  of 
Champaign  his  land  naturally  rose  in  value 
and  he  disposed  of  much  of  it  at  a  handsome 
profit.  He  platted  sixty  acres 'of  the  beau- 
tiful new  residence  section  of  the  city,  which 
is  now  building  up  so  rapidly  and  is  destined 
to  become  the  leading  portion  of  Champaign. 
He  has  owned  different  farms  in  the  county, 
and  now  has  a  very  valuable  tract  of  three 
hundred  and  sixty  acres,  adjoining  the  city, 
where  he  carries  on  general  farming  and 
stock-raising.  He  gives  to  his  farm  his  per- 
sonal supervision,  and  it  is  a  most  highly 
improved  property.  For  twenty  years  he 
has  been  extensively  engaged  in  the  raising 
of  fine  stock,  making  a  specialty  of  regis- 
tered short  horn  cattle.  He  has  done  much 
to  improve  the  grade  of  stock  raised  in  this 
section  of  the  state,  and  has  thus  advanced 
the  farming  interests. 

In  December,  1851,  while  in  Worthing- 
ton,  Pennsylvania,  Mr.  Clark  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Jennie  Y.  Blaine,  daughter 
of  William  and  Elizabeth  (Wingins)  Blaine, 
and  they  now  have  two  children:  Arthur  N., 


6o 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


a  resident  of  Champaign;  and  Leslie  B.,  of 
Chicago.  In  his  political  views  Mr.  Clark 
has  been  a  stanch  Republican  since  casting 
his  ballot  for  Fremont.  He  well  remembers 
the  time  when  Abraham  Lincoln  visited  the 
county  and  his  enthusiasm  added  to  the 
cheers  which  greeted  the  nomination  of 
Lincoln  for  the  presidency  in  1860,  for  he 
was  in  attendance  at  the  convention,  al- 
though not  a  delegate.  For  many  years  he 
took  a  very  active  part  in  promoting  the 
welfare  of  his  party  and  is  still  deeply  in- 
terested in  its  success,  although  he  is  not 
at  present  a  worker  in  the  ranks.  His  wife 
is  a  member  of  the  Congregational  church, 
and  is  one  of  its  liberal  supporters.  He 
withholds  his  aid  from  no  movement  or  mea- 
sure which  he  believes  will  prove  of  benefit 
to  the  community,  and  is  a  very  public-spir- 
ited and  progressive  citizen.  With  a  capac- 
ity and  experience  which  would  enable  him  to 
fulfill  any  trust  to  which  he  might  be  chosen, 
he  has  never  sought  to  advance  himself  in 
office,  but  has  been  content  to  do  his  duty 
where  he  could  and  leave  the  self-seeking 
to  others.  Viewed  in  a  personal  light  he  is 
a  strong  man,  of  excellent  judgment,  fair  in 
his  views,  but  strong  in  advancing  ideas 
which  he  believes  to  be  right.  He  is  full  of 
sympathy  with  all  the  great  movements 
about  him  and  watches  the  progress  of 
events  with  the  keenest  interest.  In  busi- 
ness circles  he  bears  an  unassailable  reputa- 
tion, and  his  splendid  prosperity  is  the 
merited  reward  of  well  directed  and  consec- 
utive endeavor. 


RUDOLPH    ZERSE    GILL,    a    leading 
architect  and  prominent  business  man 
of  Urbana,  was  born  in  that  city,   May  17, 
1866,  a  son  of  Zachariah  E.  and  Hannah  C. 


(Wolfe)  Gill.  The  father  was  born  in 
Shelbyville,  Kentucky,  May  I,  1829,  and 
was  a  son  of  one  of  the  pioneers  of  that 
state  from  Virginia,  the  family  dating  its 
residence  in  the  Old  Dominion  from  early 
colonial  days.  The  father  was  reared  on  a 
farm  in  his  native  state  and  in  early  life  learn- 
ed the  carpenter's  trade.  In  1853  he  came  to 
Urbana,  Illinois,  which  at  that  time  was  a 
small  village,  and  here  engaged  in  contract- 
ing, erecting  the  first  Big  Four  shops  and 
the  majority  of  the  older  brick  buildings  of 
the  city,  for  he  was  the  leading  contractor  of 
his  day.  He  furnished  employment  to  many 
men  and  did  a  large  and  successful  business 
until  1880,  when  he  retired  from  active 
labor.  He  was  a  prominent  Knight  Templar 
Mason,  and  was  highly  respected  by  all  who 
knew  him.  He  died  August  10,  1884,  leav- 
ing two  children:  Nellie,  now  the  wife  of 
James  O.  Hogge,  of*  Kansas  City;  and 
Rudolph  E.,  our  subject.  The  mother  is 
still  living.  Both  held  membership  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

Joseph  Wolfe,  the  maternal  grandfather 
of  our  subject,  was  one  of  the  old  circuit 
riders  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
who  forced  their  religion  into  the  western 
wilds.  He  traveled  throughout  Ohio,  Indiana, 
Michigan  and  Illinois,  establishing  many 
missions  and  churches,  and  finally  settled  in 
Mt.  Vernon,  Ohio.  While  a  zealous  worker 
for  the  church,  he  was  a  shrewd  business 
man  and  made  considerable  money  by  his 
judicious  investments.  At  different  times 
he  owned  the  land  which  now  forms  the  site 
of  several  important  Ohio  cities.  He  was 
widely  known  and  highly  respected.  His 
wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Har- 
riet Doane,  traced  her  ancestry  back  to 
the  Sharpless  family,  prominent  during 
Revolutionary  times  and  pioneer  days  in 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


61 


Pennsylvania.  She  also  belonged  to  the 
same  family  as  Bishop  Doane,  of  Albany. 
Mr.  Gill,  whose  name  introduces  this 
sketch,  attended  the  public  and  high  schools 
of  Urbana,  and  completed  his  education  at 
the  University  of  Illinois,  from  which  he 
was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1887.  Here 
he  gave  special  attention  to  architecture  and 
engineering  and  after  completing  the  course 
went  to  Chicago,  where  he  entered  the  office 
of  Holabird  &  Roche,  who  are  among  the 
best  architects  of  that  city.  From  there  he 
went  to  Knoxville,  Tennessee,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  business  for  himself  until  1893. 
While  there  he  was  architect  for  the  Ameri- 
can Association  of  London,  England,  which 
built  the  towns  of  Middleboro,  Cumberland 
Gap,  Dillon  Springs  and  Harrogate,  and 
also  developed  the  iron  and  coal  interests 
throughout  Kentucky,  Southern  Tennessee 
and  Virginia.  In  their  interest  Mr.  Gill  did 
a  large  business  and  gave  employment  to 
many  men.  Later  he  was  with  the  East  Ten- 
nessee Land  Company,  which  founded  Harri- 
man,  the  temperance  town  in  which  Clinton 
B.Fiske  was  famous.  Mr.Gill  wasnext  with 
the  Lenoir  City  Land  Company,  which  de- 
veloped Lenoir  City  and  surrounding  coun- 
try. All  this  time  he  made  his  headquarters 
at  Knoxville.  He  was  also  connected  with 
the  boom  at  that  place,  and  did  a  good  deal 
of  work  at  Asheville  and  Raleigh,  North 
Carolina.  He  erected  many  of  the  finest 
buildings  in  Knoxville,  and  did  the  largest 
business  of  any  architect  in  the  city.  Re- 
turning to  Urbana,  in  October.  1893,  he  has 
since  made  plans  for  the  Urbana  high  school, 
the  city  hall  at  Monticello,  the  city  hall  at 
Danville,  the  asylum  for  the  poor  at  Paxton, 
Hotel  Douglas  at  Tuscola,  and  many  of  the 
finest  residences  and  store  buildings  in 
Urbana.  He  also  served  as  city  engineer 


and  city  treasurer  in  1896,  1897  and  1898, 
during  which  time  considerable  grading  and 
paving  was  done,  and  many  improvements 
made.  For  the  past  year  he  has  been  alone 
in  business  both  as  a  contractor  and  archi- 
tect, and  has  also  made  a  specialty  of  build- 
ing and  selling  houses  on  his  own  account, 
in  this  way  furnishing  employment  to  a  large 
force  during  the  busy  season. 

On  the  loth  of  October,  1889,  Mr.  Gill 
married  Miss  Nellie  M.  Maxwell,  of  Little 
Rock,  Arkansas,  and  to  them  have  been 
born  two  children:  Rudolph  Zerse  and 
Maxwell.  They  have  a  pleasant  home  at 
No.  501  South  Busey  avenue,  erected  by  our 
subject.  Religiously  they  are  members  of 
the  Episcopal  Church,  and  socially  he  also 
holds  membership  with  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks. 
Integrity,  activity  and  energy  have  been  the 
crowning  points  of  his  success,  and  the 
prosperity  that  has  come  to  him  is  certainly 
well  deserved. 


EDWIN  A.  KRATZ,  M.  D.,  who  for  over 
thirty  years  has  successfully  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  medicine  in  Champaign, 
Illinois,  was  born  in  Plumsteadville,  Bucks 
county,  Pennsylvania,  July  12,  1844,  a  son 
of  Henry  and  Anne  (Stover)  Kratz.  He  is 
of  the  sixth  generation  of  the  family  living 
in  Montgomery  and  Bucks  counties,  the  first 
to  come  to  the  new  world  being  John  V. 
Kratz,  a  native  of  Alsace,  Germany,  and  a 
farmer  by  occupation.  In  1760  the  grand- 
father, Philip  Kratz,  purchased  the  farm  on 
which  our  subject  was  born  and  which  is 
still  in  possession  of  the  family,  being  now 
occupied  by  a  brother  of  our  subject.  The 
grandfather  served  as  election  commissioner 


62 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


for  many  years,  and  assessor  for  several 
terms,  and  was  always  active  in  politics  but 
never  an  aspirant  for  office.  Upon  his 
large  farm  the  father  grew  to  manhood  and 
continued  to  make  his  home  there  through- 
out life.  He  was  one  of  the  prominent  and 
influential  men  of  his  community,  and  was 
once  the  Republican  candidate  for  repre- 
sentative to  the  state  Assembly,  but  as  the 
district  was  strongly  Democratic  he  was  de- 
feated. He  was  always  a  delegate  to  the 
county  conventions  of  his  party,  was  secre- 
tary of  a  local  fire  insurance  company,  and 
was  connected  with  a  bridge  building  com- 
pany. He  died  in  1897,  his  wife  in  1879. 
She  was  a  native  of  Bedminister  township, 
Bucks  county,  and  a  daughter  of  Henry 
Stover,  also  of  German  descent.  The 
Doctor's  early  ancestors  were  Menonites, 
but  his  parents  held  membership  in  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  They  left  a  family 
of  seven  children,  of  whom  our  subject  is 
the  oldest  son. 

Dr.  Kratz  acquired  his  early  education 
in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  land,  and 
later  attended  a  normal  school  equal  in  rank 
to  the  high  schools  of  the  present  day. 
Both  he  and  his  brother  Alonzo  P.  entered 
the  Union  army  during  the  Civil  war,  the 
latter  enlisting  in  1862,  in  Company  F,  One 
Hundred  and  Twenty-eighth  Pennsylvania 
Volunteer  Infantry,  for  nine  months,  and  in 
January,  1864,  re-enlisting  in  Company  D, 
Second  Pennsylvania  Provisional  Regiment. 
He  was  in  a  pit  at  Petersburg,  and  was 
captured  after  the  explosion.  He  died  in 
prison  at  Danville,  Virginia,  and  was  buried 
in  the  National  cemetery  there.  The 
Doctor  enlisted  in  1864,  in  Company  Af 
One  Hundred  and  Ninety-eighth  Pennsyl- 
vania Volunteer  Infantry,  which  was 
assigned  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and 


during  the  campaign  of  1864-5  was  a  Part 
of  the  Fifth  Corps  under  General  Warren 
and  was  stationed  on  the  left  flank,  below 
Petersburg.  At  Lewis  farm,  near  Dinwid- 
die  Court  House,  Virginia,  he  was  shot 
through  the  chest  and  both  arms,  March  29, 
1865,  and  was  taken  to  Mt.  Pleasant 
Hospital,  Washington,  D.  C. ,  from  which 
he  was  discharged  on  the  I3th  of  the  fol- 
lowing July.  For  two  months  he  was  con- 
fined to  his  bed,  and  after  his  return  home 
was  one  year  recuperating  his  health. 

In  February,  1867,  Dr/  Kratz  came  to 
Champaign,  Illinois,  where  he  began  the 
study  of  medicine  with  Dr.  Mills.  He  at- 
tended his  first  course  of  lectures  at  the 
University  of  Michigan,  Ann  Arbor,  in 
1867-8,  and  then  entered  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania,  Philadelphia,  from  which  he 
was  graduated  in  1869,  with  the  degree  of 
M.  D.  Returning  to  Champaign,  he  en- 
tered the  office  with  his  old  preceptor,  Dr. 
Mills,  and  they  have  now  engaged  in  prac- 
tice for  over  thirty  years — a  most  remarka- 
ble record.  Not  being  able  to  endure  the 
long  country  rides,  Dr.  Kratz  has  confined 
his  attention  almost  exclusively  to  office 
practice,  though  he  does  some  city  work. 

In  May,  1884,  Dr.  Kratz  married  Mrs. 
Anna  Beidler,  widow  of  Lewis  H.  Beidler, 
and  daughter  of  Benjamin  C.  Bradley,  one 
of  the  pioneers  of  the  county,  who  came 
here  from  Kentucky  early  in  the  '503.  By 
this  union  has  'been  born  three  children: 
Alonzo  P.,  Ethel  and  Elwin.  The  family 
have  a  pleasant  home  at  No.  315  South 
State  street.  The  Doctor  attends  and  sup- 
ports the  Baptist  church,  of  which  his  wife 
is  an  earnest  member. 

In  1899  Dr.  Kratz  was  elected  a  life 
member  of  the  County  Medical  Society, 
with  which  he  has  been  connected  for  many 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


years.  For  twenty-one  years  he  was  United 
States  examining  surgeon  for  pensions,  re- 
ceiving his  appointment  under  President 
Grant,  in  1871,  and  serving  uninterruptedly 
until  President  Cleveland's  first  administra- 
tion, when  he  was  out  of  office  for  a  year. 
He  was  then  re-instated  and  served  until 
President  Cleveland's  second  term,  when  he 
was  retired  permanently.  He  was  secretary 
of  the  board  for  many  years  and  did  most 
of  its  work.  He  has  also  served  as  examin- 
ing surgeon  for  a  number  of  old  line  life  in- 
surance companies.  The  Doctor  is  a  prom- 
inent member  of  Champaign  Lodge,  No. 
333,  I.  O.  O.  F. ,  in  which  he  has  passed 
all  the  chairs;  was  deputy  for  a  number  of 
years;  and  is  now  chairman  of  the  board  of 
trustees.  He  is  a  thirty-second  degree 
Mason,  a  member  of  the  consistory  at  Peo- 
ria;  was  master  of  the  blue  lodge  at  Cham- 
paign for  nine  years;  is  the  present  secre- 
tary of  both  the  lodge  and  chapter;  and  is 
dimitted  from  the  commandery.  During 
the  winter  of  1867,  while  attending  college 
at  Ann  Arbor,  Michigan,  he  united  with  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and  is  a  char- 
ter member  of  Colonel  Nodine  Post,  No. 
140,  G.  A.  R. ,  of  which  he  has  been  com- 
mander. He  is  also  a  member  of  the  De- 
partment Encampment;  has  been  on  the 
staff  of  different  department  commanders 
and  was  a  delegate  to  the  National  Encamp- 
ment at  Buffalo,  New  York.  The  Doctor 
was  one  of  the  first  to  become  interested  in 
the  public  library,  and  the  private  library 
which  he  assisted  in  organizing  in  1868,  was 
given  to  the  city  in  1876.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  two  years  he  has  served  as  one  of  its 
directors  since  1870,  and  has  been  secretary 
of  the  board  most  of  the  time,  but  is  now 
serving  as  president.  He,  probably  more 
than  any  other  man,  has  been  prominently 


identified  with  its  growth  and  prosperity, 
and  has  watched  with  interest  its  growth 
from  a  small  reading  room  containing  only 
a  few  magazines  and  no  books,  to  one  of 
the  best  libraries  of  any  city  of  the  size  in 
the  state.  For  four  years  Dr.  Kratz  served 
as  city  clerk,  and  in  1891  was  the  Republi- 
can candidate  for  mayor,  but  was  defeated. 
He  was  township  supervisor  for  two  terms, 
and  in  1894  was  elected  county  treasurer, 
which  office  he  most  creditably  and  satis- 
factorily filled  for  four  years,  during  which 
time  he  handled  a  large  amount  of  money, 
having  as  high  as  one  hundred  and  fifteen 
thousand  dollars  in  his  possession  at  one 
time.  As  a  citizen  he  has  always  been  true 
and  faithful  to  every  trust  reposed  in  him, 
so  that  his  loyalty  is  above  question,  being 
manifest  in  days  of  peace  as  well  as  when 
he  followed  the  old  flag  to  victory  on  south- 
ern battle  fields. 


JAMES  M.  CARPENTER,  a  well-known 
liveryman  and  representative  business 
man  of  Urbana,  Illinois,  doing  business  at 
No.  103  West  Elm  street,  was  born  in 
Floyd  county,  Indiana,  August  n,  1832.  a 
son  of  James  C.  and  Rebecca  (Riddle)  Car- 
penter, natives  of  Virginia.  His  paternal 
great-grandfather  was  born  in  England  and 
at  a  very  early  day  came  to  America  and 
settled  in  the  Old  Dominion.  His  maternal 
great-grandfather  was  a  native  of  the  same 
country,  and  as  a  drummer  boy  in  the  Brit- 
ish army  during  the  Revolutionary  war  he 
carne  to  the  new  world.  At  the  close  of 
that  struggle  he  decided  to  remain  here. 
He  married  and  located  in  Virginia.  He 
lived  to  the  advanced  age  of  one  hundred 
and  ten  years. 


64 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


In  early  life  the  father  of  our  subject  re- 
moved with  his  parents  to  Kentucky,  where 
his  boyhood  was  passed  and  where  his  edu- 
cation was  acquired.  When  the  war  of  1812 
broke  out  he  enlisted  in  an  infantry  regiment 
as  a  private,  and  remained  in  the  service 
until  hostilities  ceased,  taking  part  in  the 
battle  of  New  Orleans.  Returning  to  his 
home  in  Kentucky,  he  engaged  in  farming 
there  for  several  years,  and  in  the  meantime 
married  Miss  Rebecca  Riddle,  daughter  of 
James  and  Jane  (Davis)  Riddle,  also  natives 
of  Virginia.  They  continued  their  resi- 
dence in  Kentucky  until  after  the  birth  of 
three  of  their  children,  and  then  moved  to 
Floyd  county,  Indiana,  where  the  father 
engaged  in  farming  for  some  time,  and 
where  nine  more  children  were  added  to 
the  family.  Selling  his  farm  in  that  state, 
the  father  prepared  to  move  to  Illinois,  but 
died  suddenly  in  1854,  at  about  the  age  of 
seventy-two  years.  The  following  year  the 
mother,  in  company  with  our  subject  and 
three  other  sons,  came  to  Urbana,  Cham- 
paign county,  Illinois.  She  died  in  Febru- 
ary, 1874,  at  the  age  of  about  seventy-three 
years.  Three  of  the  twelve  children  in  this 
family  died  in  early  childhood,  while  those 
who  reached  years  of  maturity  were  John 
A.,  Sarah,  Elizabeth  J.,  Permelia,  Per- 
menas  H.,  James  M.,  George  W.,  Marquis 
De  LaFayette  and  Thomas  J.  Only  our 
subject  and  Thomas  J.  are  now  living.  The 
latter  is  proprietor  of  a  tile  and  brick  yard 
at  Altamont,  Effingham  county,  Illinois. 

James  M.  Carpenter  received  only  a  lim- 
ited education  in  the  subscription  schools  of 
Indiana,  being  able  to  attend  school  only 
for  a  few  months.  On  coming  to  Cham- 
paign county,  Illinois,  he  located  in  Urbana 
township,  where  he  followed  farming  until 
1890,  and  then  embarked  in  the  livery  busi- 


ness in  Urbana,  which  he  has  since  carried 
on  with  good  success,  receiving  a  liberal 
share  of  the  public  patronage. 

On  the  i8th  of  November,  1875,  Mr. 
Carpenter  married  Mrs.  Josia  A.  Carey, 
widow  of  Sanford  P.  Carey,  by  whom  she 
had  two  children,  Mary  E.  and  Sanford  P. 
She  died  June  20,  1885,  at  the  age  of  thirty- 
six  years,  leaving  two  children  born  to  our 
subject,  namely:  U.  Grant,  born  February 
12,  1877,  married  Dora  Hutton,  of  Cham- 
paign, and  is  engaged  in  the  livery  business 
with  his  father;  and  Austin  H.,  born  De- 
cember 27,  1883,  is  at  home  with  his  father 
in  Urbana.  Mr.  Carpenter  and  his  family 
are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  and  are  highly  respected  by  all  who 
know  them.  He  is  a  stanch  supporter  of 
the  men  and  measures  of  the  Republican 
party,  with  which  he  has  been  identified 
since  casting  his  first  presidential  ballot  for 
John  C.  Fremont  in  1856. 


WILLIAM  KENDALL  NEWCOMB, 
M.  D.  One  of  the  most  exacting 
of  all  the  higher  lines  of  occupation  to  which 
a  man  may  lend  his  energies  is  that  of  the 
physician.  A  most  scrupulous  preliminary 
training  is  demanded,  a  nicety  of  judgment 
but  little  understood  by  the  laity.  Our  sub- 
ject, now  one  of  the  leading  physicians  and 
surgeons  of  Champaign,  is  well  fitted  for  the 
profession  which  he  has  chosen  as  a  life 
work,  and  his  skill  and  ability  have  won  for 
him  a  lucrative  practice. 

He  was  born  in  Lyons,  Iowa,  April  6, 
1857,  a  son  of  Judge  Cyrus  F.  and  Eliza- 
beth (Huddlestone)  Newcomb.  The  father 
was  born  in  Lynn,  Massachusetts,  in  1831, 
and  is  a  descendant  of  Simon  Newcomb, 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


who  settled  in  Martha's  Vineyard  about 
1635.  Harley  Newcomb,  the  grandfather 
of  our  subject,  was  the  owner  of  a  large 
transfer  and  stage  line  from  Lynn  to  Boston. 
The  father  was  reared  and  educated  in  his 
native  state.  He  attended  the  schools  of 
Boston  and  later  read  law  in  that  city.  In 
1853  he  removed  to  Chicago,  Illinois,  where 
he  married  Elizabeth  Huddlestone,  a 
native  of  Pickering,  Yorkshire,  England, 
and  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Mary  A. 
Huddlestone,  who  came  to  the  United 
States  when  she  was  about  six  years  old 
and  were  piioneers  of  Chicago.  In  1856  the 
Doctor's  father  went  to  Iowa,  and  in  that 
state,  as  well  as  in  Chicago,  he  was  engaged 
in  merchandising.  In  1859  he  went  to 
California,  where  for  a  number  of  years  he 
was  extensively  engaged  in  mining  and 
mercantile  pursuits,  and  since  1871  has 
made  his  home  in  Durango,  Colorado.  In 
the  early  days  of  Nevada,  he  was  interested 
in  mining  in  that  state,  owning  the  extension 
of  the  Comstock  mine.  He  was  also  part 
owner  of  the  Little  Anne  in  the  Summit  dis- 
trict of  Colorado,  and  is  now  extensively 
engaged  in  mining  at  Jasper,  that  state. 
That  has  been  his  principal  business  during 
his  residence  in  Colorado,  but  he  has  also 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  law,  and  has 
filled  the  office  of  county  judge,  United 
States  commissioner,  States  revenue  collec- 
tor and  United  States  administrator.  Polit- 
ically he  has  always  been  a  Republican.  He 
has  been  throughly  successful,  and  is  one 
of  the  best  known  and  most  prominent 
men  of  southwestern  Colorado.  His  wife 
is  still  living. 

Dr.  Newcomb  obtained  his  primary  edu- 
cation in  the  public  schools  near  his  boy- 
hood home,  and  later  attended  the  Gem 
City  College  at  Quincy,  Illinois.  After 


teaching  school  for  a  short  time,  he  began 
reading  medicine  with  Dr.  W.  G.  Cochran, 
of  Farmer  City,  Illinois,  and  then  attended 
lectures  at  Rush  Medical  College,  Chicago, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1882. 
Coming  to  Champaign  county,  he  opened 
an  office  in  Fisher,  where  he  successfully 
engaged  in  practice  for  fourteen  years,  and 
while  there  he  held  different  offices.  He 
was  president  of  the  County  Medical  Soci- 
ety, with  which  he  is  still  connected,  and 
was  also  a  member  of  the  National  Associ- 
ation of  Railway  Surgeons,  being  at  that 
time  local  surgeon  for  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad.  Selling  his  practice  in  Fisher, 
in  1896,  he  spent  one  year  in  Europe,  study- 
ing for  nine  months  in  the  General  Hospital 
at  Vienna;  two  months  at  Charity  Hospital 
in  Berlin;  and  two  months  at  hospitals  in 
Paris  and  London.  On  his  return  to  this 
country  in  July,  1897,  he  located  in  Cham- 
paign, and  has  already  attained  to  a  posi- 
tion of  prominence  in  the  medical  fraternity 
of  this  city.  Although  he  is  engaged  in 
general  practice,  he  makes  surgery  and 
gynecology  his  specialty,  and  is  meeting 
with  most  excellent  success.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  surgical  staff  of  Julia  F.  Burn- 
ham  Hospital  and  has  performed  a  great 
number  of  operations  there;  in  fact  he  has 
won  a  most  enviable  reputation  in  his  chosen 
calling. 

On  the  7th  of  February,  1878,  Dr. 
Newcomb  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Eliza  C.  Durbin,  of  Fisher,  a  daughter  of 
Isaac  F.  Durbin,  and  to  them  have  been 
born  five  children,  namely:  Cyrus  F., 
Jessie  R.,  William  W.,  Pearl  E.  and 
Thomas  F.  The  Doctor  and  his  wife  hold 
membership  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  He  was  made  a  Mason  at  Fisher, 
where  he  served  as  master  of  the  lodge,  and 


66 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


is  now  a  member  of  the  Eastern  Star  and 
chapter  at  Champaign,  and  the  command- 
ery  at  Urbana.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Odd  Fellows  lodge  and  encampment  at 
Fisher;  was  trustee  of  the  lodge;  and  the 
organizer  and  first  presiding  officer  of  the 
encampment.  He  was  also  instrumental 
in  starting  a  public  library  at  that  place, 
and  was  trustee  of  the  same,  but  it  was 
finally  consolidated  with  the  school  library. 
He  has  ever  taken  an  active  interest  in 
those  enterprises  calculated  to  advance  the 
public  welfare,  and  is  recognized  as  one  of 
the  most  progressive  and  public-spirited 
citizens  of  his  community.  In  social  as  well 
as  professional  circles  he  is  a  man  of  prom- 
inence and  is  quite  popular  with  his  fellow- 
men. 


QAMUEL  C.  FOX.  The  history  of  a 
O  county  and  state,  as  well  as  that  of  a 
nation,  is  chiefly  a  chronicle  of  the  lives 
and  deeds  of  those  who  have  conferred 
honor  and  dignity  upon  society.  The  world 
judges  the  character  of  the  community  by 
those  of  its  representative  citizens,  and 
yields  its  tributes  of  admiration  and  respect 
for  the  genius  or  learning  or  virtues  of  those 
whose  works  and  actions  constitute  the  rec- 
ord of  a  state's  prosperity  and  pride.  It  is 
this  record  that  offers  for  our  consideration 
the  history  of  men,  who  for  their  activity 
and  honor  in  the  affairs  of  life  are  ever  af- 
fording to  the  young  examples  that  are 
worthy  of  emulation.  To  this  class  belongs 
Samuel  Curtis  Fox,  the  efficient  and  hon- 
ored mayor  of  Urbana,  and  one  of  the  prom- 
inent business  men  of  the  city  whose  success 
is  the  outcome  of  well  directed  and  consecu- 
tive effort. 

He  was  born  in  Damascus,  Columbiana 


county,  Ohio,  on  the  2ist  of  October,  1841, 
his  parents  being  John  and  Nancy  (Bender) 
Fox.  The  father  was  born  in  Maryland  in 
1808.  His  father,  Christopher  Fox,  was 
killed  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  his  mother 
died  at  his  birth,  so  that  he  was  left  an 
orphan  at  a  very  early  age.  He  was  then 
adopted  and  taken  to  Ohio  in  his  childhood. 
He  learned  the  blacksmith's  trade  and  also 
became  familiar  with  the  duties  and  labors 
of  the  farm.  During  his  early  residence  in 
the  Buckeye  state  he  lived  in  Columbiana 
county,  but  in  1843  he  took  up  his  abode 
near  Alliance,  where  his  remaining  days  were 
passed.  His  political  support  was  given  to 
the  Whig  party  and  afterwards  he  voted  the 
Republican  ticket.  His  wife,,  who  in  her 
maidenhood  was  Miss  Bender,  was  born  in 
Columbiana  county,  and  was  a  daughter  of 
Jacob  Bender,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
with  whom  Mr.  Fox  learned  the  blacksmith 
trade.  Mrs.  Fox  survived  her  husband  for 
some  time,  dying  in  1867.  She  had  a  fam- 
ily of  eleven  children,  all  of  whom  were 
living  at  the  time  of  her  demise.  Both  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Fox  were  members  of  the  German 
Reformed  church,  and  were  people  of  the 
highest  respectability. 

Samuel  C.  Fox  acquired  his  education  iu 
a  log  school  house  near  his  home  in  Ohio. 
In  his  youth  he  was  apprenticed  to  the 
blacksmith's  trade,  following  that  pursuit 
until  after  the  inauguration  of  the  Civil  war, 
when,  in  December,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  the 
United  States  signal  service,  at  Columbus, 
Ohio.  He  was  first  on  duty  near  the  forti- 
fications at  Washington  and  later  he  was 
with  Sherman's  army  until  its  arrival  at  At- 
lanta. He  was  then  attached  to  General 
Schofield's  command,  but  subsequently  he 
was  returned  to  General  Sherman's  forces. 
His  duty  was  a  very  difficult  and  dangerous 


SAMUEL  C.  FOX. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


69 


one,  and  kept  him  constantly  on  the  alert. 
\\hile  the  main  body  of  troops  were  at  rest 
the  signal  corps  were  constantly  on  the 
lookout,  and  their  labors  subjected  them  to 
many  dangers  unknown  to  the  main  body 
of  the  army.  Mr.  Fox  was  at  Raleigh  at 
the  time  of  Lee's  surrender,  and  was  dis- 
charged at  Washington,  D.  C. ,  on  the  5th 
of  June,  1865,  the  war  having  been  happily 
terminated  and  the  Union  saved. 

Mr.  Fox  then  returned  to  his  Ohio  home, 
but  in  October  of  the  same  year  removed 
to  La  Fayette,  Indiana,  where  he  worked  at 
the  blacksmith's  trade  in  the  Purdue  Agri- 
cultural Works,  occupying  the  position  of 
foreman  of  the  department  at  the  time  he 
severed  his  relation  with  the  enterprise.  In 
1871  he  removed  to  Champaign,  where  he 
engaged  in  blacksmithing  and  wagonmaking 
for  a  time,  after  which  he  took  up  his  resi- 
dence at  St.  Joseph,  Illinois,  in  April,  1874. 
There  he  continued  blacksmithing  in  con- 
nection with  the  implement  business,  and 
later  he  extended  the  field  of  his  labors,  by 
adding  a  stock  of  hardware  to  his  store. 
He  was  not  only  numbered  among  the  most 
enterprising  business  men  of  the  town,  but 
also  took  an  active  part  in  the  public  affairs 
of  the  place  and  served  as  the  first  presi- 
dent of  the  town  board.  He  was  also  for 
seven  years  a  member  of  the  schoolboard, 
and  the  cause  of  education  found  in  him  a 
warm  friend.  He  has  always  been  an  ar- 
dent Republican,  unswerving  in  support  of 
the  principles  of  the  party,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1890  he  was  nominated  for  the 
position  of  county  sheriff.  In  the  autumn 
he  was  elected  and  in  December  following 
entered  upon  the  discharge  of  his  duties, 
which  he  performed  in  a  most  satisfactory 
manner,  making  a  most  creditable  record. 
During  his  term  no  prisoners  escaped  and 


there  was  no  suit  against  the  office  to  be 
defended  at  county  expense.  He  had  a 
just  feeling  of  pride  in  the  fact  that  he  did 
not  ask  a  single  man  to  vote  for  him,  nor 
did  he  use  a  cent  in  the  saloons  for  election 
purposes.  His  majority  was  the  free  will 
offering  of  a  people  who  recognized  his  fit- 
ness for  office  and  had  confidence  in  his 
trustworthiness.  He  served  until  1894,  and 
a  year  later,  after  visiting  in  Ohio  during 
that  period,  he  came  to  Urbana,  where  he 
has  since  made  his  home.  He  erected  his 
business  property  at  No.  157  Main  street  in 
December,  1896,  and  has  since  carried  on 
a  successful  undertaking  business,  conducting 
the  only  exclusive  undertaking  establishment 
in  the  county.  He  has  a  basement  morgue 
and  chapel  rooms,  as  well  as  offices,  and  his 
sales  are  quite  extensive,  practically  includ- 
ing all  the  trade  in  the  place.  In  the  spring 
of  1899  he  was  elected  to  the  office  of 
mayor  of  Urbana,  and  his  administration  of 
the  affairs  of  that  responsible  office  has 
been  at  once  practical  and  progressive,  win- 
ning him  high  commendation. 

In  December,  1868,  Mr.  Fox  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Maria  Bowsher,  who 
was  also  a  representative  of  an  old  Pennsyl- 
vania family.  She  died  in  December,  1876, 
leaving  a  little  son,  Guy,  who  was  born  on 
the  1 7th  of  September  of  that  year  and  is 
now  in  Urbana.  Mr.  Fox  afterward  married 
Mrs.  Maria  Platt,  of  Lafayette,  Indiana, 
daughter  of  Alexander  Julien.  The  wedding 
was  celebrated  July  3,  1883.  Both  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Fox  are  consistent  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  their  many 
excellences  of  character  have  won  them 
high  regard.  He  has  been  quite  prominent 
in  fraternal  circles  and  was  the  first  com- 
mander of  the  Grand  Army  Post  at  St. 
Joseph.  He  was  frequently  its  delegate  to 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  state  encampments  and  has  attended 
a  number  of  the  national  encampments. 
He  also  belongs  to  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  fraternity.  He  owns  his  own 
pleasant  .home,  and  is  regarded  as  one 
of  the  leading  men  of  the  town,  bear- 
ing an  unassailable  reputation  in  business 
and  political  affairs  as  well  as  in  private 
life. 


J  HARVEY  BAINUM,  a  well-known  con- 
tract plasterer,  is  one  of  the  energetic 
and  reliable  business  men  of  Champaign, 
Illinois.  He  possesses  excellent  business 
and  executive  ability,  which  together  with 
sound  judgment,  unflagging  enterprise  and 
capable  management  have  brought  to  him  a 
well-merited  success.  He  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  Champaign  since  1882,  and  now 
owns  and  occupies  a  pleasant  modern  resi- 
dence at  No..  207  West  Springfield  avenue. 
Mr.  Bainum  was  born  in  Clermont 
county,  Ohio,  February  24,  1844,  a  son  of 
Isaac  and  Mary  Ann  (Gates)  Bainum,  who 
were  married  April  16,  1835.  ancl  were  the 
parents  of  five  children,  the  others  being 
Sarah,  a  school  teacher,  who  died  unmarried; 
David,  a  retired  citizen  of  New  Richmond, 
Ohio;  Margaret,  deceased  wife  of  Elmer 
Blanchard,  of  New  Richmond;  and  Maria, 
deceased  wife  of  Judson  Blanchard. 
Hezekiah  Bainum,  the  paternal  grandfather 
of  our  subject,  was  a  native  of  Delaware, 
and  a  pioneer  of  Clermont,  Ohio,  where  he 
located  in  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth 
century.  He  was  a  soldierof  the  war  of  1812, 
and  died  in  1849.  The  maternal  grandfather, 
James  H.  Gates,  was  a  veteran  of  the  war  of 
1812,  was  born  in  Chesterfield  county,  Vir- 
ginia, March  13,  1790,  and  married  Marga- 
ret McMichael,  who  was  born  in  County 


Tyrone,  Ireland,  October  25,  1785.  They 
were  early  settlers  of  Kentucky,  and  made 
their  home  in  Campbell  county,  that  state. 
Isaac  Bainum,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
was  born  in  Delaware,  October,  1799,  and 
was  quite  young  on  the  removal  of  the  .fam- 
ily to  Clermont  county,  Ohio,  locating  there 
when  the  country  was  an  almost  unbroken 
forest  and  their  nearest  mill  was  twenty-four 
miles  away.  There  he  made  his  home 
throughout  life,  and  during  his  later  years 
was  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  at 
New  Richmond,  where  he  died  November 
12,  1876.  He  was  quite  a  prominent  busi- 
ness man  and  held  a  number  of  city  offices. 
His  wife  died  in  1849. 

J.  Harvey  Bainum  passed  his  boyhood 
and  youth  under  the  parental  roof,  remain- 
ing at  home  until  the  opening  of  hostilities 
between  the  north  and  south.  Hardly  had 
the  echoes  from  Fort  Sumter's  guns  died 
away,  when  he  offered  his  services  to  his 
country, enlisting  April  20, 1861,  in  Company 
C,  Twelfth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  for 
three  months.  On  the  expiration  of  that 
term  he  was  discharged,  but  re-enlisted, 
October  2,  1861,  for  three  years,  this  time 
becoming  a  member  of  Company  G,  Fifty- 
ninth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  which  was 
assigned  to  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland. 
He  was  in  the  service  for  three  years  and- 
seven  months  and  participated  in  a  large 
number  of  engagements,  including  the  bat- 
tles of  Ivy  Mountain,  in  November,  1861; 
Pittsburg  Landing,  April  4,  1862;  Perry  ville, 
Octobers,  1862;  Wild  Cat  Mountain,  Oc- 
tober 2,  1862;  Stone  River,  December  29, 
1862,  to  January  3,  1863;  and  Chickamauga, 
September  14,  1863.  During  thelast  named 
battle  he  was  captured,  but  was  reported 
killed.  For  two  months  he  was  confined  in 
Libby  prison,  Richmond,  Virginia;  was  then 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


sent  to  Danville,  that  state,  where  he  re- 
mained three  months;  and  during  the  follow- 
ing nine  months  was  incarcerated  at  Ander- 
sonville  prison,  making  fourteen  months  in 
all.  He  was  finally  exchanged  at  Hilton 
Head,  November  19,  1864,  and  sent  to  the 
parole  camp  at  Annapolis,  Maryland.  He 
was  soon  afterward  sent  home.  He  was 
one  of  the  few  men  whose  remarkable  con- 
stitution withstood  the  hardships  and  priva- 
tionsof  long  imprisonment,  and  it  was  not  long 
before  he  had  partially  recovered  his  health 
and  strength.  He  was  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  sergeant,  October  16,  1861,  and  as 
such  was  mustered  out  at  Columbus,  Ohio, 
January  5,  1865. 

After  the  war,  Mr.  Bainum  learned  the 
plasterer's  trade,  which  he  followed  at  New 
Richmond,  Ohio,  until  1874.  In  the  mean- 
time he  was  married,  September  27,  1865, 
to  Miss  Margaret  West,  who  was  born  in 
Campbell  county,  Kentucky,  August1  13, 
1845,  and  when  five  years  old  was  taken  to 
Ohio  by  her  parents,  Samuel  N.  and 
Pauline  (Gates)  West,  natives  of  Kentucky 
and  Ohio,  respectively.  Her  father  was 
the  oldest  son  of  George  West,  a  native  of 
Virginia  and  a  farmer  by  occupation.  He 
removed  to  Kentucky  when  that  state  was 
a  vast  wilderness.  He  was  born  a  few 
months  before  the  signing  of  the  Declaration 
of  Independence  and  lived  to  be  ninety-two 
years  of  age.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bainum  have 
two  sons:  Frank  E. ,  born  July  7.  1866, 
married  Nellie  Collier,  daughter  of  Peter 
Collier,  of  Champaign,  and  is  a  member  of 
the  firm  of  Martin  &  Bainum,  grocers  of 
that  city;  and  Curtis  S.,  born  January  9, 
1869,  married  Anna  Webb,  of  Champaign, 
and  is  an  architect  of  that  city. 

In  March,  1874,  Mr.  Bainum  came  to 
Champaign  county,  Illinois,  and  purchased 


a  farm  of  eighty  acres  four  miles  south  of 
Champaign,  where  he  made  his  home  for 
eight  years,  but  devoted  his  attention  prin- 
cipally to  his  trade.  At  the  end  of  that 
time  he  removed  to  the  city  in  order  to  give 
his  children  better  educational  advantages, 
and  as  a  contractor  he  has  since  successfully 
carried  on  his  chosen  occupation  at  this 
place.  He  bought  property  on  Neil  street, 
where  he  lived  until  1893,  when  he  erected 
his  present  modern  residence  at  No.  207 
West  Springfield  avenue,  which  is  supplied 
with  all  modern  conveniences. 

Religiously  both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bainum 
are  members  of  the  First  Methodist  Episco- 
pal church,  and  socially  he  is  a  member  of 
Colonel  Nodine  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  and  Cham- 
paign Lodge,  No.  333,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  which 
he  is  a  past  grand.  He  casts  his  ballot 
with  the  Democratic  party,  and  gives  his 
support  to  every  enterprise  which  he  be- 
lieves calculated  to  prove  of  public  benefit. 
He  enjoys  in  a  high  degree  the  confidence 
and  esteem  of  his  fellow  men,  and  occupies 
a  foremost  place  in  business  circles. 


HORATIO  G.  BANES,  whose  home  is 
at  No.  518  East  Healey  street,  Cham- 
paign, is  a  leading  and  influential  citizen  of 
that  place — one  who  has  been  quite  prom- 
inently identified  with  public  affairs  for 
many  years,  and  has  the  best  interests  of 
the  city  and  county  at  heart.  A  native  of 
Ohio,  he  was  born  in  Clark  county,  Octo- 
ber 30,  1833,  and  is  a  son  of  Gabriel  H. 
and  Sarah  (McKinnon)  Banes,  also  natives 
of  the  Buckeye  state.  The  father  was  ex- 
tensively engaged  in  farming  and  stock  rais- 
ing in  Ohio,  until  1850,  when,  with  his  fam- 
ily, he  came  to  Champaign  county,  Illinois, 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


locating  in  Newcomb  township,  where  he 
purchased  a  half-section  of  land,  but  he  was 
not  long  permitted  to  enjoy  his  new  home, 
as  he  died  two  years  later.  In  his  native 
state  he  was  quite  a  prominent  citizen  and 
well  known  in  political  and  religious  circles. 
He  was  a  great  admirer  of  Henry  Clay  and 
a  stanch  Whig  in  politics.  Religiously  he 
was  a  zealous  worker  in  the  Methodist  Prot- 
estant church,  and  his  residence  was  a  place 
of  worship  for  years.  In  his  family  were 
seven  children  who  reached  years  of  matu- 
rity, but  only  two  survive,  namely:  Hora- 
tio G. ,  and  Eleanor,  wife  of  Robert  Wright, 
of  Newcomb  township,  this  county. 

Mr.  Banes,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
was  a  lad  of  twelve  years  when  he  came 
with  his  parents  to  Champaign  county,  and 
his  youth  was  passed  upon  the  home  farm, 
while  his  education  was  acquired  in  the 
common  schools  of  the  locality.  At  the  age 
of  seventeen  he  concluded  to  leave  the  farm 
and  learn  the  carpenter's  trade.  He  served 
his  apprenticeship  in  Urbana,  and  since  that 
time  has  made  carpentering  his  chief  occu- 
pation, being  engaged  in  contracting  and 
building  on  his  own  account  since  the  age  of 
twenty.  During  the  construction  of  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad  he  was  employed 
for  some  time  by  that  road,  building  depots 
and  bridges  in  this  county.  He  has  erected 
many  houses  in  Urbana,  Champaign  and  the 
surrounding  country  during  the  forty  years 
or  more  that  he  has  been  engaged  in  the 
work.  In  early  manhood  his  winters  were 
spent  in  clerking  in  stores  in  this  and -Mc- 
Lean counties,  and  while  with  Lyle  &  Har- 
rison at  Osman,  McLean  county,  he  was 
appointed  justice  of  the  peace  to  fill  an  un- 
expired  term  and  was  later  elected  to  that 
office. 

On    the    24th    of    October,  1856,   Mr. 


Banes  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Eunice  I.  Hormel,  a  daughter  of  Michael 
Hormel.  She  died  September  13,  1867, 
and  of  the  three  children  born  of  that  union 
two  died  in  childhood.  The  other  is  Nancy 
M.,  now  the  wife  of  Andrew  Hampton,  in 
the  postal  service  at  Champaign.  Mr. 
Banes  was  again  married,  November  18, 
1869,  his  second  union  being  with  Miss  Mar- 
garet J.  Hopkins,  a  daughter  of  Harris  and 
Christina  (Cherry)  Hopkins.  There  were 
two  children  born  of  this  marriage  but  both 
died  in  infancy. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Banes  is  a  member  of 
Mahomet  Lodge, 'No.  220,  F.  &  A.  M.  ;and 
religiously  is  an  active  and  official  member 
of  the  Christian  church,  being  at  present  a 
trustee  of  the  church.  In  politics  he  is  a 
stalwart  Republican,  and  at  present,  in 
1900,  is  a  candidate  before  the  county  con- 
vention of  his  party  for  the  office  of  county 
coroner.  In  1886  he  was  elected  commis- 
sioner of  streets  for  the  city  of  Champaign 
for  a  term  of  two  years,  and  at  the  expira- 
tion of  that  time  was  re-elected,  so  accepta- 
bly had  he  filled  the  office.  He  was  next 
appointed  city  marshal  by  Mayor  Wilcox, 
and  after  serving  in  that  position  for  two 
years,  he  was  again  appointed  street  com- 
missioner by  Mayor  E.  Chester,  that  office 
having  become  appointive  instead  of  elective. 
He  was  elected  on  the  temperance  ticket  as 
alderman  of  the  second  ward  and  filled  that 
office  in  a  most  creditable  manner  for  two 
years. 


JACOB  BUCK,  awell-known  and  honored 
citizen  of  Champaign,   who    has    served 
as  police  magistrate    for   eight    years,    and 
justice  of  the  peace  since  November,    1877, 
was  born  on  the  2Oth  of  January,    1838,    in 


THE  BIOGRAHPICAL    RECORD. 


73 


Simmershausen,  Germany,  five  miles  from 
Hesse  Cassel,  and  is  a  son  of  Wilhelm  and 
Elizabeth  (Seeger)  Buch,  who  spent  their 
entire  lives  there,  the  former  dying  in  Sep- 
tember, 1852,  the  latter  in  July,  1855.  The 
father  was  a  contractor  and  builder,  and  also 
owned  and  operated  stone  quarries. 

Our  subject  received  a  good  common- 
school  education  in  his  native  land,  and 
also  learned  the  stone  mason's  trade  under 
his  father.  In  1856  he  emigrated  to  Amer- 
ica, landing  in  Baltimore,  Maryland,  on  the 
25th  of  June,  and  two  days  later  he  entered 
the  employ  of  a  butcher  at  that  place,  where 
he  was  to  .receive  four  dollars  per  month 
and  his  board.  While  there  he  learned  to 
speak  and  write  English.  He  continued  to 
work  in  that  shop  until  September  10.  1860, 
when  he  enlisted  in  the  regular  army  for  five 
years,  becoming  a  member  of  Company  C, 
Second  (now  the  Fifth)  United  States 
Cavalry,  and  in  October  left  New  York  by 
steamer  bound  for  Indianola,  Texas,  with 
Lieutenant  Arnold,  now  brigadier-general. 
They  marched  across  the  country  to  Fort 
Inge  near  Uvalde,  where  Mr.  Buch  joined 
his  company.  After  Texas  seceded  he 
returned  with  his  command  to  Elizabeth. 
New  Jersey,  on  the  steamer  Empire  City, 
and  on  April  28,  1861,  went  by  train  to 
Carlisle,  Pennsylvania,  where  they  secured 
horses.  Undercommand  of  General  George 
H.Thomas,  the  regirnentcrossed  the  Potomac 
at  Williamsport,  Maryland,  and  on  the  2nd 
of  July  participated  in  their  first  engagement 
at  Falling  Waters,  Virginia.  Mr.  Buch 
participated  in  over  fifty  engagements,  and 
in  one  of  these  he  was  captured  on  June  13, 
1862,  and  was  held  a  prison  on  Belle  Island 
and  in  Libby  prison  until  the  I4th  of  the 
following  August.  He  rejoined  his  regiment 
at  Harrison's  Landing  on  the  James  river. 


On  the  9th  of  June,  1863,  he  was  wounded 
in  the  right  shoulder  and  was  off  duty  for 
three  months.  He  served  as  private  eight 
months,  corporal  ten  months,  and  sergeant 
three  years  and  a  half.  His  last  engage- 
ment was  at  Five  Forks,  March  30,  1865, 
and  was  then  commissary  sergeant  for  the 
five  companies  composing  General  Grant's 
body  guard  until  honorably  discharged 
September  10,  1865,  at  Washington,  D.  C., 
on  the  expiration  of  his  five  years'  term  of 
enlistment. 

On  the  2 ist  of  September,  1865,  Mr. 
Buch  went  to  Chicago  where  he  and  his 
brother  William  conducted  a  butcher  shop 
on  East  Harrison  street,  between  Sherman 
and  Fifth  avenue,  until  1868.  In  that  city 
he  was  married,  June  3,  1867,  to  Miss 
Christina  Miller,  also  a  native  of  Germany, 
who,  when  a  child  of  five  years,  came  with 
her  parents  to  this  country  and  located  in 
Chicago. 

On  selling  out  his  business  in  that  city, 
Mr.  Buch  came  to  Champaign,  where,  on 
July  6,  1868,  he  opened  a  butcher  shop  on 
the  corner  of  East  University  avenue  and 
First  street.  In  1871,  he  erected  a  building 
on  East  University  between  First  and  Second 
street,  arid  did  a  large  business  until  1876, 
although  he  lost  heavily  on  book  accounts 
in  1873.  In  1877  he  was  elected  justice  of 
the  peace  on  the  Republican  ticket  and  has 
since  filled  that  office  in  a  most  creditable 
and  satisfactory  manner,  receiving  a  good 
share  of  the  business.  He  was  elected 
county  coroner  in  1878,  and  also  filled  that 
office  until  1892,  when  he  declined  a  re- 
election. That  year  he  was  elected  police 
magistrate  and  was  re-elected  in  1896, 
bei.ng  the  present  incumbent  in  that  office, 
which  he  has  filled  with  credit  to  himself 
and  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  city.  From 


74 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


the  time  of  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil 
war,  he  has  been  an  active  and  stanch  sup- 
porter of  the  Republican  party,  and  although 
an  adopted  son  of  America  his  loyalty  is 
above  question,  being  manifest  in  days  of 
peace  as  well  as  in  time  of  war.  He  is  an 
honored  member  of  Colonel  Nodine  Post, 
of  which  he  was  commander  one  year,  and 
is  now  officer  of  the  day,  and  he  has  also 
represented  the  post  in  the  state  encamp- 
ment. He  has  been  connected  with  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  since 
1872,  has  served  as  noble  grand  of  the 
subordinate  lodge,  and  chief  patriarch  of  the 
encampment.  In  1869  he  united  with  St. 
Peter's  German  Evangelical  church,  and  is 
now  one  of  its  oldest  and  most  prominent 
members.  He  has  been  one  of  the- trustees 
of  the  church  for  many  years,  and  was  secre- 
tary a  long  time  until  his  health  prevented 
him  from  longer  filling  that  office.  In  1880 
he  erected  a  pleasant  residence  at  No.  125 
East  University  avenue,  where  he  continues 
to  make  his  home. 


WALKER  B.  TACKETT.  The  influ- 
ence of  an  honorable,  upright  life  in 
a  community  cannot  be  over-estimated,  and 
the  record  of  an  umblemished  career  is  a  far 
more  desirable  legacy  for  posterity  than 
wealth.  In  a  quiet,  unostentatious  way,  W. 
B.  Tackett,  late  of  Champaign  county,  was 
a  power  for  good  in  his  community,  and  all 
who  knew  him  loved  and  respected  him. 

A  son  of  William  and  Isabella  Tackett, 
he  was  born  in  Bath  county,  Kentucky, 
September  2,  1840,  and  grew  to  manhood 
in  that  section  of  the  state.  His  parents, 
likewise,  were  natives  of  the  Blue  Grass 
state,  were  prosperous  farmers,  and  spent 


their  entire  lives  at  their  old  home.  W.  B. 
Tackett  obtained  a  fair  education  in  the 
common  schools  of  Kentucky,  and  in  his 
youth  he  mastered  the  details  of  agriculture 
under  his  father's  instruction.  He  was  a 
young  man  when  he  decided  to  cast  in  his 
lot  with  the  inhabitants  of  Champaign 
county,  which  thenceforth  was  his  home. 
Prior  to  coming  here,  however,  he  had 
made  a  good  start  in  life,  and  had  gained  a 
competence,  which  enabled  him  to  take 
rank  at  once  with  the  progressive  farmers  of 
this  county.  For  a  few  years  after  his  ar- 
rival here,  he  leased  farms,  and  later,  he  in- 
vested in  a  valuable  homestead  of  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres,  situated  in  Tolona 
township.  He  made  numerous  desirable 
improvements  upon  the  place,  and  was  con- 
sidered a  capable,  practical  farmer  and  ex- 
cellent business  man.  His  chief  interest 
centered  in  his  little  family,  and  he  gave 
little  attention  to  public  matters.  At  the 
same  time  he  never  failed  to  perform  his 
duties  as  a  citizen,  and  in  his  political  pref- 
erence he  was  a  Democrat. 

When  he  was  less  than  twenty-one  years 
of  age,  in  1859.  Mr.  Tackett  wedded  a 
school-mate,  a  young  girl  who  had  grown  to. 
maturity  in  the  same  neighborhood.  She 
was  Elizabeth  G.,  daughter  of  William  and 
Nancy  Powers,  all  natives  of  Kentucky, 
and  of  families  who  formerly  had  dwelt  in 
Virginia.  William  Powers  engaged  quite 
extensively  in  the  raising  of  live  stock, 
mostly  horses  and  hogs,  for  many  years,  and 
several  times  a  year  went  to  market  them 
in  South  .Carolina  and  Georgia.  He  con- 
tinued to  reside  at  his  old  home  in  Kentucky 
until  his  death  in  1862.  His  widow  sur- 
vived until  1889,  when  she  passed  away  at 
the  home  of  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Tackett. 
She  was  the  mother  of  seven  children  who 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


75 


lived  to  maturity,  but  four  of  the  number 
are  now  deceased.  William  D.  is  the  pro- 
prietor of  a  large  hotel  at  Sidell,  Illinois, 
and  James  N.  resides  in  Menard  county, 
near  Petersburg. 

To  the  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tackett 
nine  children  were  born  and  one  son  of  the 
number  was  graduated  from  the  University 
of  Illinois.  F.  Marion,  the  eldest,  is  engaged 
in  the  real  estate  business  in  Champaign. 
He  married  Lura  B.  Fankboner,  and  of 
their  two  children,  one  is  deceased,  and  the 
other  is  William  C.  Annie  M.,  the  next  in 
order  of  birth,  died  in  1894.  Dora  M.  re- 
sides with  her  mother.  -Laura  N.  is  the 
wife  of  Boyd  Stevens,  of  Urbana,  and  their 
four  children  are  named  respectively:  Ray- 
mond W. ,  Warren  R.,  Paul  W.  and  Mary 
E.  William  C.,  the  second  son  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  graduated  in  the  University  of 
Illinois  and  in  the  Chicago  University,  and 
then  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  in  Chi- 
cago. He  was  a  very  promising  young  at- 
torney, beloved  by  a  large  circle  of  friends, 
and  when  death  claimed  him,  in  February, 
1896,  it  was  felt  by  all  who  knew  him  that 
his  place  could  not  soon  be  adequately 
filled.  Wallace,  the  next  in  order  of  birth, 
died  at  the  age  of  two  years.  George,  the 
next  younger,  died  when  sixteen  months 
old.  Rosie  B.  died  when  seventeen  months 
old,  and  Olive  B.  when  in  her  seventh 
year.  The  father  of  these1  children  gave 
them  every  advantage  within  his  power,  and 
lovingly  and  thoughtfully  provided  for  their 
future.  He  was  summoned  to  his  reward, 
January  6,  1892,  and  was  placed  to  rest  in 
the  Craw  cemetery. 

The  following  year,  Mrs.  Tackett  re,- 
moved  to  Champaign,  where  she  resides  in 
a  pleasant,  modern  house,  erected  under 
her  supervision.  She  takes  great  comfort 


in  the  society  of  her  children,  and  is  an  act- 
ive worker  in  the  Christian  church,  of 
which  religious  body  her  husband  was  a  de- 
voted member,  also.  She  is  a  valued  and 
efficient  member  of  the  Dorcas  Society  of 
the  church,  and,  in  a  quiet  way,  does  a 
great  deal  of  good  to  ward  the  needy.  Need- 
less to  say,  she  is  honored  and  loved  for  her 
worthy  qualities,  and  has  sincere  friends  by 
the  score. 


/^EORGE  F.  GEIGER,  a  well-known 
V-J  alderman  of  Champaign,  is  now  living 
a  retired  life  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  rest 
which  .he  has  truly  earned  and  richly  de- 
serves by  reason  of  his  industrious  efforts  of 
former  years.  Accomplishment  and  prog- 
ress ever  imply  labor,  energy  and  diligence, 
and  it  was  those  qualities  which  enabled 
our  subject  to  rise  from  the  ranks  of  the 
many  and  stand  among  the  successful  few. 
He  is  now  one  of  the  highly  esteemed  citi- 
zens of  Champaign,  and  is  well  entitled  to 
representation  in  the  history  of  his  adopted 
country. 

Mr.  Geiger  was  born  in  Wurtemburg, 
Germany,  April  23,  1834,  a  son  of  George 
and  Catherine  (Hik)  Geiger,  spent  their  en- 
tire lives  there.  Our  subject  attended  the 
schools  of  his  native  province  and  completed 
his  literary  education  at  a  gymnasium  which 
in  rank  corresponded  with  our  high  schools. 
Crossing  the  Atlantic  in  1857,  he  came  direct 
to  Springfield,  Illinois,  and  worked  as  a  farm 
hand  in  Sangamon  county  for  a  time. 
While  there  he  was  married,  December  20, 
1859,  to  Miss  Mary  Simons,  who  was  born 
and  reared  in  Greenville,  Missouri,  and  was 
left  an  orphan  at  an  early  age.  They  have 
two  children:  Katie,  who  married  E.  J. 
Rising,  now  manager  of  her  father's  hardware 


76 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


* 


store  in  Mahomet,  and  has  one  child,  Fred; 
and  Rosa  E.,  wife  of  Dr.  A.  S.  Wall,  of 
Champaign. 

In  1864  Mr.  Geiger  removed  to  Lincoln, 
Logan  county,  Illinois,  wherehe  rented  land 
for  two  years,  and  he  made  his  first  purchase, 
consisting  of  eighty  acres,  for  which  he  paid 
forty-two  dollars  per  acre,  and  which  he 
sold  at  the  end  of  six  years  for  fifty-four  dol- 
lars per  acre.  In  the  fall  of  1869  he  bought 
a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  forty  acres  in 
Mahomet  township  and  located  thereon  in 
the  spring  of  1870.  He  has  since  extended 
its  boundaries  by  additional  purchase  until 
the  farm  now  comprises  two  hundred  acres. 
This  place  he  still  owns.  In  1882  he  opened 
a  hardware  store  in  Mahomet,  to  which 
village  he  removed  the  following  year,  and 
there  he  did  a  successful  and  prosperous 
business  until  1895,  when  he  turned  it  over 
to  his  son-in-law,  and  purchased  a  farm  of 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  just  outside  the 
corporate  limits  of  Champaign.  This  has 
proved  a  good  investment,  as  the  place  is 
now  worth  over  one  hundred  dollars  per 
acre.  He  still  owns  his  store  in  Mahomet, 
has  property  in  Chicago,  and  has  erected  a 
beautiful  home  at  No.  707  West  Park  ave- 
nue— one  of  the  best  locations  in  Cham- 
paign. He  is  a  man  of  wonderful  business 
and  executive  ability,  and  with  the  excep- 
tion of  two  thousand  dollars  received  from 
his  father's  estate  in  1869,  he  has  made  all 
that  he  now  possesses.  ' 

While  a  resident  of  Mahomet  Mr.  Geiger 
served  as  road  commissioner  nine  years, 
and  was  supervisor  for  six  consecutive 
terms,  during  which  time  he  was  a  member 
of  the  ways  and  means  committee  for  sev- 
eral years.  While  a  member  of  the  board 
the  township  brought  suit  against  the  rail- 
road company  for  fifty  thousand  dollars  and 


lost  it.  It  was  to  recover  ten  per  cent,  in- 
terest that  had  not  been  paid  for  ten  years. 
Our  subject  refunded  it  at  six  per  cent,  and 
the  whole  amount  was  paid  off  while  he  was 
in  office.  In  1899  he  was  elected  alderman 
from  the  fifth  ward  of  Champaign,  and  is 
now  most  creditably  and  acceptably  filling 
that  office.  He  is  a  stanch  supporter  of  the 
Republican  party,  has  taken  an  active  and 
prominent  part  in  its  work  as  a  member  of 
the  county  executive  committee,  but  has 
never  been  an  office  seeker.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order 
of  Elks;  the  German  lodge  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows, of  which  he  is  past  grand;  and  the 
encampment,  of  which  he  is  past  high 
priest.  He  also  belongs  to  the  Presbyterian 
church,  while  his  wife  holds  membership  in 
the  Baptist.  Wherever  known  they  are 
held  in  high  regard  on  account  of  their 
sterling  worth,  and  their  friends  throughout 
Champaign  county  are  numerous. 


THOMAS  S.  HUBBARD,  one  of  the 
honored  pioneers  of  Urbana,  has  been 
closely  associated  with  its  development  and 
progress  from  its  early  days,  and  none  of 
our  citizens  are  more  universally  known  or 
respected.  He  is  a  sterling  representative 
of  the  sturdy  old  New  England  stock,  and 
keen  business  ability  and  foresight  are 
among  his  prominent  characteristics.  -Strict 
integrity  of  word  and  deed  throughout  his 
long,  successful  career  have  been  largely  re- 
sponsible for  his  high  standing  in  the  com- 
munity, and  the  interests  entrusted  to  him 
have  never  suffered  from  any  negligence 
upon  his  part. 

The    Hubbards    originated   in  England, 
but  for  many  generations   have  been  repre- 


THOMAS  S.  HUBBARD, 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


79 


sented  in  America.  Jeremiah,  grandfather 
of  T.  S.  Hubbard,  lived  to  be  sixty-three 
years  old,  his  death  occurring  in  1808.  His 
wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Flora  Hazel- 
ton,  died  November  30,  1833.  They  were 
the  parents  of  ten  children,  namely:  Rufus, 
Jeremiah,  Simon,  Alice,  Susanna,  Flora, 
Catherine,  George,  Asa  and  Bathsheba. 
Capt.  George  Hubbard,  the  father  of  our 
subject,  was  born  January  25,  1781,  in 
Middletown,  Connecticut,  and' in  his  early 
life  followed  the  calling  of  a  sea-captain. 
Subsequent  to  1829,  when  the  president 
placed  the  embargo  upon  shipping  interests, 
he  turned  his  attention  to  the  management 
of  a  hotel  and  to  agriculture. 

He  died  October  29,  1833,  and  was  sur- 
vived by  his  widow  thirty  years.  She  was 
Electa  Bronson  in  her  girlhood,  and  was  a 
native  of  Farmington,  Connecticut.  Capt. 
George  Hubbard  and  wife  were  the  parents 
of  the  following-named  children:  Flora  A., 
died  at  the  age  of  fifteen  months;  Eliza  B., 
who  wedded  Elisha  L.  Sage,  died  at  the 
age  of  fifty-two  years;  Antoinette  A.  mar- 
ried David  C.  Brooks  in  1834,  and  died 
November  i,  1878,  at  the  age  of  sixty-three 
years,  leaving  five  children,  George  F.  and 
Charles  A.,  who  have  since  departed  this 
life,  and  James  C.,  Thomas  H.  and  Mary 
E. ;  Flora  J.  died  when  seven  months  old; 
Nancy  M.  was  seven  years  old  at  the  time 
of  her  death;  Jane  L. ,  who  was  the  wife  of 
James  H.  Kibbee,  died  when  sixty-one  years 
of  age;  George  died  when  an  infant;  Thomas 
S.  is  the  subject  of  this  notice;  -Susanna  J., 
wife  of  L.  T.  Marion,  died  in  1895,  when 
in  her  seventieth  year;  and  Julia  M.,  widow 
of  Humphrey  Harsh,  resides  in  Warren, 
Ohio. 

The  birth  of  Thomas  S.  Hubbard  oc- 
cured  in  Cromwelltown,  Middlesex  county, 


Connecticut,  September  25,  1825.  After 
completing  his  elementary  education  in  the 
schools  of  his  native  place,  he  entered  Yale 
College  in  1845,  where  he  was  graduated 
four  years  later.  Among  his  class-mates 
were  Timothy  Dwight,  now  president  of 
their  Alma  Mater;  Dr.  Fisk,  prominently 
connected  with  the  Congregational  Theolog- 
ical Seminary  of  Chicago,  and  Dr.  Morris,  a 
professor  in  the  Lane  Theological  Sem- 
inary, of  Ohio.  Upon  completion  of  his 
studies,  Mr.  Hubbard  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  japanned  tinware  and  hardware  in 
Meriden  and  Durham,  Connecticut.  In 
1854  he  came  to  Champaign  county,  arriv- 
ing in  Urbana  December  8th.  Here  he 
soon  embarked  in  the  banking  business, 
being  the  proprietor  of  the  first  bank  in  this 
county.  In  February,  1856,  he  accepted 
the  position  of  cashier  in  the  Grand  Prairie 
Bank,  which  had  a  branch  at  West  Urbana 
(now  Champaign),  and  these  were  the  only 
banks  in  this  county  prior  to  1861,  until 
which  time  Mr.  Hubbard  continued  to  serve 
in  the  last-mentioned  office.  Afterwards, 
he  embarked  in  the  grocery  business,  and 
finally  became  financially  interested  in  the 
hardware  trade.  In  1865  he  sold  out  his 
business  here  and  returning  to  his  native 
place  remained  there  until  1869.  He  then 
decided  to  permanently  cast  in  his  fortunes 
with  the  people  of  Urbana,  and  since  that 
time  has  been  actively  engaged  in  the  hard- 
ware business.  The  firm,  which  long  has 
been  known  throughout  this  section  under 
the  style  of  Hubbard  £  Sons,  is  reliable  and 
enterprising,  commanding  an  extensive  pat- 
ronage. He  is  the  oldest  business  man  in 
the  Twin  Cities  in  point  of  continuous  oper- 
ations. 

The    marriage   of    T.    S.    Hubbard  and 
Jane  E.,  daughter  of   Dr.  Wyllys  and  Mary 


8o 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


(Lewis)  Woodruff,  took  place  November  14, 
1849.  Mrs.  Hubbard,  who  is  a  native  of 
Meriden,  Connecticut,  comes  of  an  old  and 
respected  family  of  that  state.  Her  father, 
who  was  a  successful  physician  and  sur- 
geon, and  a  graduate  of  the  medical  depart- 
ment of  Yale  College,  in  the  class  of  1824, 
thenceforth  was  engaged  in  practice  in 
Meriden.  He  died  March  31,  1842,  loved 
and  sincerely  mourned  by  a  multitude  of 
friends.  His  marriage  to  Miss  Lewis  oc- 
curred February  14,  1828,  in  Southington, 
Connecticut.  They  became  the  parents  of 
two  daughters,  Jane  E.  and  Mary  A.  The 
latter,  who  died  May  19,  1860,  was  the  wife 
of  George  Butler,  of  Alabama,  and  their 
three  children  are  all  deceased.  Mrs.  Mary 
(Lewis)  Woodruff  became  the  wife  of  Henry 
C.  Butler  May  31,  1848,  and  died  July  17, 
1871.  Mr.  Woodruff  and  wife  were  de- 
voted members  of  the  Congregational 
church. 

The  eldest  child  of  our  subject  and  wife, 
Wyllys  W. ,  died  when  young  from  that 
dread  scourge,  small-pox.  George  W.,  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  Hubbard  &  Sons,  is 
mentioned  at  length  elsewhere  in  this  work. 
He  is  a  very  public-spirited  citizen,  served 
as  alderman  for  four  years  and  for  a  like 
period  was  mayor  of  Urbana,  during  that 
time  materially  aiding  in  securing  many 
notable  improvements  for  this  place. 
Minnie  W.  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  A.  M.  Lind- 
ley,  of  Urbana.  Julia  E.  is  the  wife  of 
Thomas  A.  Insley,  and  their  four  children 
are  Clara,  deceased,  Charles  W. ,  Ida  H. 
and  Minnie.  Harry  T. ,  a  member  of  the 
firm  of  Hubbard  &  Sons,  married  Maggie 
Riley, and  their  only  living  child  is  Frank  W. 

A  notable  occasion  in  the  annals  of 
Urbana  was  the  golden  wedding  anniversary 
of  T.  S.  Hubbard  and  wife,  November  14, 


1899,  celebrated  at  the  home  of  their 
daughter,  Mrs.  Lindley.  Over  one  hundred 
and  fifty  guests,  mostly  old  friends  from  dif- 
ferent parts  of  this  county,  were  present, 
but  it  so  happened  that  only  one  of  those 
who  witnessed  the  marriage  of  the  worthy 
couple  half  a  century  before  was  able  to 
congratulate  them  in  person  upon  this 
happy  anniversary.  This  was  Mrs.  W.  L. 
Squire,  of  Meriden,  Connecticut,  who  made 
the  long  journey  of  about  two  thousand 
miles  for  the  purpose,  even  though  she  could 
remain  but  twenty-four  hours.  Ex-Presi- 
dent Dwight,  the  old  friend  and  class-mate 
of  Mr.  Hubbard,  though  he  had  been  present 
a"t  their  wedding,  was  forced  to  send  his 
sincere  regrets,  instead  of  coming  to  assist 
in  the  celebration,  as  he  earnestly  desired 
to  do.  The  Rev.  A.  A.  Stevens,  of  Peoria, 
Illinois,  who  had  performed  the  wedding 
ceremony  fifty  years  before,  was  unable  to 
attend,  owing  to  his  extreme  age. 

When  Mr.  Hubbard  settled  in  Urbana, 
in  1854,  there  was  but  one  brick  build- 
ing in  the  place,  and  though  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral Railroad  had  been  completed  through 
here  that  fall,  trains  were  not  regularly  run 
during  the  ensuing  winter.  He  had  un- 
daunted confidence  in  the  future  of  the 
town,  however,  and,  needless  to  relate,  has 
himself  been  one  of  the  leading  factors  in 
the  prosperity  it  enjoys  today.  The  high 
esteem  in  which  he  has  always  been  held 
by  those  who  know  him,  and  the  genuine 
belief  in  his  business  sagacity  and  ability 
manifested  by  his  fellow  citizens  may  be  es- 
timated by  the  following  instance.  At  an 
early  day  he  was  solicited  to  accept  a  posi- 
tion as  fiscal  agent  for  the  collection  and 
settlement  of  notes  belonging  to  the  county, 
and  arising  from  the  sale  of  some  swamp 
lands.  Such  confidence  was  reposed  in  Mr. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


81 


Hubbard  that  he  was  not  required  to  give 
a  bond,  although  the  amount  involved  was 
over  fifty  thousand  dollars.  Two  or  three 
persons  had  previously  had  charge  of  these 
notes,  but  when,  several  years  subsequent 
to  his  acceptance  of  the  office,  a  committee 
was  appointed  by  the  county  authorities  to 
look  into  its  affairs,  the  only  records  which 
could  be  found -in  regard  to  the  numbers 
and  amounts  and  disposition  of  the  notes 
were  those  made  and  preserved  by  Mr.  Hub- 
bard.  Politically,  he  was  a  Whig  in  his 
early  manhood,  and  is  now  a  stanch  Repub- 
lican. For  eight  years  he  served  the 
people  of  Urbana  as  an  alderman,  but  he 
has  preferred  to  keep  out  of  public  life. 

Since  1857,  when  the  First  Presbyterian 
church  of  Urbana  was  organized,  Mr.  Hub- 
bard  has  been  one  of  its  elders,  and  for 
many  years  was  a  teacher  in  the  Sunday- 
school,  as  was  his  wife,  also.  His  children 
and  four  of  his  grandchildren  belong  to  the 
same  church.  The  Bloomington  Presbytery 
honored  Mr.  Hubbard  by  appointing  him  as 
a  commissioner  to  the  Centennial  General 
Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  the 
United  States,  which  convened  in  the  Phila- 
delphia Academy  of  Music,  May  17,  1888, 
and  continued  in  session  three  weeks.  Mr. 
Hubbard  was  appointed  by  the  Assembly  to 
serve  as  a  member  ol  one  of  the  standing 
committees  of  that  body  and  also  on  two  or 
three  special  committees. 


ALBERTS.  WALL,  M.  D.,  is  one  of 
the  successful  physicians  and  surgeons 
of  Champaign,  Illinois,  and  a  prominent 
resident  of  that  place.  He  has  much  natural 
ability,  but  is  withal  a  close  student  and  be- 
lieves thoroughly  in  the  maxim  "there  is 


no  excellence  without  labor."  His  devo- 
tion to  the  duties  of  his  profession  therefore, 
combined  with  a  comprehensive  understand- 
ing of  the  principles  of  the  science  of  medi- 
cine, has  made  him  a  most  successful  and 
able  practitioner,  whose  prominence  is  well 
deserved. 

Dr.  Wall  was  born  in  Clarks  Hill,  In- 
diana, May  14,  1 86 1,  a  son  of  Richard  B. 
and  Catharine  (Baer)  Wall,  the  former  born 
in  Kentucky,  the  mother  near  Dayton.  Ohio. 
The  paternal  grandfather,  however,  was 
from  Pennsylvania,  and  from  that  state  re- 
moved to-  Kentucky,  and  later  to  Indiana, 
becoming  a  pioneer  of  Tippecanoe  county 
in  1834.  The  Doctor's  father  accompanied 
his  parents  on  their  removal  to  the  Hoosier 
State,  where  he  was  married,  and  where  he 
continued  to  make  his  home  throughout  life, 
his  time  and  attention  being  devoted  to 
agricultural  pursuits.  He  was  a  consistent 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
and  his  wife,  who  is  still  living,  holds  mem- 
bership in  the  Christian  church. 

Dr.  Wall  acquired  his  early  education  in 
the  country  schools  near  his  boyhood  home, 
but  later  attended  the  Central  Indiana 
Normal  School  at  Ladoga,  from  which  he 
was  graduated  in  1881.  For  a  time  he  suc- 
cessfully engaged  in  teaching  school,  having 
a  good  position  as  principal,  and  then 
entered  the  office  of  Dr.  Joseph  Parker,  of 
Colfax,  Indiana.  Subsequently  \\e  attended 
lectures  at  the  Miami  Medical  College  of 
Cincinnati,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in 
1890,  but  remained  there  doing  hospital 
work  for  a  number  of  months.  In  the  fall 
of  1890  he  opened  an  office  in  Mahomet, 
Champaign  county,  Illinois,  and  built  up  a 
large  and  lucrative  practice  at  that  place. 
While  there  he  was  honored  with  public 
office,  but  refused  to  accept  the  same,  pre- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ferring  to  devote  his  attention  strictly  to  his 
professional  duties.  On  leaving  there,  Dr. 
Wall  went  to  Chicago,  where  he  took  a  post- 
graduate course,  paying  special- attention  to 
surgery,  and  in  practice  has  since  made  that 
his  specialty.  In  the  spring  of  1896  he 
located  in  Champaign,  and  has  met  with 
most  excellent  success  in  his  practice  here. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  surgical  staff  of  Julia 
F.  Burnham  Hospital,  and  has  performed 
some  very  complicated  and  difficult  opera- 
tions, being  especially  successful  in  those 
for  appendicitis.  He  is  examining  physician 
for  a  number  of  prominent  life  insurance 
companies. 

On  November  9,  1892,  Dr.  Wall  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Rose  E. 
Geiger,  of  Mahomet,  daughter  of  Frederick 
Geiger,  a  wealthy  farmer.  She  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Baptist  church,  to  the  support  of 
which  the  Doctor  contributes,  and  he  is 
connected  with  the  Masonic  Lodge  of 
Mahomet. 


WILLIAM  LENINGTON  is  one  of  the 
honored  pioneers  of  Champaign 
county,  which  he  has  seen  developed  from 
the  wild  prairie  into  its  present  condition  of 
fertility  and  beauty.  In  this  good  work,  the 
labor  of  several  decades,  he  has  borne  an 
important  part,  and  is  justly  entitled  to  be 
called  one  of  the  founders  of  the  county. 

His  parents,  James  T.  and  Sarah  (Bon- 
nell)  Lenington,  were  natives  of  New  Jer- 
sey, and  in  that  state  resided  until  1832,  the 
father  following  his  trade  as  a  hatter.  In 
the  year  mentioned,  they  started  with  a 
horse  and  wagon  and  crossed  the  Alleghany 
mountains,  their  destination  being  Licking 
county,  Ohio.  The  journey  consumed  about 
four  weeks,  and  when  they  reached  their 


new  home  they  found  a  great  task,  indeed, 
before  them.  Of  the  eighty  acres  of  land 
which  constituted  their  farm,  only  five 
acres  had  been  cleared,  the  remainder  be- 
ing heavily  timbered.  Building  a  log  cabin, 
the  family  lived  within  its  humble  walls  for 
several  years,  then  removing  to  a  frame 
house.  The  father  gradually  cleared  away 
the  forest,  hauling  the  logs  to  the  nearest 
saw-mill,  and,  subsequently,  he  added  three 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  more  to  his  orig- 
inal purchase.  He  died  in  1875,  at  his  old 
home  in  Licking  county,  where  he  had  be- 
come so  well  known  and  genuinely  re- 
spected. His  wife,  who  had  shared  with 
him  all  of  the  privations  of  frontier  life, 
bravely  and  uncomplainingly,  attained  about 
the  same  age.  Four  of  their  children  sur- 
vived to  maturity,  namely:  William,  Nathan- 
iel, Thomas  and  Martha  J.,  now  the  widow 
of  David  Nichols,  of  Champaign. 

William  Lenington,  whose  birth  oc- 
curred in  Morris  county,  N.  J.,  April  17, 
1825,  spent  much  of  his  boyhood  in  the 
wilderness  of  Licking  county,  Ohio,  and 
only  a  few  months,  during  a  few  winters, 
was  it  his  privilege  to  attend  school.  When 
he  was  twenty-two  years  of  age  he  left 
home,  where  he  had  manfully  shouldered 
his  share  of  the  laborious  duties,  and,  going 
to  Granville,  obtained  a  position  in  the  vil- 
lage store.  There  he  soon  became  con- 
versant with  the  business,  and  for  nine 
years  faithfully  remained  at  his  post,  in  the 
meantime  carefully  laying  aside  a  portion  of 
his  earnings.  In  1856  he  came  to  Cham- 
paign county  and  later  bought  one  hundred 
and  eighty  acres  of  prairie  land  in  Condit 
township.  Champaign  county,  and  at  once 
set  about  improving  the  place,  which  was 
unbroken  prairie  land.  The  years  rolled 
away,  and  many  changes  for  the  better 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


might  have  been  observed  on  the  place, 
good  buildings,  fences  and  well  tilled  fields, 
groves  and  ditches,  and  a  hundred  other  im- 
provements having  been  made  by  the  enter- 
prising owner.  Giving  much  of  his  atten- 
tion to  the  raising  of  live  stock,  particularly 
sheep,  he  met  with  success,  and  rapidly 
added  to  his  financial  possessions.  He 
now  owns  five  hundred  and  twenty  acres, 
situated  on  sections  27,  28  and  33,  Condit 
township.  By  well  directed  energy  and 
perseverance  in  his  undertakings,  he  won 
the  prosperity  he  now  enjoys,  and  at  the 
same  time  his  business  methods  were  such 
that  no  one  in  his  community  has  been 
more  sincerely  esteemed.  In  1885  he  re- 
tired from  the  active  care  and  responsibility 
of  managing  his  large  farm,  and  since  that 
time  he  has  dwelt  in  Champaign,  where  he 
is  well  and  favorably  known. 

In  1851,  Mr.  Lenington  married  Julia 
Condit,  a  daughter  of  Wyckliff  Condit,  of 
Ohio.  She  died  in  1859,  and  their  first-born, 
John,  died  in  infancy.  Helen,  the  next 
child,  is  the  wife  of  John  Trevett,  who  is 
engaged  in  the  banking  business  in  Cham- 
paign, and  Grant  is  the  proprietor  of  the 
Commercial  House,  in  Tolono,  this  county. 
In  1 86 1,  Mr.  Lenington  wedded  Mrs.  Lu- 
cinda  Pearson,  a  daughter  ot  Truman 
French,  of  Licking  county,  and  widow  of 
George  Pearson.  Ira,  the  eldest  child  of 
our  subject  and  wife,  died  in  infancy.  Wade 
is  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  in  St. 
Joseph,  Illinois;  James  Truman  is  a  success- 
ful dentist  at  Springfield,  Illinois,  and  Allen 
resides  at  home  with  his  parents. 

As  stated  before,  William  'Lenington 
aided  materially  in  the  founding  of  this 
county  and  in  placing  it  upon  a  safe  and 
prosperous  footing.  For  a  great  many 
years  he  served  in  the  responsible  position 


of  supervisor  of  his  own  township,  and  ac- 
quitted himself  with  credit.  At  that  time 
the  county  was  deeply  in  debt,  and  the 
supervisors  of  the  different  townships  had  no 
light  tasks  before  them.  Mr.  Lenington 
proved  himself  to  be  equal  to  all  emergen- 
cies, and  loyally  stood  for  improvements 
and  whatever  he  believed  would  be  for  the 
permanent  welfare  of  the  community.  In 
national  affairs  he  has  been  a  stanch  Repub- 
lican. Both  himself  and  wife  are  members 
of  the  Presbyterian  church,  he  being  one  of 
the  trustees.  They  are  liberal  in  their  con- 
tributions to  religious  and  benevolent  enter- 
prises, and  delight  to  lend  a  helping  hand  to 
the  destitute  and  afflicted. 


WILBER  FISK  HARDY  is  a  leading 
representative  of  the  business  in- 
terests of  Champaign,  where  for  several 
years  he  has  been  a  dealer  in  agricultural 
implements,  coal  and'seeds.  Of  excellent 
business  ability  and  broad  resources,  he  has 
attained  a  leading  place  among  the  sub- 
stantial citizens  of  the  place.  He  has  won 
success  by  his  well-directed,  energetic  ef- 
forts, and  the  prosperity  that  has  come  to 
him  is  certainly  well-deserved. 

Mr.  Hardy  was  born  in  North  Palermo, 
Waldo  county,  Maine,  August  24.  1835,  a 
son  of  Orley  and  Sylvia  (Sterns)  Hardy, 
natives  of  New  Hampshire,  whose  ances- 
tors were  from  England  and  were  among 
the  early  settlers  of  New  England.  After 
their  marriage  they  removed  to  Maine, 
where  the  father,  who  was  a  mechanic,  car- 
ried on  business  for  a  short  time,  but  when 
our  subject  was  three  years  old  he  took  his 
family  to  Sempronius,  Cayuga  county,  New 
York,  where  he  made  his  home  until  going 


84 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


to  Kentucky,  about  1847.  Later  he  came 
to  Oilman,  Illinois,  where  he  died  about 
1865.  and  his  wife,  who  was  a  daughter  of 
Isaiah  Sterns,  died  at  the  home  of  our  sub- 
ject in  Champaign,  in  October,  1889.  She 
was  a  most  estimable  woman  and  a  life-long 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 
The  parental  grandparents  of  our  subject 
were  Eldad  and  Anna  (Leland)  Hardy. 
The  former  was  a  soldier  of  the  war  of 
1812,  and  was  held  a  prisoner  for  a  time. 
He  spent  his  last  days  in  Cayuga  county, 
New  York.  Wilber  F.  Hardy  is  the  second 
in  order  of  birth  in  a  family  of  six  children, 
the  others  being  Manlius,  who  remained  in 
Kentucky;  Eliza,  who  married  W.  A.  Hamp- 
ton and  died  in  Missouri;  Eunice,  who  died 
in  this  county;  Eldad,  who  was  wounded  in 
the  battle  of  Missionary  Ridge  while  a  sol- 
dier of  the  Civil  war  and  died  at  his  home 
in  this  county,  in  1876;  and  Isaiah,  a  resi- 
dent of  Champaign. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  acquired  a  lim- 
ited education  in  tHe  schools  of  Cayuga 
county,  New  York  and  Kentucky,  but  from 
the  age  of  fifteen  to  nineteen  years  his  time 
was  occupied  in  carrying  the  mail  from  Kidd- 
ville  to  Richmond,  Kentucky,  on  horseback, 
and  as  his  parents  were  in  limited  circum- 
stances and  education  expensive,  he  did  not 
attend  school  much  after  that.  At  the  age 
of  twenty  he  went  to  Berlin  Heights,  Erie 
county,  Ohio,  where  he  attended  a  district 
school  for  one  winter,  and  an  academy 
during  the  following  two  winters,  pursuing 
his  studies  under  the  direction  of  Job  Fish, 
who  is  still  teaching.  In  the  meantime  he 
worked  on  a  farm  near  Berlin  Heights,  and 
spent  one  summer  working  in  his  father's 
shop  in  Kentucky. 

In  April,  1858,  Mr.  Hardy  came  to 
Champaign  county,  Illinois,  and  located  on 


a  tract  of  railroad  land  in  Stanton  township, 
for  which  his  father  had  contracted,  and  to 
the  improvement  of  which  our  subject  de- 
voted his  energies  for  a  time,  but  as  his 
father  did  not  settle  thereon,  it  was  after- 
ward abandoned.  Our  subject  afterward 
rented  the  W.  D.  Somers  farm  in  the  same 
township  for  five  years,  at  the  same  -time 
caring  for  his  mother  and  the  four  younger 
children  of  the  family  who  had  come  with 
him  to  the  county.  He  managed  to  save 
money  while  residing  there,  but  during  the 
following  six  years  he  was  in  ill  health  and 
his  little  capital  was  soon  exhausted.  Subse- 
quently he  worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade 
until  coming  to  Champaign,  but  in  the  mean- 
time he  purchased  a  farm  of  eighty  acres  in 
Stanton  township,  which  he  owned  until 
1889,  when  he  sold  it  and  bought  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty-five  acres,  two  miles  and  a 
half  north  of  Champaign.  In  1875  he  re- 
moved to  Urbana,  where  he  engaged  in  the 
agricultural  implement  business  for  one 
summer,  but  in  January,  1876,  came  to 
Champaign,  and  opened  the  same  kind  of  a 
store  in  a  large  brick  building  on  Water 
street,  which  he  occupied  for  eleven  years. 
In  1895  he  purchased  the  building  at  No.  36 
University  avenue,  where  he  has  since  en- 
gaged in  business.  Seeing  the  failure  of 
others  who  have  branched  out  into  different 
lines  of  trade,  he  has  confined  himself 
strictly  to  the  one  business,  and  is  now  the 
oldest  implement  dealer  in  years  of  con- 
tinuous business  in  the  county.  Besides 
his  business  property  he  owns  a  good  home 
on  the  corner  of  Third  street  and  University 
avenue,  and  a  pasture  of  eight  acres  inside 
the  corporate  limits.  He  has  successfully 
managed  both  his  business  and  his  farm, 
and  is  to-day  one  of  the  prosperous  citizens 
of  Champaign. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


Mr.  Hardy  first  married  Miss  Lucretia 
Berkshire,  of  Stanton  township,  who  died 
three  years  later,  leaving  one  child,  Sylvia, 
now  Mrs.  George  Sendenburg,  of  Cham- 
paign, and  in  February,  1879,  he  married 
Miss  Mary  Chapin,  an  old  schoolmate  of  his 
at  Berlin  Heights.  She  is  a  consistent 
member  of  the  Congregational  church. 

In  his  political  affiliations  Mr.  Hardy  is  a 
Democrat,  and  he  served  as  alderman  from 
the  first  ward  for  three  terms  during  which 
time  the  city  hall  was  erected,  his  name 
with  those  of  the  other  councilmen  being 
placed  on  the  corner  stone.  For  a  part  of 
the  time  he  was  a  member  of  the  street 
committee  and  much  of  the  paving  of  the 
city  was  then  done.  He  has  always  taken 
an  active  interest  in  educational  affairs  and 
has  been  an  efficient  member  of  the  school 
board.  His  record  is  that  of  a  man  who 
through  his  own  well-directed  efforts  has 
worked  his  way  upward  to  a  position  of 
affluence,  and  receives  the  respect  and  es- 
teem of  all  who  know  him. 


THOMAS  COFFEY,  who  is  successfully 
engaged  in  the  retail  liquor  business  in 
Champaign,  Illinois,  was  born  in  that  city 
in  June,  1860,  a  son  of  Patrick  and  Mary 
(O'Neil)  Coffey,  both  natives  of  county  Gal- 
way,  Ireland.  During  early  life  Patrick 
Coffey  engaged  in  farming  in  his  native  land, 
his  father  being  a  farmer  and  stock  raiser 
upon  the  estate  of  Dr.  French,  a  relative  of 
General  French,  of  the  British  army  in 
Transvaal,  Africa.  Deciding  to  try  his  for- 
tune in  the  new  world,  the  father  of  our 
subject  sailed  from  Liverpool,  England, 
when  about  nineteen  years  of  age,  and 
landed  in  Baltimore,  Maryland,  where  he 


remained  about  two  years.  In  1854  he 
came  by  train  to  Urbana,  Illinois,  which  at 
that  time  was  but  a  small  village,  the  Illi- 
nois Central  Railroad  having  just  been  built 
through  the  county.  Here  he  was  first  en- 
gaged in  clerking  and  later  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  agricultural  pursuits,  following  farm- 
ing in  Condit  and  Champaign  townships  for 
about  seven  years  each.  At  the  end  of  that 
time  he  took  up  his  residence  in  Champaign, 
and  in  September,  1865,  purchased  the 
hotel  now  known  as  the  St.  James,  which  he 
successfully  conducted  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death,  May  7,  1889.  He  also  run  a  feed 
stable  for  the  accommodation  of  his  farmer 
patrons,  and  in  his  undertakings  met  with 
good  success.  He  was  a  man  of  considera- 
ble prominence,  was  also  quite  popular,  and 
was  called  upon  to  serve  as  alderman  from 
the  third  and  fourth  wards  for  the  long 
period  of  eighteen  years.  In  his  family 
were  eight  children,  of  whom  five  reached 
man  and  womanhood,  namely:  Mary,  wife 
of  William  Heffernan,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
wholesale  liquor  and  cigar  business  in  Cham- 
paign; Maggie,  wife  of  P.  L.  Hayes,  a  pas- 
senger engineer  on  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road living  in  Champaign;  Thomas,  our 
subject;  Jo  \V.,  a  resident  of  Champaign, 
who  was  formerly  with  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad;  and  E.  M.,  who  is  employed  in 
the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  shops  at  Free- 
port,  Illinois.  The  mother  now  makes  her 
home  with  our  subject. 

Thomas  Coffey  received  his  education  in 
the  schools  of  Champaign,  and  at  the  age  of 
twenty  years  started  out  in  life  for  himself. 
He  became  familiar  with  his  present  busi- 
ness in  the  employ  of  his  brother-in-law, 
William  Heffernan,  and  on  the  1 2th  of  July, 
1895,  purchased  the  saloon  of  James  D. 
Caldwell,  of  Champaign,  which  he  con- 


86 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ducted  alone  until  September,  1897,  when 
he  formed  a  partnership  with  Mr.  Heffernan 
and  turned  his  attention  to  the  wholesale 
trade,  but  on  the  ist  of  February,  1898,  he 
sold  his  interest  in  the  business  to  John 
Heffernan,  a  brother  of  his  partner,  and  has 
since  engaged  in  the  retail  business  alone. 

In  February,  1893,  Mr.  Coffey  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Martha  Flegel, 
a  native  of  Saxton,  Germany,  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  Anton  Flegel,  who  brought  his  family 
to  America  when  Mrs.  Coffey  was  only  eight 
months  old,  and  located  in  Champaign,  Illi- 
nois, where  he  was  engaged  in  business  as  a 
tailor  for  a  number  of  years.  He  died  in 
1883,  and  his  wife  in  1888.  Mrs.  Coffey 
was  the  second  in  order  of  birth  in  their 
family  of  five  children. 


PATRICK  RICHARDS.  The  citizens  of 
Urbana  feel  that  they  have  sustained  a 
loss  in  the  death  of  the  late  Patrick  Richards 
that  the  lapse  of  many  years  alone  will  molify . 
He  was  foremost  in  everything  which  tended 
toward  the  advancement  of  his  community 
and  country,  and  gave  not  only  of  his  means 
and  time  but  of  his  influence  and  strength 
to  various  enterprises  which  he  deemed 
would  stimulate  local  pride  and  industry. 
Had  his  ambition  lain  in  that  direction,  he 
might  have  become  a  power  in  the  political 
world,  but  he  was  unobtrusive  by  nature 
and  preferred  to  aid  friends  and  other  worthy 
and  public  spirited  men  to  official  positions. 
In  tracing  his  history  it  was  found  that 
Patrick  Richards  was  born  in  Quebec,  Can- 
ada, December  17,  1835,  and  when  an  in- 
fant was  taken  to  Utica,  New  York.  When 
he  had  finished  his  education  in  the  schools 
of  that  city  he  commenced  serving  an  ap- 


prenticeship in  one  of  the  largest  drug  stores 
in  Utica,  and  remained  with  the  firm  for 
several  years,  during  which  time  he  became 
thoroughly  familiar  with  the  details  of  the 
business.  Arriving  at  his  majority,  he  went 
to  New  York  city,  where  he  became  an  ex- 
perienced prescription  clerk,  and  in  1862  he 
located  in  Tolono,  Illinois.  With  a  small 
capital,  about  five  hundred  dollars,  he 
bought  a  small  stock  of  drugs,  gradually 
adding  to  it  as  he  could  afford  to  do  so,  un- 
til, at  one  time,  his  stock  was  valued  at  sev- 
enteen thousand  dollars.  Genial  and  court- 
eous in  manner,  reliable  and  trustworthy, 
he  won  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the 
public,  and  his  trade  kept  extending  until 
he  had  customers  all  throughout  that  sec- 
tion of  the  county. 

In  1882,  Mr.  Richards  sold  out  his  busi- 
ness with  the  thought  of  living  a  retired  life 
in  Tolono,  but  later  removed  to  Urbana, 
with  the  intention  of  taking  a  well  earned 
rest  from  the  responsibilities  of  commercial 
matters.  His  excellent  business  qualifica- 
tions were  so  well  known,  however,  that  he 
was  not  long  allowed  to  remain  inactive,, 
and  soon  he  was  induced  to  become  identi- 
fied with  the  First  National  Bank  of  Urbana, 
then  a  private  banking  institution.  For 
several  years  he  served  as  president  of  the 
this  well  known  bank,  and  by  his  zeal  and 
keen  financial  enterprise  aided  in  placing  it 
upon  a  firm  basis  of  prosperity,  and  at  pres- 
ent its  capital  stock  is  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars. 

For  several  terms  Mr.  Richards  was  su- 
pervisor of  his  township,  being  chosen  by 
almost  a  unanimous  vote  of  the  people  of 
his  locality,  and  he  would  have  been  retained 
longer  in  the  office  had  he  not  refused  to 
serve  further.  Though  he  was  a  stalwart 
Republican,  he  was  a  man  who  made  few,  if 


PATRICK  RICHARDS. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


89 


any,  political  enemies,  as  his  integrity,; good 
sense  and  general  popularity  outweighed  all 
other  considerations.  In  1892  he  was  sent 
as  an  Illinois  state  delegate  to  the  national 
Republican  convention  at  Minneapolis, 
where  he  cast  his  ballot  for  Harrison,  and 
made  numerous  warm  friends.  In  1898  he 
consented  to  the  urgent  solicitations  of  his 
friends  that  he  become  a  candidate  for  con- 
gressman, but  at  the  county  convention  he 
withdrew  his  name,  as  he  felt  that  his  health 
was  uncertain,  and  that  he  might  not  be 
able  to  do  the  people  justice  on  that  account. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Richards  and 
Amelia  I.  Morgan  was  solemnized  May  22, 
1865,  by  the  Rev.  G.  W.  Riley.  Mrs. 
Richards'  parents  were  W.  F.  and  A.  T. 
(Bruce)  Morgan,  who,  like  herself,  are 
natives  of  Fleming  county,  Kentucky.  They 
have  lived  in  this  county  for  many  years, 
honored  and  respected  by  all  who  know 
them.  Mr.  Morgan  is  in  his  eighty-eighth 
year,  and  his  wife  is  four  years  his  junior. 
Of  their  ten  children,  Lucinda  is  the  wife  of 
Rev.  W.  T.  Green,  a  missionary  in  Mexico; 
Garrard  S.,  who  married  Florence  Saxton, 
resides  in  Peoria;  Henry  Bruce,  also  of 
Peoria,  wedded  Jennie  Woodruff;  Woodson, 
of  Champaign,  married  Harriet  Atkinson; 
Elizabeth,  wife  of  S.  C.  Knight,  died  when 
in  her  twenty-fifth  year;  Millard  M.,  of 
Chicago,  chose  as  his  wife  Stella  Kirk- 
patrick;  William,  who  married  Ida  Sanford, 
resides  in  Memphis;  Anna  died  at  the  age  of 
fifteen  years  and  James,  manager  of  the 
Boston  Globe,  married  Helen  Daily,  of 
Boston. 

The  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Richards 
was  blessed  with  two  sons  and  a  daughter. 
Gertrude,  who  possesses  considerable  musi- 
cal and  artistic  talent,  formerly  was  a 
student  in  the  University  of  Illinois.  Clar- 


ence M.,  a  thorough-going  young  business 
man,  is  assistant  cashier  of  the  Urbana  First 
National  Bank,  and  Chester  W.  is  attending 
the  city  high  school. 

The  entire  Richards  family  have  been 
identified  with  the  Baptist  denomination  for 
years,  the  father  having  held  the  office  of 
deacon.  He  was  liberal  toward  religious 
enterprises,  and  his  private  charities  were  as 
numerous  as  they  were  quiet  and  unknown 
to  the  public.  His  long  and  useful  life  came 
to  a  close  on  New  Year's  day,  1899,  and  to 
those  who  knew  him  intimately  there  can 
be  no  doubt  that  to  him  were  spoken  the 
blessed  words  "  Well  done,  good  and  faith- 
ful servant,  enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy 
Lord." 


AH.  HARTMAN,  a  prominent  and  suc- 
cessful contractor  and  builder,  residing 
at  No.  403  West  Springfield  avenue,  Cham- 
paign, Illinois,  was  born  August  14,  1845, 
in  Fountain  county,  Indiana,  on  the  pres- 
ent site  of  the  town  of  Harveysburg,  and  is 
a  son  of  Adam  and  Mary  (Vail)  Hartman. 
The  family  is  of  German  origin  and  the 
name  was  originally  spelled  Hardtmann. 
The  great-grandfather  of  our  subject  was  a 
native  of  Saxony,  and  in  that  country  mar- 
ried a  Miss  Matkins,  but  before  the  Revolu- 
tionary war  they  came  to  America  and  took 
up  their  residence  in  Lexington,  North  Car- 
olina. Mr.  Hartman  now  has  in  his  posses- 
sion a  relic  belonging  to  these  ancestors 
which  has  quite  an  interesting  history.  It 
is  a  large  cow's  horn  upon  which  has  been 
cut  two  large  Roman  capital  M's,  the 
initials  of  Millican  Matkins,  a  brother-in- 
law  of  our  subject's  great-grandfather.  He 
was  a  native  of  Hesse-Darmstadt,  and  with 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


other  Hessian  soldiers  was  hired  by  the 
British  to  fight  against  the  colonists  in  the 
Revolutionary  war.  While  serving  under 
Cornwallis  at  Guilford,  North  Carolina,  he 
accidentally  heard  of  George  Hardtmann 
being  in  another  part  of  the  same  state.  As 
he  had,  already  become  tired  of  fighting 
against  the  Americans,  he  concluded  to  de- 
sert and  make  his  way  to  Lexington,  hoping 
to  find  that  the  Hardtmann  there  might 
prove  to  be  his  brother-in-law.  He  stole 
from  the  British  camp,  taking  with  him  as 
his  only  weapon  of  defense  a  large  horn 
broken  from  the  skull  of  a  beef  that  had 
been  slaughtered  and  still  containing  the 
heavy  green  inner  bone.  After  some  days  of 
tramping  and  nights  spent  in  the  wilderness 
he  found  Mr.  Hardtmann,  who  proved  in- 
deed to  be  his  relative.  The  horn  which  he 
had  carried  with  him  lay  in  the  yard  a  year  or 
two,  but  was  finally  converted  into  a  hunt- 
ing horn,  and  as  such  is  preserved  by  our 
subject. 

George  Hartman,  the  grandfather  of  our 
subject,  was  born  in  Lexington,  North  Car- 
olina, and  by  occupation  was  a  farmer  and 
distiller,  the  latter  being  quite  a  common 
•vocation  in  those  days.  In  1831,  he  moved 
to  Indiana,  where  he  spent  the  remainder 
of  his  life.  In  early  life  he  served  as  colonel 
of  a  regiment  of  militia,  and  was  a  radical 
Democrat,  the  father  of  our  subject  being 
the  only  one  of  the  family  who  was  a  Whig. 
The  grandfather  had  six  children,  four  sons 
and  two  daughters,  namely:  George,  Adam, 
Peter;  Abbie,  wife  of  Valentine  Day;  John; 
and  Elsie.  Only  Adam,  Peter  and  Ab- 
bie married,  and  all  save  the  youngest 
moved  to  Indiana.  Our  subject's  maternal 
grandfather,  John  Vail,  was  a  soldier  of  the 
war  of  1812  in  General  Coffey's  division  and 
took  part  in  the  battle  of  New  Orleans. 


Adam  Hartman,  father  of  our  subject, 
was  born  in  Lexington,  North  Carolina,  in 
1809,  and  was  a  young  man  when  the  fam- 
ily removed  to  Indiana,  being  among  the 
earliest  pioneers  of  Fountain  county.  There 
he  married  Mary  Vail,  who  was  born  in 
Greenville,  Tennessee,  in  1816.  He  followed 
the  occupation  of  a  wagon  and  carriage  maker 
throughout  life.  In  1867,  he  came  to  Cham- 
paign county,  Illinois,  and  died  in  Sidney 
in  1873.  In  politics  he  was  a  strong  Whig 
and  later  a  Republican,  and  in  religion  was 
an  active  member  of  the  Baptist  church. 

Of  the  nine  children  born  to  Adam  and 
Mary  (Vail)  Hartman,  three  died  in  early 
life,  and  the  others  are  as  follows:  Adaline 
married  Henry  Bacon  and  lived  in  Edgar 
county,  Illinois,  until  after  the  outbreak  of 
the  Civil  war,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  Sev- 
enty-ninth Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  and 
died  in  the  service  a£  Stone  River.  His 
widow  afterward  came  to  Champaign, 
where  she  died  in  August,  1899.  Eliza  is 
the  widow  of  William  Russell  and  resides  in 
Dana,  Indiana.  John  R.  was  a  member  of 
theTwelfth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  twice 
re-enlisted,  and  served  all  through  the  Civil 
war.  In  1867  he  came  to  Champaign, 
where  he  died  in  1895.  Mary  died  in  1862, 
in  early  womanhood.  A.  H.,  our  subject, 
is  next  in  order  of  birth.  Amanda,  deceased, 
was  the  wife  of  Jeremiah  Slater,  of  Hillsdale, 
Indiana.  George  W.  makes  his  home  in 
Champaign,  Illinois. 

During  his  boyhood  and  youth  A.  H. 
Hartman  remained  at  home  and  learned  the 
wagonmaker'sand  blacksmith's  trades.  On 
the  23d  of  November,  1863,  at  the  age  of 
eighteen  years,  he  joined  the  boys  in  blue  of 
Company  C,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty- 
third  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  re- 
mained in  the  service  until  August  28,  1865, 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


when  he  was  discharged  at  Lexington,  North 
Carolina,  his  father's  birthplace.  His  regi- 
ment was  under  the  command  of  Colonel 
John  C.  McQuestian,  and  was  at  first  a  part 
of  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  and  later 
the  Army  of  Ohio,  and  still  later  the  Army 
of  North  Carolina.  Under  General  Scofield, 
he  took  part  in  the  campaign  from  the  bat- 
tle of  Chattanooga  until  after  the  fall  of  At- 
lanta, and  then  with  his  command  went  to 
Florence,  where  they  met  Hood  and  re- 
treated to  Nashville,  taking  part  in  the 
meantime  in  the  battle  of  Franklin.  After 
thebattleof  Nashville,  the  regiment  followed 
Hood  to  Clifton  on  the  Tennessee,  where 
they  took  steamers  for  Cincinnati,  and  from 
there  went  by  cars  to  Washington,  D.  C. , 
where  they  lay  in  camp  one  month.  At  the 
end  of  that  time  they  were  transferred  to 
the  Army  of  North  Carolina  and  took  trans- 
ports at  Alexandria,  Virginia.  After  cours- 
ing along  the  coast  for  eighteen  days,  not 
knowing  their  destination,  they  were  landed 
at  Morehead  City,  North  Carolina,  and 
proceeded  by  rail  to  Nevvbern,  and  from 
there  marched  to  Kingston.  A  severe  en- 
gagement was  brought  on  at  Weiser's  Fork 
with  General  Hoke,  the  Federal  troops  num- 
bering only  six  thousand,  while  the  Confed- 
erates numbered  fifteen  thousand.  The 
army  then  marched  across  the  country  to 
Goldsboro,  where  they  met  General  Sher- 
man as  he  came  up  from  Savannah,  and 
with  that  commander  proceeded  to  Raleigh, 
remaining  with  him  until  after  the  surrender 
of  General  Johnston.  During  the  last  two 
months  of  his  service,  Mr.  Hartman  was 
riding  orderly  on  the  staff  of  General  Kil- 
patrick,  and  was  stationed  at  Charlotte, 
North  Carolina,  in.  charge  of  government 
stores  and  supplies.  Singularly  enough  the 
last  two  weeks  were  passed  at  Lexington, 


where  his  father  was  born  and  reared,  and 
where  many  of  his  relatives  still  reside. 
They  had  fought  against  him  in  the  Confed- 
erate army.  Mr.  Hartman  had  several  nar- 
row escapes  during  his  service.  While  on 
the  skirmish  line  in  northern  Georgia  he  was 
wounded  in  the  right  leg  by  a  musket  ball; 
in  August,  1864,  on  the  Sandtown  road,  he 
was  knocked  down  by  the  concussion  of  a 
shell;  and  during  the  campaign  of  Atlanta 
was  under  fire  for  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  days.  He  was  in  the  engagements  on 
the  22nd  of  July,  1864.  and  saw  General  Mc- 
Pherson  fall. 

After  the  war  Mr.  Hartman  returned  to 
Indiana,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  for 
two  years,  and  in  1867,  after  making  a  pros- 
pecting tour  of  Illinois  and  Missouri,  he  lo- 
cated in  Sidney  township,  this  county,  where 
for  ten  years  he  rented  land  and  engaged  in 
farming.  In  1877  he  went  to  Texas,  in- 
tending to  locate  in  that  state,  but  was  dis- 
appointed in  the  outlook  and  returned  to  his 
birthplace,  where  he  spent  one  year.  At 
the  end  of  that  time  he  came  to  Homer, 
Illinois,  where  he  assumed  charge  of  the 
mill  and  elevator  of  M.  D.  Coffeen,  and  held 
that  position  until  1884,  when  he  located  in 
Champaign,  and  has  since  engaged  in  car- 
pentering and  building.  For  the  past  ten 
years  he  has  done  contract  work  only.  The 
first  building  he  erected  in  this  county  was 
in  Sidney  township  in  1868,  but  since  that 
time  has  built  many  of  the  modern  residences 
and  business  blocks  in  the  county.  Among 
the  former  in  Champaign  are  the  homes  of 
J.  W.  Stanley,  on  East  Main  street,  Mrs. 
Eva  Green,  F.  H.  Lange  and  M.  T.  Smith. 
In  1896  he  erected  his  own  beautiful  resi- 
dence, which  is  equipped  with  all  modern 
comforts  and  conveniences. 

In  Columbus,  Ohio,   Mr.    Hartman  was 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


married,  February  12,  1891,  to  Miss  Jennie 
Sharp,  a  native  of  Groveport,  Ohio,  and  a 
daughter  of  John  and  Martha  (Kramer) 
Sharp.  Her  father  was  a  prominent  busi- 
ness man  of  Groveport,  where  he  was  en- 
gaged in  general  merchandising  and  the 
grain  business.  He  died  February  4,  1873, 
and  the  mother  departed  this  life  July  16, 
1876.  They  had  seven  children,  three  sons, 
and  four  daughters,  namely:  Richard,  a 
resident  of  Columbus,  Ohio;  Stella,  wife  of 
John  Allen,  of  Detroit,  Michigan;  Jennie, 
wife  of  our  subject;  Albert  K. ,  a  farmer  of 
Marion,  Indiana;  Cora  B.,  and  Isabella, 
both  residents  of  Columbus,  Ohio;  and 
Charles  P. ,  a  pharmacist,  who  died  in  Cham- 
paign, April  15,  1893.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hart- 
man  had  one  son,  Frederick,  who  was  born 
October  27,  1892,  and  died  August  22,  1893. 
Both  our  subject  and  his  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  the  First  Presbyterian  church  of 
Champaign,  and  he  is  also  a  member  of  the 
subordinate  lodge  and  encampment  of  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  In 
politics  he  is  an  ardent  Republican,  and 
while  a  resident  of  Sidney  he  took  quite  an 
active  and  prominent  part  in  public  affairs, 
serving  as  alderman  of  the  village  and  con- 
stable of  the  township.  In  the  latter  office 
he  did  much  deputy  sheriff  work.  He  is 
thoroughly  identified  with  the  interests  of 
his  city  and  county,  and  is  well  known  as 
an  enterprising  and  reliable  business  man, 
one  who  always  keeps  abreast  with  the 
times.  All  who  know  him  hold  him  in  the 
highest  esteem. 


EORGE  H.  LUTZ,  alderman  from  the 
V-J  second  ward,  and  a  prominent  cigar 
manufacturer  of  Champaign,  was  born  in 
Athens  county,  Ohio,  November  2,  1853,  a 


son  of  John  K.  and  Margaret  Lutz.  The 
father  was  a  native  of  Virginia  but  our  sub- 
ject's paternal  grandfather  was  born  in 
Pennsylvania.  When  our  subject  was  quite 
small  the  father  removed  to  Indiana,  where 
he  spent  one  year,  and  then,  in  1856,  came 
to  Champaign  county,  Illinois,  where  he  has 
since  engaged  in  farming  and  teaming. 
When  he  located  here  the  city  of  Cham- 
paign contained  but  two  stores,  and  he  has 
watched  with  interest  its  growth  and  devel- 
opment. Although  a  quiet,  unassuming 
man,  he  has  many  friends  and  is  highly  re- 
spected by  all  who  know  him.  Both  he 
and  his  wife  are  still  living  and  continue  to 
make  their  home  in  Champaign. 

Our  subject  is  indebted  to  the  public 
schools  of  this  county  for  his  educational 
advantages.  In  1876,  he  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Sarah  J. .  Nicewander,  of 
Champaign,  who  was  born  in  Hensley  town- 
ship, this  county.  Her  father,  Daniel  Nice- 
wander,  an  extensive  farmer,  was  of  Ger- 
man descent  and  a  pioneer  of  the  county. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lutz  have  a  family  of  six 
children,  namely:  George  William,  Edith, 
Ruby,  Opal,  Roy  and  Flossie. 

After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Lutz  engaged  in 
farming  in  Hensley  township  for  eight  years^ 
and  then  followed  the  same  occupation  first 
in  Champaign  township  for  a  year.  In 
1885  he  removed  to  the  city  of  Champaign, 
but  not  meeting  with  success,  he  went  to 
Kansas.  On  his  return  to  Champaign  he 
worked  for  others  two  years  and  then  em- 
barked in  business  as  a  dealer  in  cigars. 
Later  he  added  a  stock  of  liquor,  but  has 
since  disposed  of  that  department,  and  pur- 
chased a  cigar  factory  at  No.  77  Main  street, 
which  he  is  now  most  successfully  carrying 
on.  He  also  owns  a  nice  home  at  No.  123. 
University  avenue,  where  he  now  resides. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


93 


The  Democratic  party  finds  in  Mr.  Lutz 
a  stanch  supporter  of  its  principles;  he  has 
always  been  an  active  worker  for  its  inter- 
ests; has  been  a  delegate  to  many  county 
conventions;  and  a  member  of  the  ward, 
township  and  city  executivecommitteesatdif- 
ferent  times.  In  the  spring  of  1894  he  was 
elected  alderman,  and  so  acceptably  did  he 
fill  the  office  that  he  has  been  twice  re- 
elected,  hispresent  term  expiring  in  1901. 
He  has  been  a  member  of  various  commit- 
tees, and  as  a  public-spirited  and  enter- 
prising citizen,  he  has  given  his  support  to 
all  measures  which  he  believed  calculated 
to  prove  of  public  benefit.  Since  he  has 
been  a  member  of  the  council  many  streets 
have  been  paved;  the  subways  under  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad  have  been  put  in, 
and  all  of  the  sewers  constructed.  Frater- 
nally he  is  an  honored  member  of  the  For- 
esters, and  has  served  as  district  deputy. 


A  RTHUR  M.  BURKE  is  cashier  of  the 
J\  Citizens  Bank  of  Champaign,  one  of 
the  leading  financial  institutions  of  the  coun- 
ty, and  is  rapidly  working  his  way  to  a  fore- 
most position  among  the  prominent  finan- 
ciers of  this  section  of  the  state.  Genuine 
success  is  not  likely  to  be  the  result  of  mere 
chance  or  fortune,  but  is  something  to  be 
labored  for  and  sought  out  with  consecutive 
effort.  Mr.  Burke  is  a  young  man,  but  has 
already  attained  to  a  measure  of  prosperity 
that  many  a  one  who  started  out  on  life's 
journey  before  him  might  well  envy. 

A  native  of  Champaign  county,  he  was 
born  in  Condit  township,  November  6,  1870, 
and  is  a  son  of  P.  E.  and  Isabella  Burke. 
The  father  was  born  in  Davis  county,  Ken- 
tucky, and  continued  to  reside  there  until 


about  1860,  when  he  moved  to  Logan  coun- 
ty,  Illinois,  where    he   purchased  land  and 
engaged  in  farming.      In  1861  he  joined  the 
boys  in  blue  as  a  member  of  Company  F, 
Thirty-eighth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  as 
a  private,  and  was  mustered   in   at   Camp 
Lincoln.      Going  immediately  to  the  front, 
he  participated  in  the  battles  of  Stone  River, 
Lookout  Mountain,  Chickamauga  and  other 
notable  engagements,  remaining  in  the  serv- 
ice three  years.     After  his   return   to   civil 
life,  he  resumed  farming  in  Logan  county, 
but  in  1867,  he  came  to  Champaign  county, 
and  took  up  his  residence  in  Condit,  where 
a  few  years  later  he  purchased  land  and  con- 
tinued to  engage  in  agricultural  pursuits  un- 
til his  removal  to  Rantoul  in  1877.      He  was 
interested  in  the  grocery  and  meat  business 
there  for  a  few  years,  and  subsequently  en- 
gaged in  the  grain  and  coal  business  at  the 
same  place  until  1882,  when  appointed  dep- 
uty sheriff  by  J.  C.  Ware,  then  sheriff  of  the 
county.     After  filling  that  position  for  four 
years,  he  was  elected  sheriff  and  served  in 
that  office  for  the  same  length  of  time.      In 
1890  he  bought  an  interest  in  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Urbana,  but  at  the  end  of 
six  months   he   sold  out  on  account   of  ill 
health,  and  did  not  actively  engage  in  any 
business  thereafter.      In   1893  he  moved  to 
Champaign,  where  he  made  his  home  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  February  14,  1896. 
He  was  widely  and    favorably  known   and 
was  a  man  of  considerable  influence  in  his 
community.     Fraternally  he  was  a  member 
of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America;  Ur- 
bana Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  and  Black  Eagle 
Post,  No.  129,  G.   A.   R. ;  while  religiously 
he  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church,  to 
which  his  wife  also  belonged.     She  still  con- 
tinues to  reside  in  Champaign. 

Five  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 


94 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Burke,  namely:  Nellie,  who  died  in  1878,  at 
the  age  of  thirteen  years;  Arthur  M.,  our 
subject;  William  H.,  who  is  married  and 
living  in  Danville,  Illinois;  Eugene  I.,  who 
is  pursuing  a  literary  course  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Illinois,  and  will  graduate  in  the 
spring  of  1900;  and  Benjamin  J.,  who  is 
employed  as  a  clerk  in  the  Citizens  Bank 
of  Champaign. 

Arthur  M.  Burke  completed  his  educa- 
tion in  the  high  schools  of  Urbana,  and 
after  laying  aside  his  text  books  spent  a  year 
and  a  half  in  Colorado,  being  employed  in  a 
wholesale  commission  house  of  Denver. 
Returning  to  Champaign,  he  served  as  dep- 
uty sheriff  under  his  father  for  one  year.  In 
1890  he  entered  the  employ  of  M.  W. 
Mathews,  of  the  Urbana  Herald,  as  re- 
porter and  solicitor,  and  remained  with  him 
for  about  a  year,  after  which  he  engaged  in 
clerking  in  the  clothing  department  of  Ott- 
heim's  store  until  1897.  In  February  of 
that  year  he  formed  a  partnership  with  J. 
W.  Lawder  in  the  tailoring  business,  which 
they  carried  on  until  the  ist  of  January, 
1899,  when  Mr.  Burke  entered  the  Citizens 
Bank  in  a  clerical  capacity.  The  following 
August  he  and  J.  W.  Orr  purchased  the  in- 
terest of  John  Armstrong  in  that  institu- 
tion, and  have  since  conducted  it  under  the 
name  of  the  Citizens  Bank.  The  business 
of  the  bank  has  increased  materially  since 
Messrs.  Burke  and  Orr  took  charge  of  its 
affairs,  and  is  now  recognized  as  one  of  the 
solid  financial  institutions  of  the  county. 
They  do  a  general  banking  and  loan  busi- 
ness, and  the  safe,  conservative  policy  which 
they  follow  commends  itself  to  the  judgment 
of  all. 

On  the  5th  of  September,  1892,  Mr. 
Burke  married  Miss  Stella  Innes,  of  Urbana. 
Her  father,  John  B.  Innes,  is  a  veteran  of 


the  Civil  war,  and  has  been  for  the  last  ten 
years  foreman  of  the  Besore  lumber  yard  of 
Urbana.  He  has  three  children:  Jennie, 
wife  of  George  Douglas,  of  Urbana;  Stella, 
wife  of  our  subject;  and  Grace,  wife  of 
Charles  Welch,  of  Urbana.  Our  subject 
and  his  wife  have  one  child,  John  A.,  born 
September  6,  1898. 

Socially  Mr.  Burke  is  a  member  of  Tri- 
umph Lodge,  No.  73,  K.  P.,  of  Urbana,  and 
Western  Star  Lodge,  No.  140,  F.  &  A.  M., 
of  Champaign;  and  religiously  his  wife  is  a 
member  of  the  Baptist  church  of  Urbana. 
In  politics  he  is  a  stanch  Republican,  but 
he  has  never  taken  an  active  part  in  polit- 
ical affairs,  preferring  to  give  his  undivided 
attention  to  his  business  interests.  He  is 
enterprising,  progressive  and  public-spirited, 
and  has  become  an  important  factor  in  the 
business  circles  of  this  county. 


A  LBERT  T.  HALL.  For  almost  forty- 
-/v  five  years  this  gentleman  has  been  a 
resident  of  Champaign  county,  and  during 
this  long  period,  which  covers  nearly  the 
whole  span  of  the  county's  development 
from  a  primitive  state  to  its  present  flour- 
ishing condition,  he  has  been  actively  in- 
terested in  its  progress.  A  man  of  more 
than  ordinary  business  and  executive  ability, 
he  has  met  with  excellent  success  in  life, 
and  is  now  practically  living  retired  at  his 
beautiful  home  in  Champaign. 

Mr.  Hall  was  born  in  Susquehanna 
county,  Pennsylvania,  June  27,  1835,  a  son 
of  Heman  "and  Rachel  (Bates)  Hall,  in 
whose  family  were  five  children,  the  others 
being  Amanda  L. ;  Lucy  A.,  wife  of  Henry 
Hay;  Electa  E.,  wife  of  A.  R.  Hay;  and 
Alma  C.,  wife  of  Jesse  Burt.  Our  sub- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


95 


ject's  paternal  grandfather  Hall  served  all 
through  the  Revolutionary  war  and  spent 
most  of  his  life  on  a  farm  in  Connecticut, 
but  his  last  days  were  passed  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. His  father  was  a  Tory.  The  father 
of  our  subject  was  born  in  Litchfield  county, 
Connecticut,  and  when  a  young  man  he 
went  to  Susquehanna  county,  Pennsylvania, 
locating  on  the  Susquehanna  river.  There 
he  married  Rachel  Bates,  also  a  native  of 
Connecticut,  who  had  removed  to  the  Key- 
stone state  about  the  same  time  as  her  hus- 
band. He  removed  with  his  family  to 
Waverly,  Tioga  county,  New  York,  when 
our  subject  was  about  six  years  old,  and 
there  followed  blacksmithing  and  hotel 
keeping.  Later  he  lived  in  Ellistown, 
where  he  died  in  January,  1851.  He  was 
widely  and  favorably  known  and  was  called 
upon-  to  fill  a  number  of  local  offices  of 
honor  and  trust.  His  wife  and  daughters 
came  to  Champaign  with  our  subject  in 
1855,  and  here  the  former  died  in  Septem- 
.ber,  1856,  being  the  first  person  interred  in 
Mt.  Hope  cemetery.  Both  parents  were 
earnest  and  consistent  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  took  an  active 
part  in  church  work,  and  the  father  served 
as  class  leader. 

Albert  T.  Hall  acquired  the  greater  part 
of  his  education  in  the  schools  of  Waverly, 
New  York,  and  after  his  father's  death  was 
in  the  employ  of  the  New  York  &  Erie 
Railroad  Company  for  a  time.  On  the 
22nd  of  December,  1855,  he  arrived  in 
Champaign  with  his  mother  and  four  sis- 
ters, and  the  following  spring  purchased  a 
tract  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
land  in  Colfax  township  from  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  Company.  Upon  that 
place  he  turned  the  first  furrow  and  made 
the  first  improvements.  At  that  time  the 


country  was  very  swampy  and  almost  as 
much  water  as  land  was  in  sight,  while 
wolves,  which  still  roamed  at  will  over  the 
prairies,  made  the  night  hideous  by  their 
howling.  In  the  small  house  which  he 
erected  upon  his  place,  Mr.  Hall  with  his 
older  and  younger  sisters  lived  quietly  until 
the  Civil  war  broke  out. 

Hardly  had  the  echoes  from  Fort  Sum- 
ter's  guns  died  away  when  he  enlisted,  in 
April,  1 86 1,  but  his  company,  which  be- 
came Company  I,  Second  Illinois  Cavalry, 
was  not  accepted  until  the  following  August, 
when  it  was  mustered  in  as  a  three  years' 
regiment.  Mr.  Hall  went  to  the  front  as 
orderly  sergeant,  later  was  commissioned 
lieutenant  and  afterwards  had  command  of 
his  company,  but  his  health  failed  and  he  was 
forced  to  resign  in  the  spring  of  1863. 
With  his  regiment  he  went  to* southern  Illi- 
nois, and  from  there  to  Kentucky,  Tennes- 
see and  down  the  Mississippi  river.  They 
were  the  first  to  occupy  Columbus,  Ken- 
tucky, after  the  evacuation.  They  partici- 
pated in  the  hard  fought  engagement  at 
Holly  Springs,  then  proceeded  to  Memphis, 
and  down  the  river  toMilliken's  Bend  above 
Vicksburg,  where  they  were  stationed  when 
our  subject  resigned.  Returning  to  his  home 
he  resumed  farming. 

On  the  29th  of  December,  1864,  Mr. 
Hall  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Callie 
Gilbert,  of  Urbana,  a  daughter  of  Jonathan 
Gilbert,  of  Greenville,  Ohio.  She  died  in 
October,  1879,  and  of  the  five  children  born 
to  them  all  died  before  her  death  with  the 
exception  of  Winfield  Bates  Hall,  now  a 
member  of  the  firm  of  Percival  &  Hall,  of 
Champaign.  Mr.  Hall  was  again  married, 
May  30,  1 88 1,  his  second  union  being  with 
Mrs.  Almira  Roberts,  of  Roberts,  Illinois,  a 
daughter  of  David  Stateler.an  old  settler  of 


96 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Marshall  county,  Illinois.  By  her  first  mar- 
riage she  had  one  child,  Charles  J.  Roberts, 
of  Champaign. 

In  1869,  Mr.  Hall  removed  to  Cham- 
paign, where  he  first  engaged  in  the  fruit 
business  near  the  University,  and  later  en- 
gaged in  the  grocery  business  on  the  cor- 
ner of  Church  and  Neil  streets  with  good 
success  until  1881,  when  he  sold  out.  Dur- 
ing this  time  he  lived  on  his  fruit  farm  and 
managed  both  interests.  On  disposing  of 
his  store  he  accepted  a  position  as  traveling 
salesman  for  the  firm  of  Franklin  McVeagh 
&  Company,  Chicago,  and  remained  with 
them  for  nine  years,  his  territory  including 
this  section  of  the  state.  Subsequently 
he  engaged  in  the  shoe  and  furniture  busi- 
ness on  Main  street,  Champaign,  for  several 
years,  and  since  1894  has  practically  lived 
a  retired  life.  However,  he  still  continues 
to  look  after  his  real  estate  interests  in 
Champaign  and  Chicago,  and  manages  his 
farm.  He  laid  out  an  addition  in  Cham- 
paign, known  as  the  A.  T.  Hall  addition, 
has  improved  the  streets  and  erected  houses. 
As  a  business  man  Mr.  Hall  ranks  among 
the  best  in  the  city,  and  his  sound  judg- 
ment, unflagging  enterprise  and  capable 
management  have  brought  him  a  well-mer- 
ited scccess.  He  is  a  member  of  Colonel 
Nodine  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  and  the  Benevolent 
and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  attends 
and  supports  the  Presbyterian  church,  of 
which  his  wife  is  a  member. 


EDWARD     FOSTER,    after    an    active 
career,  is  now  living  retired  in  a  pleas- 
ant home  in  Urbana.    Now,  in  his  declining 
years,  he  is  justly   entitled   to   a   cessation 
from  toil,  for  he   has  manfully  "borne  the 


heat  and  burden  of  the  day,"  and  has  un- 
falteringly performed  his  whole  duty  toward 
his  brother  men  and  the  community  in 
which  his  lot  has  been  cast.  A  review  of 
his  past  life  will  prove  of  interest  to  many 
of  his  friends,  and  will  better  perpetuate 
his  memory,  after  he  has  been  called  to  his 
reward,  than  would  a  monument,  however 
grand. 

Born  in  Warren  county,  Indiana,  in 
1833,  Edward  Foster  is  the  eldest  child  of 
Zebulon  and  Caroline  (Ostrander)  Foster, 
who  were  natives  of  Ross  and  Pike  coun- 
ties, Ohio,  respectively.  The  father,  who 
was  a  farmer,  removed  to  West  Lebanon, 
Indiana,  in  1833,  and  there  continued  to 
make  his  home  until  his  death,  in  1891, 
when  he  was  eighty-two  years  old.  For 
several  terms  he  served  as  township  trustee 
and  in  other  local  offices,  and  no  one  in  his 
neighborhood  was  more  highly  regarded  by 
all.  Prominent  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  he  labored  zealously  in  the  Chris- 
tian cause,  and  for  years  officiated  as  steward 
and  trustee.  His  wife,  who  preceded  him 
to  the  better  land,  dying  in  1872,  when 
sixty  years  of  age,  was  a  daughter  of  Dr. 
Edward  and  Rachel  Ostrander,  natives  of 
New  York  state.  Four  of  the  children  born 
to  Zebulon  and  Caroline  Foster  died  in  in- 
fancy. Rachel,  widow  of  William  B.  Crei- 
der,  formerly  of  Ross  county,  Ohio,  resides 
in  Onarga,  Illinois.  Eliza  is  the  wife  of 
George  T.  Bell,  a  lumber  dealer  of  West 
Lebanon,  Indiana.  Mary  is  the  widow  of 
Marion  Crawford,  and  lives  in  Dodge  City, 
Kansas.  William  is  engaged  in  the  livery 
business  at  West  Lebanon,  Indiana.  Har- 
riet, Mrs.  J.  J.  Fleming,  is  a  resident  of 
Watseka,  Illinois. 

After  completing  his  education,  Edward 
Foster  assisted  his  father  in  the  manage- 


EDWARD  FOSTER. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


99 


ment  of  the  home  farm  until  he  was  twenty- 
three  years  of  age,  when  he  located  in  Ver- 
milion county,  Illinois.  From  1856  until 
1868,  when  he  resigned,  he  was  the  post- 
master at  Jordan,  Vermilion  county,  giving 
entire  satisfaction  to  the  public.  In  the 
year  last  mentioned,  he  settled  in  Middle 
Fork  township,  near  Potomac,  in  the  same 
county,  and  remained  there  until  he  retired, 
in  1895.  The  year  subsequent  to  his  arri- 
val in  Middle  Fork  township,  he  was  hon- 
ored by  appointment  to  the  responsible  post 
of  school  treasurer,  and  for  twenty-seven 
years,  or  until  he  tendered  his  resignation, 
he  was  retained  in  the  office.  Few  higher 
compliments  to  his  recognized  ability  and 
sterling  integrity  could  have  been  made  by 
his  neighbors,  and  no  word  of  criticism  ever 
was  passed  upon  his  transactions  as  a  pub- 
lic official.  He  uses  his  franchise  in  favor 
of  the  Republican  party. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Foster  and  Sarah 
A.  Tillotson  was  solemnized  August  24, 
1856.  She  is  one  of  the  eleven  children  of 
Ephraim  Duel  and  Mary  A.  (Cronkhite) 
Tillotson,  natives  of  New  York  state, 
though  reared  on  farms  in  the  vicinity  of 
Cincinnati.  Ohio.  The  father  went  to  Chi- 
cago when  it  was  more  commonly  known  as 
Fort  Dearborn.  For  many  years  he  resided 
in  Warren  county,  Indiana,  and  there  held 
the  offices  of  justice  of  the  peace  and  county 
commissioner  for  a  long  time,  and  doubtless 
would  have  been  elected  to  the  assembly, 
had  he  consented  to  run  for  the  position,  as 
his  Republican  friends  urged.  In  1856,  he 
removed  to  Vermilion  county,  Illinois, 
where  he  had  secured  a  warrant  for  a  quar- 
ter-section of  land.  To  the  improvement 
and  cultivation  of  this  property  he  devoted 
the  remainder  of  his  life,  which  was  termi- 
nated May  14,  1882,  when  he  was  in  his 


seventy-first  year.  Both  he  and  his  faithful 
wife  were  prominent  members  of  the  Chris- 
tian church,  active  in  every  good  work,  and 
beloved  by  all  who  knew  them.  She  lived 
to  be  seventy-six  years  of  age,  her  death 
occurring  in  1892, 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Foster  have  seven  living 
children,  namely:  Buel  T. ,  who  is  carry- 
ing on  the  old  homestead  in  Vermilion 
county,  and  who  married  Mattie  Lemay  in 
February,  1899;  they  have  one  son,  Wood- 
ford  Lemay;  E.  M.  Stanton,  also  a  farmer 
of  Vermilion  county,  and  by  whose  mar- 
riage to  Callie  Wright  he  has  five  children, 
Hugh  W. ,  Samuel  H.,  Flora,  Minerva  and 
George  Dewey;  Zebulon,  who  was  gradu- 
ated as  a  civil  engineer  in  1892,  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  Illinois;  he  stood  first  in  scholar- 
ship in  the  class  of  engineering  of  1 892 ;  Mary 
A.,  wife  of  Mark  Grays,  a  farmer  of  Ver- 
milion county,  and  mother  of  Foster, 
George  M.,  Chauncey  D.  and  Bessie  May; 
Edward,  who  carries  on  a  farm  in  Vermil- 
ion county,  is  a  graduate  of  the  Quincy 
Business  College,  later  was  cashier  of  the 
Bank  of  Penfield,  and  engaged  in  merchan- 
dising in  the  same  place,  and  by  whose  mar- 
riage to  Catherine  Cazier  three  children 
were  born:  Nellie,  Mervin  and  an  infant; 
Theodore,  a  graduate  of  the  Quincy  Busi- 
ness College;  and  William  G.,  a  member 
of  the  architectural  engineering  class  of 
1900,  of  the  University  of  Illinois.  All  of 
the  children,  with  the  exception  of  the  two 
elder  ones,  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  and  E.  M.  Stanton, 
Theodore  and  Buel  are  identified  with  the 
Odd  Fellows  Society. 

Religiously,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Foster  are 
zealous  members  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal church.  Both  have  been  teachers  in 
the  Sunday-school,  and  Mr.  Foster  served 


IOO 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


as  steward,  trustee,  superintendent  and 
class-leader  of  the  church  to  which  he  be- 
longed in  Vermilion  county,  while  in  Ur- 
bana  he  is  a  teacher  and  class-leader.  The 
home  of  the  family  is  a  model  one  in  every 
respect,  and  everyone  so  fortunate  as  to 
come  within  its  refined  and  elevating  at- 
mosphere is  uplifted  and  ever  bears  the 
memory  of  it  with  him  along  his  journey  of 
life. 


HENRY  C.  AHRENS,  who  is  now  living 
a  retired  life  in  Champaign,  Illinois,  was 
born  in  the  Grand  Duchy  of  Oldenburg, 
Germany,  August  12,  1837,  and  is  a  son  of 
John  Henry  and  Marguerite  (Kohler)Ahrens, 
natives  of  the  same  province.  The  father, 
who  was  born  in  1801,  was  a  sailor,  and 
followed  the  sea  for  about  twenty  years. 
He  died  in  Oldenburg,  in  1870,  and  two 
years  later  his  wife  came  to  America  with 
her  daughter,  spending  her  last  days  in  this 
country.  She  died  in  New  York  City,  in 
1891,  at  the  age  of  ninety  years.  They  had 
seven  children,  but  only  two  grew  to  rnatur- 
-ity:  Henry  C.,  our  subject;  and  Mattie 
Katherina,  wife  of  Gottlieb  Ellinghousen,  a 
carpenter  of  Brooklyn,  New  York. 

Our  subject  attended  the  public  schools 
of  his  native  land  until  fourteen  years  of 
age.  In  1852,  the  same  year  the  Great 
Eastern  was  launched,  he  went  to  sea  as  a 
sailor  before  the  mast  on  a  merchant  vessel 
in  the  Baltic  Sea,  and  has  visited  all  the 
European  ports  on  the  Atlantic  ocean,  the 
Mediterranean,  Black  and  Baltic  Seas.  In 
1860  he  entered  the  United  States  govern- 
ment service  under  Captain  Lewis  on  the 
steamer  Albany,  running  from  New  York 
City  to  Cape  Hatteras  and  Newport,  North 


Carolina,  and  during  the  Civil  war  when 
that  vessel  was  used  as  a  government  trans- 
port he  was  one  of  her  crew  from  1861  to 
1864.  He  then  left  the  service  and  in  1865 
secured  a  position  in  the  wholesale  house  of 
George  D.  Bayand  &  Company,  importers  of 
liquors  and  cigars,  at  No.  19  Beaver  street, 
New  York  City,  and  was  employed  by  them 
as  shipping  clerk  until  1874. 

In  the  meantime  Mr.  Ahrens  was  mar- 
ried, in  1870,  to  Miss  Katherina  Elizabeth 
Laun,  of  Brooklyn,  New  York,  who  was 
born  in  Hesse-Nassau,  Germany.  Her 
father,  Peter  Laun,  was  a  native  of  the  same 
province  and  was  a  skilled  mechanic,  manu- 
facturing chairs  and  fancy  articles  from  wil- 
low, and  also  farming  to  a  limited  extent. 
He  died  when  Mrs.  Ahrens  was  a  small  child. 
To  our  subject  and  his  wife  were  born  six 
children,  as  follows:  Henry  A.,  who 
succeeded  to  his  father's  business  at  No.  49 
Main  street,  Champaign,  married  Henrietta 
Horney,  and  has  one  child,  Henry  C.  John 
Henry  died  at  the  age  of  six  months  and  was 
buried  in  Greenwood  cemetery,  Brooklyn, 
New  York.  Rose  is  the  wife  of  Emil  F. 
Kruse,  a  furniture  dealer  of  Tolono,  Illinois, 
and  they  have  one  child,  Bertha.  Bertha, 
daughter  of  our  subject,  is  at  home  with  her 
parents.  Annie  W.  F.  is  pursuing  a  literary 
course  in  the  University  at  Champaign. 
One  child  died  in  infancy. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Ahrens  made  his 
home  in  New  York  City  until  1875,  when 
he  came  to  Urbana,  Illinois,  and  was  en- 
gaged in  the  saloon  business  there  until 
1879.  That  year  he  visited  his  sister  in 
Jersey  City,  New  Jersey,  and  also  went  to 
New  York  to  consult  a  physician  about  his 
child  that  was  ill.  In  1880,  however,  he 
returned  to  this  county  and  opened  a  saloon, 
and  wholesale  liquor  house  in  Champaign, 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


101 


which  he  successfully  conducted  until  1898, 
when  he  sold  out  to  August  Lierman  and 
has  since  lived  retired.  He  owns  a  beauti- 
ful home  at  the  .corner  of  East  University 
avenue  and  Third  street,  erected  by  him  in 
1893,  and  supplied  with  all  modern  con- 
veniences, being  heated  with  hot  water, 
lighted  by  electricity  and  gas,  supplied  with 
hot  and  cold  water,  baths,  etc. 

Religiously  Mr.  Ahrens  is  a  member  of 
the  German  Evangelical  church,  and  fra- 
ternally is  a  member  of  the  Druids,  Grove 
No.  45,  of  Champaign.  In  political  senti- 
ment he  is  a  Republican,  and.  although  he 
has  always  taken  an  active  interest  in  politics 
and  willing  to  do  anything  for  the  good  of  his 
party,  he  has  never  desired  office,  his  time 
and  attention  being  wholly  occupied  by  his 
business  affairs  until  the  last  two  years.  He 
cameto  this  country  in  limited  circumstances, 
and  the  prosperity  which  he  now  enjoys  has 
been  secured  through  his  own  unaided  ef- 
forts and  good  business  ability. 


THOMAS  W.  McHUGH  is  one  of  the 
most  respected  citizens  of  Urbana,  and 
his  ability  and  entire  trustworthiness  have 
frequently  been  recognized  by  his  acquaint- 
ances and  friends,  who  have  called  upon  him 
to  officiate  in  local  positions  of  responsi- 
bility. 

He  is  a  grandson  of  Jesse  and  Elizabeth 
(Whitaker)  McHugh,  who  were  natives  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  is  one  of  the  ten  children 
of  William  and  Catherine  (Stansbury)  Mc- 
Hugh, who  were  natives  of  Virginia  and  New 
Jersey,  respectively.  The  father,  who  was 
a  farmer  by  occupation,  removed  to  Ohio 
and  later  to  Indiana,  and  the  farm  which  he 
purchased  there,  in  1 840,  now  is  in  the  heart 


of  the  Adams  county  oil  region.  He  died 
while  on  a  visit  to  his  son,  Dr.  McHugh,  of 
Farmer  City,  Illinois,  June  20,  1854,  when 
in  his  fifty-second  year.  Both  he  and  his 
wife  were  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church,  and  were  loved  and  honored 
by  all  who  knew  them. 

Of  their  ten  children,  six  have  passed  to 
the  better  land.  Mary  Ann,  deceased,  was 
the  wife  of  Samuel  Foster,  who  died  No- 
vember 6,  1899,  aged  eighty-six  years.  Dr. 
John  McHugh,  who  died  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
five  years,  in  1870,  at  Independence,  Kan- 
sas, was  a  graduate  of  Rush  Medical  Col- 
lege, of  Chicago,  and  for  twenty  years  was 
engaged  in  practice  in  Farmer  City,  Clin- 
ton and  Mahomet,  Illinois,  Waterloo,  and 
Independence,  Iowa.  Arthur  E.,  who  was 
provost  marshal  at  Fort  Dodge,  Iowa,  for 
several  years  during  the  Civil  war,  died  in 
Texas  when  fifty-five  years  of  ago.  Cath- 
erine died  in  infancy.  Elizabeth,  widow  of 
Emanuel  Conkle,  resides  at  Holt,  Michigan. 
Susan,  who  was  the  wife  of  Ezekiel  Row- 
lett,  died  when  about  forty-five  years  old. 
Dr.  Charles  Wesley  is  engaged  in  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine  in  Sedan,  Kansas.  Rev. 
Henry  B.,  also  of  Kansas,  is  a  minister  of 
the  United  Brethren  church,  and  has  served 
as  a  presiding  elder.  Lyman,  the  youngest, 
died  at  the  age  of  seven  years. 

T.  W.  McHugh  was  born  May  21,  1838, 
and,  owing  to  the  fact  that  he  has  not  had 
the  use  of  his  limbs  for  about  forty-six  years, 
he  received  his  education  chiefly  at  home. 
He  was  gifted  with  an  exceptionally  keen 
mind,  and  in  his  early  manhood  he  taught 
schools  in  Missouri,  Illinois  and  Indiana, 
meeting  with  success.  In  the  meantime,  he 
read  law  with  private  tutors,  and  later  stud- 
ied in  the  office  of  William  D.  Summers.  In 
1865  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  Cham- 


IO2 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


paign  county,  and  has  continued  in  practice 
ever  since.  In  1868,  he  was  elected  justice 
of  the  peace,  and  at  the  expiration  of  each 
term  of  four  years  he  has  been  re-elected 
to  the  office.  He  has  married  five  hundred 
and  twenty-six  couples,  and  may  boast  that 
very  few  of  the  number  have  sought  legal 
separation  thereafter.  For  thirteen  consecu- 
tive years  he  served  as  township  collector, 
and  in  April,  1899,  he  was  elected  to  the 
important  post  of  city  attorney.  Politi- 
cally, he  is  a  Republican,  and  is  proud  of 
what  the  party  has  accomplished  for  the 
country  during  the  days  it  has  been  in 
power. 

Mr.  McHugh  and  Lydia  S.  McKinney 
were  married  in  Urbana,  April  4,  1867. 
She  is  a  daughter  of  John  and  Betsey  Mc- 
Kinney, natives  of  New  York  and  Canada, 
respectively.  The  father  died  in  1855,  and 
the  mother  later  became  the  wife  of  Daniel 
Davidson,  whose  death  occurred  about  two 
years  subsequently,  in  1865.  She  afterward 
married  William  Gill,  of  Urbana,  and  both 
are  deceased,  Mrs.  Gill  dying  in  May,  1884, 
when  sixty-two  years  of  age.  She  was  the 
mother  of  five  children,  of  whom  Mrs.  Mc- 
Hugh, born  November  29,  1845,  was  the 
eldest.  Frances,  the  second,  died  in  1889, 
unmarried.  Jennie  is  the  wife  of  C.  E. 
Mott,  of  Tazewell  county,  this  state,  and 
their  children  are  Estella,  Chester  and  Eva. 
James,  twin  brother  of  Jennie,  is  the  fourth, 
and  Caroline  is  the  youngest  of  the  McKin- 
ney family.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McHugh  have 
two  children,  namely:  George  B. ,  an  attor- 
ney, now  living  at  Beaumont,  Texas,  and 
Edith,  wife  of  Oloff  Atkinson,  of  Rock  Isl- 
and, Illinois.  George  B.  married  Eleanor 
Pennock,  of  Toledo,  Ohio.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
McHugh  have  two  grandchildren,  Lillian 
Fay  and  Marion  Atkinson,  aged  five  and  two 


years,  respectively.  Religiously,  our  sub- 
ject and  wife  are  Universalists,  and  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Urbana  church. 


MILTON  H.  MILLS,  M.  D.,  a  promi- 
nent and  successful  homeopathic 
physician  of  Champaign,  Illinois,  was  born 
in  Niles,  Ohio,  February  18,  1846,  a  son  of 
Simeon  H.  and  Amanda  (Muzzy)  Mills. 
The  father  was  born  and  reared  in  Canan- 
daigua,  New  York,  and  there  learned  the 
miller's  trade,  which  he  subsequently  fol- 
lowed in  northern  Ohio,  removing  to  that 
state  when  a  young  man.  He  had  charge 
of  mills  in  Cleveland,  Painsville,  Niles, 
Grafton,  New  London,  Youngstown  and 
other  places  in  Ohio,  which  he  operated 
either  on  the  shares,  as  a  partner,  or  on  a 
salary. 

During  his  boyhood  Dr.  Mills  pursued 
his  studies  in  the  common  and  high  schools 
of  Painsville,  Ohio,  and  afterward  worked 
for  his  father  in  the  mill.  He  took  a  com- 
mercial course  and  then  engaged  in  book- 
keeping in  Cleveland.  Subsequently  he  en- 
tered the  Cleveland  Homeopathic  College 
under  Professor  N.  Schneider,  and  on  com- 
pleting the  prescribed  course  at  that  institu- 
tion was  graduated  in  1872.  He  first  en- 
gaged in  practice  in  Clarksfield,  Ohio,  and 
while  there  he  was  married,  June  23,  1873, 
to  Miss  Sylvia  Bradford,  of  Rochester,  Ohio. 
They  now  have  two  children,  Clara  and 
Ethel. 

On  leaving  Clarksfield,  Dr.  Mills  re- 
moved to  Attica,  Ohio,  where  he  engaged  in 
general  practice,  and  was  also  a  member  of 
the  Ohio  State  Homeopathic  Society.  He 
finally  sold  out  in  1887  and  came  to  Cham- 
paign, Illinois,  where  his  skill  and  ability 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


103 


soon  became  widely  recognized  and  he  built 
up  a  good  practice.  Owing  to  the  failing 
health  of  his  parents,  he  returned  to  Ohio, 
in  1891,  so  that  he  might  be  near  them, 
and  was  engaged  in  practice  at  Wellington, 
that  state,  until  after  their  deaths.  In  1898 
he  again  came  to  Champaign  and  is  to-day 
enjoying  an  excellent  practice.  He  attends 
and  supports  the  Congregational  church,  of 
which  his  wife  is  a  faithful  member,  and  he 
belongs  to  Wellington  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M., 
and  is  a  dimitted  chapter  member.  He  is 
a  pleasant,  affable  gentleman,  and  socially, 
as  well  as  professionally,  he  is  held  in  high 
esteem. 


JAMES  H.  FINCH,  M.  D.,  one  of  the 
rising  physicians  and  surgeons  of  Cham- 
paign, was  born  in  Marietta,  Ohio,  Decem- 
ber 19,  1870,  a  son  of  Alfred  and  Flora 
(Brown)  Finch.  The  father  was  born  in 
Ithaca,  New  York,  of  early  New  England 
ancestry,  and  when  a  young  man  removed  to 
Marietta,  Ohio.  He  was  one  of  the  early 
captains  on  the  Ohio  river,  owning  and  run- 
ning steamers  down  that  stream  and  the 
Mississippi  river  to  New  Orleans  during  the 
'405.  He  had  several  steamers  and  also  a 
wharf  boat  engaged  in  the  southern  trade, 
and  was  one  of  the  successful  and  promi- 
nent men  engaged  in  that  business  for  many 
years.  Later  be  became  interested  in  the 
oil  business,  and  was  one  of  the  pioneers  in 
developing  the  oil  fields  of  Ohio.  He  died 
in  1879,  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years,  hon- 
ored and  respected  by  all  who  knew  him. 
The  Doctor's  mother,  a  native  of  Virginia, 
is  still  living. 

Dr.  Finch  began  his  literary  education 
in  the  common  schools  of  his  native  city, 
and  later  attended  Marietta  College.  Before 


leaving  school  he  became  interested  in  the 
transfer  business,  which  he  carried  on  at 
Marietta,  in  connection  with  a  partner  for 
two  years,  it  becoming  one  of  the  important 
industries  of  the  kind  in  the  city.  On  sell- 
ing out  his  business,  he  commenced  reading 
medicine  with  Dr.  J.  B.  Cotton,  and  at- 
tended his  first  course  of  lectures  at  Bellevua 
Medical  College,  New  York.  He  was  grad- 
uated at  the  College  of  Physicians  and 
Surgeons,  Baltimore,  with  the  class  of  1895, 
in  the  meantime  doing  hospital  work.  In 
September,  1895,  he  opened  an  office  in 
Champaign,  and  has  since  been  alone  in 
general  practice  at  this  place.  He  has  a 
fine  office  in  the  Howard  building,  which 
was  especially  built  and  fitted  up  for  physi- 
cians. He  has  been  a  member  of  the  staff 
of  the  Julia  F.  Burnham  Hospital  since 
locating  here,  is  secretary  of  the  Twin  City 
Clinical  Association,  and  a  member  of  the 
County  and  State  Medical  Societies. 


f^EORGE  BESORE,  a  retired  merchant 
V-J  and  public-spirited  citizen  of  Urbana, 
Champaign  county,  is  a  sterling  descendant 
of  Daniel  Besore,  a  Huguenot,  who  emi- 
grated from  France  to  a  German  Province, 
later  coming  to  America  at  an  early  period, 
and  becoming  a  resident  of  Washington 
township,  Franklin  county,  Pennsylvania. 
The  homestead  which  he  cleared  near  March 
Run  is  now  in  the  possession  of  his  step 
grandson,  George  B.  Russell,  D.  D.,  and 
many  of  his  descendants  still  are  found  in 
several  townships  in  Franklin  county, 
though  the  name  is  variously  spelled,  Ba- 
sore,  Bashor  and  Basehor.  During  the 
war  of  181,2  John,  Michael  and  Jacob  Be- 
sore  fought  in  the  ranks  of  the  patriot 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


army,  and  participated  in  the  defense  of 
Washington.  The  family  formerly  was 
identified  with  the  Reformed  church. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject  was 
John,  son  of  the  Daniel  Besore  above  men- 
tioned. He  was  born  in  Franklin  county, 
Pennsylvania,  and,  with  his  father,  endured 
many  of  the  privations  and  hardships  com- 
mon to  the  lot  of  the  pioneer.  He  de- 
parted this  life  in  1,850,  when  eighty-six 
years  of  age.  Of  his  children,  his  name- 
sake, John,  was  born  in  Franklin  county, 
Pennsylvania,  and  married  Miss  Mary 
Mowen,  of  the  same  state.  The  worthy 
couple  passed  to  their  reward  many  years 
ago,  the  father  dying  in  1862,  when  in  his 
fifty-ninth  year,  and  the  mother  dying  at  the 
home  of  her  daughter,  Mrs.  William  Phe- 
necie,  of  this  county,  in  1875,  when  in  her 
sixty-fourth  year. 

George  Besore,  whose  birth  occurred  in 
Franklin  county,  Pennsylvania,  December 
20,  1832,  is  the  second  of  ten  children. 
Jacob,  the  eldest,  died  in  Kansas  in  1897, 
aged  about  sixty-seven  years.  Joseph,  the 
third  son,  died  in  Champaign  county  in 
1898,  when, sixty-three  years  of  age.  Eliza, 
wife  of  Peter  Hissong,  resides  in  Nebraska. 
John  and  David,  farmers,  live  in  Cham- 
paign county.  Margaret  is  the  wife  of  Will- 
iam Phenecie,  of  this  county.  Samuel  died 
December  24,  1899.  Charles,  of  Urbana, 
is  engaged  in  the  lumber,  coal  and  grain 
business.  Mary  is  the  wife  of  Leander 
Tompkins,  a  retired  farmer,  now  of  Ran- 
toul,  Illinois. 

In  his  youth,  George  Besore  attended 
the  public  schools  of  his  native  county  and 
Washington  county,  Maryland.  Until  he 
was  eighteen  years  of  age  he  continued  to 
assist  his  father  in  the  work  of  the  farm, 
and  then  turned  his  attention  to  the  task  of 


building  barns.  In  time  he  became  a  thor- 
ough, practical  carpenter,  following  that 
calling  for  several  years,  and  then,  for  three 
years,  engaged  in  millwrighting. 

In  1856,  Mr.  Besore  came  to  Illinois, 
and  for  two  years  lived  in  Paris,  and  for  a 
like  period  was  a  citizen  of  Decatur,  in  both 
towns  being  occupied  in  building  and  con- 
tracting. From  1862  to  1865  he  was  em- 
ployed as  a  millwright  at  Fort  Wayne,  In- 
diana, and  in  1866  he  came  to  Urbana, 
where  he  has  since  made  his  home.  For 
some  time  he  was,  as  usual,  engaged  in 
contracting  and  building,  after  which  he 
turned  his  attention  to  the  lumber  and  grain 
business,  with  gratifying  financial  success. 
It  was  not  until  1895  that  he  sold  out  his 
interests  in  this  line  to  his  brother  Charles, 
and  retired  with  a  competency. 

Three  times  has  Mr.  Besore  served  as  a 
member  of  the  Urbana  city  council,  thor- 
oughly meriting  the  trust  which  his  towns- 
men reposed  in  him.  He  is  in  no  wise  a 
politician,  and  gives  his  allegiance  to  the 
nominee  whom  he  believes  best  qualified  to 
represent  the  people.  Since  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Urbana  Building  &  Loan  Asso- 
ciation he  has  been  one  of  its  directors,  and 
for  ten  or  more  years  he  has  been  one  of 
the  directors  ot  the  Free  Library  of  that  city. 
He  is  foremost  in  all  local  enterprises,  and 
is  confidently  relied  upon  to  use  his  means 
and  influence  in  the  promotion  of  worthy, 
progressive  movements.  For  ten  years  he 
has  been  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  Presby- 
terian church  of  this  place,  while  his  parents 
were  identified  with  the  Reformed  church. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Besore  and  Emma 
J.  Denton  took  place  January  15,  1870. 
She  is  a  daughter  of  John  C.  and  Lucinda 
Denton,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  but  since 
1856  residents  of  this  county.  To  the  union 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


105 


of  our  subject  and  wife  three  children  were 
born.  Ida  is  the  wife  of  T.  A.  Burt,  county 
clerk  of  Champaign  county.  Their  two 
children  are  named  respectively:  Josephine 
and  George.  Nellie  is  the  wife  of  William 
Sears,  of  Rock  Island,  traveling  salesman 
for  a  northern  lumber  company.  Jessie, 
the  youngest  of  the  family,  resides  with  her 
parents. 


FJRANK    O.    SALE,    D.  D.  S.,    is  one  of 

1  the  leading  members  of  his  profession 
in  Champaign  county,  and  in  Urbana, 
his  native  place  and  present  home,  he 
stands  especially  high.  But  not  alone  in 
a  business  sense  is  he  deserving  of  credit, 
for  everything  which  tends  to  upbuild  and 
benefit  the  town  and  his  fellow  citizens  re- 
ceives his  earnest  support. 

Rev.  John  Sale,  the  paternal  grandfather 
of  the  Doctor,  a  son  of  Anthony  Sale,  was 
a  native  of  Virginia,  and  was  a  minister  of 
the  early  Methodist  Episcopal  church  in 
that  state.  At  an  early  day  he  removed  to 
Ohio,  where  he  tpok  a  very  active  part  in 
the  organizing  of  the  denomination,  and, 
finally  settling  near  Piqua,  Miami  coun- 
ty, served  as  presiding  elder  for  many  years, 
and  was  the  founder  of  the  first  Methodist 
class  in  Cincinnati.  His  death  occurred 
January  9,  1827.  He  had  married  Nancy, 
daughter  of  Frederick  Bonner,  of  Virginia, 
and  her  death  took  place  in  Green  county, 
Ohio,  February  5,  1865.  Her  father  had 
located  in  the  Buckeye  state  in  1802  and 
became  the  owner  of  about  two  thousand 
acres  of  land  situated  in  the  "  military  tract." 
There  he  developed  an  excellent  homestead 
and  reared  a  number  of  children  to  lives  ot 
usefulness. 

Rev.  F.  B.  Sale,  father  of  our  subject, 


was  born  in  Green  county,  Ohio,  June  9, 
1821,  and  during  his  early  manhood  was 
engaged  in  agriculture.  In  1853  he  came 
to  Illinois,  and  in  1862  he  enlisted  in  the 
defense  of  the  Union,  as  a  member  of  the 
One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fifth  Illinois  In- 
fantry. Bravely  performing  every  duty  that 
fell  to  his  share,  he  was  finally  promoted  to 
the  place  of  captain,  and  in  that  capacity 
won  fresh  laurels.  The  untold  hardships 
and  exposure  incident  to  army  life  made 
serious  inroads  upon  his  health  and  necessi- 
tated his  resigning  from  the  service,  but  he 
continued  to  act  the  part  of  a  devoted  pat- 
riot, and  aided  materially  in  securing  re- 
cruits for  the  Federal  forces.  In  1866  he 
was  ordained  a  deacon  in  the  Methodist 
church  at  Bloomington,  and  that  year  was 
agent  for  the  American  Bible  Society,  trav- 
eling in  several  Illinois  counties.  In  1871 
he  was  ordained  as  an  elder  by  Bishop  Scott, 
at  Jacksonville,  Illinois,  and  for  many  years 
thereafter  he  labored  actively  and  efficiently 
as  a  minister  of  the  Gospel.  During  his 
early  residence  in  this  state  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  Campbell,  Ater  &  Sale, 
of  Urbana,  later  located  upon  a  farm  in  the 
northwestern  part  of  this  county,  and  since 
1893  has  been  a  resident  of  Fisher,  Cham- 
paign county.  On  the  iith  of  October, 
1899,  he  and  his  estimable  wife,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Maria  Cramer,  celebrated 
the  fifty-fifth  anniversary  of  their  marriage. 
She  is  the  daughter  of  Solomon  and  Keturah 
Cramer,  of  Green  county,  Ohio,  and  by  her 
marriage  she  became  the  mother  of  eight 
children,  namely:  Willie  G.,  Edwin  Cra- 
mer, Charles  E. ,  John  A.,  S.  Bonner,  Frank 
O.,  James  P.  and  Fannie  M.,  all  of  whom 
are  living. 

The   birth  of    Dr.    Frank    O.    Sale    took 
place    in  Urbana,  July   18,  1856.      He  was 


io6 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


reared  to  agriculture  and  pursued  his  ele- 
mentary studies  in  the  district  schools. 
Later  he  taught  for  several  years,  meeting 
with  success,  and  at  length  he  commenced 
the  study  of  dentistry  under  the  tutelage  of 
Dr.  Briton,  of  Champaign.  In  1880  he 
opened  an  office  and  began  the  practice  of 
his  chosen  profession  at  Rantoul,  where  he 
remained  for  two  years.  Thence  going  to 
Huron,  South  Dakota,  he  was  actively  en- 
gaged in  dental  practice  for  twelve  years, 
in  the  meantime  rising  to  a  high  place  in  his 
chosen  field  of  labor.  For  years  he  was  an 
honored  member  of  the  State  Dental  Society, 
of  which  he  was  president,  secretary  and 
treasurer  at  different  times.  He  also  held 
the  appointment  of  Governor  Melette  to  a 
place  on  the  state  dentists'  examining  board 
for  five  years,  and  in  all  of  these  official 
capacities  proved  himself  eminently  efficient. 
A  great  student,  he  neglects  no  opportunity 
for  self-improvement,  particularly  along  the 
lines  of  dental  science.  Politically,  he  uses 
his  franchise  in  favor  of  the  Republican 
party. 

The  marriage  of  Dr.  Sale  and  Lillie, 
daughter  of  Jesse  and  Rachel  (Davison) 
Partlow,  formerly  residents  of  Vermilion 
county,  Illinois,  took  place  September  8, 
1 88 1.  Her  mother,  who  died  in  1876,  aged 
forty-nine  years,  and  her  father,  whose 
death  occurred  August  22,  1898,  were  de- 
vout and  life-long  members  of  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  church.  Her  sisters,  Mary, 
Ann,  Jennie,  Ida  and  Cora,  and  her  brother 
Frank  are  married.  Mrs.  Sale  was  a  suc- 
cessful teacher  in  the  public  schools  of  Poto- 
mac, Illinois,  for  several  years  prior  to  her 
marriage.  The  Doctor  and  wife  are  the 
parents  of  four  children,  namely:  Edna  M., 
a  member  of  the  senior  class  of  the  Urbana 
high  school;  Charlie  Partlow;  Dwight  O., 


and  Cora  Virginia.  They  are  active  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  the 
Doctor  being  a  steward,  and  teacher  in  the 
Sunday  school,  while  his  wife  also  teaches 
and  renders  material  assistance  in  the  vari- 
ous departments  of  church  enterprise.  They 
are  highly  esteemed  by  all  who  know  them, 
and  their  place  in  local  society  could  not 
easily  be  filled. 


^>EORGE  WASHINGTON  FLYNN,  de- 
V_J  ceased,  was  one  of  the  honored  pio- 
neers of  Urbana,  and  during  most  of  his 
mature  life  was  actively  connected  with 
journalistic  and  printing  enterprises  in  east- 
ern Illinois.  He  is  well  remembered  and 
loved  wherever  he  dwelt  for  any  period,  and 
the  influence  of  his  noble,  high  principled 
life  is  still  felt  by  his  old  associates.  When 
his  country  was  in  peril,  and  at  all  times,  he 
failed  not  in  his  obligations  as  a  citizen  and 
devoted  patriot,  thus  giving  a  worthy  ex- 
ample to  his  children  and  acquaintances. 

The  birth  of  Mr.  Flynn  took  place  in 
Bainbridge,  New  York,  August  25,  1828, 
and,  as  his  father,  Rufus  Flynn,  died  when 
our  subject  was  young,  he  was  reared  by  his 
maternal  grandparents,  in  Pennsylvania, 
and  early  learned  some  of  the  hard  lessons 
of  life.  His  father,  a  native  of  Dutchess 
county,  New  York,  was  of  Irish  descent, 
while  his  mother,  Sylvia  Ann  (Owens) 
Flynn,  was  born  in  Bainbridge,  and  was  of 
Welsh  extraction.  Their  eldest  son,  Mil- 
ton, like  his  historic  namesake,  perma- 
nently lost  his  eyesight  and  died  when  he 
was  a  young  man.  He  left  a  widow,  for- 
merly a  teacher.  William,  the  next  son, 
lived  in  the  east  at  last  accounts.  Marcus, 
who  reared  several  children,  and  was  the 


GEORGE  W.  FLYNN. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


109 


proprietor  of  a  flourishing  summer  resort  in 
the  mountains  of  the  Keystone  state,  died 
many  years  ago.  Mrs.  Sylvia  Flynn  died 
in  Chicago,  on  her  way  to  the  east,  during 
the  dread  scourge  of  the  early  '505,  from 
cholera. 

The. subject  of  this  review  had  very  lim- 
ited educational  privileges,  as  he  did  not  at- 
tend school  after  he  was  twelve  years  old, 
but  by  private  study  and  observation  he  be- 
came well  informed,  and  competent  to  cope 
successfully  with  the  vital  problems  of  life. 
In  1 850,  he  came  to  the  west,  and  at  the  end 
of  two  years  he  arrived  in  Urbana,  where, 
for  a  short  time,  he  worked  on  the  construc- 
tion of  the  Illinois  railroad.  Later  he 
clerked  in  the  grocery  of  Henry  Russell,  and 
in  the  fall  of  1855  became  a  member  of  the 
firm  of  Cunningham  &  Flynn,  publishers  of 
the  Urbana  Gazette.  Previous  to  his  com- 
ing to  the  west  he  had  mastered  the  print- 
ers' trade  in  newspaper  offices  in  his  native 
state  and  in  Pennsylvania,  and  thenceforth 
he  was  to  continue  in  this  line  of  business. 
In  August,  1858,  he  sold  out  to  Mr.  Cran- 
dall,  and  upon  his  return  from  the  army  in 
October,  1864,  he  became  associated  with 
a  comrade,  G.  ?J.  Richards,  and  again  as- 
sumed the  management  of  the  Gazette, 
with  which  he  was  connected  about  eight 
years,  George  Scroggs  being  his  partner  for 
four  years  of  this  period.  Selling  out  to 
that  gentleman  in  1872,  Mr.  Flynn  turned 
his  attention  to  a  job  printing  and  book 
bindery  office  here,  and  in  1874  this  estab- 
lishment was  removed  to  Danville.  Later 
it  was  merged  into  the  Illinois  Printing 
company,  an  extensive  and  prosperous  en- 
terprise, of  which  Mr.  Flynn  was  made 
president  and  general  manager,  which  of- 
fices he  retained  until  his  death.  He 
abundantly  proved  his  fine  executive  talent 

6 


and  capacity  for  handling  important  affairs, 
and  year  by  year  widened  the  circle  of  his 
friends  and  admirers  in  the  business  world. 

A  valued  member  of  the  Masonic  order, 
Mr,  Flynn  belonged  to  the  lodge,  chapter 
and  commandery,  and  in  politics  he  was  an 
ardent  Republican.  During  the  Civil  war 
he  was  prompt  to  respond  to  the  call  of  his 
country,  and  in  August,  1861,  was  mustered 
into  Company  K,  Twenty-fifth  Illinois  In- 
fantry. With  his  comrades  he  participated 
in  some  of  the  most  brilliant  campaigns  of 
the  war,  and,  among  others,  was  in  the 
battles  of  Pea  Ridge,  Perrysville,  Stone 
River,  Peach  Tree  Creek,  Chickamauga, 
siege  of  Corinth.  During  the  three  years 
of  his  heroic  service,  he  was  ever  found  at 
the  post  of  duty,  save  once,  when  the  battle 
of  Mission  Ridge  was  in  progress,  and,  on 
account  of  severe  illness,  he  was  confined  in 
the  hospital.  He  was  second  lieutenant  of 
his  company,  and  much  of  the  time  served 
as  major  or  upon  the  staff  of  the  brigade 
commander. 

Mr.  Flynn  first  wedded  Miss  Tennessee 
Jarvis,  November  16,  1854.  She  was  born 
October  17,  1835,  a  daughter  of  Daniel 
Jarvis,  of  North  Carolina,  who  removed  to 
Urbana  with  his  family  some  years  prior  to 
Mrs.  Flynn's  marriage.  Two  children  were 
born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Flynn,  Carrie  I., 
January  29-,  1856,  and  Lenna  A.,  Feb- 
ruary 23,  1858.  Carrie,  who  was  a  suc- 
cessful teacher  at  State  Line,  died  Sept- 
ember 27,  1 88 1,  and  Lenna  departed 
this  life  June  3,  1872.  The  mother  was  a 
devoted  member  of  the  Baptist  church,  and 
died,  strong  in  her  faith,  March  16,  1858. 

On  the   nth  of  September,    1859,    Mr. 
Flynn  married  Berilla  Garrott,    daughter  of 
Eli  and  Miranda  (Holland)  Garrott,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of   Mt.    Sterling,    Ken- 


I  IO 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


tucky.  They  were  married  in  Greencastle, 
Indiana,  and  Mrs.  Flynn  was  born  in  Barn- 
bridge,  Indiana,  August  30,  1837.  Mr.  Gar- 
rott,  who  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade,  removed 
to  Urbana  about  1858,  and  later,  he  located 
in  Mahomet,  Illinois.  His  first  wife  died 
when  about  forty-one  years  of  age,  and  he 
subsequently  married  a  widow,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Wren.  He  survived  this 
wife,  and  died  in  the  summer  of  1895.  Mrs. 
Flynn's  mother  was  a  devoted  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  while  her 
father  was  a  Presbyterian.  She  is  one  of 
eleven  children,  the  others  being  named  as 
follows:  Josephine,  who  was  a  teacher  and 
died  in  her  twenty-second  year;  Melissa 
married  James  Ralston,  a  Missouri  farmer; 
Almazy,  deceased,  wife  of  James  Smith; 
William  W.,  who  married  Nettie  Braden 
and  resides  in  Frankfort,  Indiana;  Charles 
M.,  whose  wife,  formerly  a  Miss  Quinn,  is 
deceased,  and  who  resides  in  Joplin,  Mis- 
souri; Cynthia  A.,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
seventeen  years, in  1859;  John  Q., a  widower, 
living  in  Indiana;  Edwin,  who  died  at.  the 
age  of  thirty-two,  and  left  three  children; 
Louisa,  wife  of  Frank  Ingalls,  employed  in 
the  Big  Four  shops  in  Urbana;  and  Holland, 
who  died  when  six  years  old. 

To  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Flynn  six 
children  were  born.  Jessie  B.,  the  eldest, 
is  the  wife  of  George  Goff,  general  manager 
of  the  St.  Paul  offices  of  the  Washington 
Life  Insurance  Company.  Their  two  chil- 
dren are  Helen  B.  and  Royal  R.  Nora  R. 
married  George  Haas,  editor  of  the  Fisher 
(Illinois)  Reporter.  Their  two  children  are 
named  respectively,  Harold  and  Lelia. 
Charles  M.,  who  lives  with  his  widowed 
mother,  is  employed  by  the  Big  Four  Rail- 
road Company,  and  J.  Carl  also  is  at  home. 
Lennie  L.  married  Frank  Lietz,  of  Carlisle, 


Illinois,  and  their  children  are  named  Helen 
and  Florence.  George  Richards,  the  fourth 
child  of  Mrs.  Flynn,  was  born  December 
31,  1873,  and  died  February  i,  1875.  The 
devoted  husband  and  father  was  called  to 
the  better  land  August  11,  1888.  Mrs. 
Flynn,  who  is  a  faithful  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  has  nobly  per- 
formed her  duty  as  a  wife  and  mother,  and 
tenderly  cared  for  her  husband's  helpless 
little  ones  when  she  entered  his  home  more 
than  two-score  years  ago  as  his  companion 
and  helpmate  on  life's  highway. 


A  LANSON  P.  TUCKER,  a  successful 
/~\  and  popular  dentist  of  Champaign, 
Illinois,  is  a  native  of  this  county,  born  in 
Urbana,  August  16,  1859,  and  is  a  repre- 
sentative of  an  old  colonial  family,  tracing 
his  ancestry  back  to  Daniel  Tucker  and  his 
son  St.  George.  William  Tucker,  a  grand- 
son of  the  latter  and  the  great-grandfather 
of  our  subject,  was  a  native  of  Virginia  and 
and  a  pioneer  of  Otsego  county,  New  York, 
locating  there  soon  after  the  Revolutionary 
war  in  the  days  made  famous  by  J.  Fenni- 
more  Cooper's  Leather  Stocking  Tales.  As 
a  soldier  of  the  Continental  army  he  aided 
the  colonies  in  achieving  their  independence, 
and  his  son  Alanson,  the  grandfather  of  our 
subject,  was  a  soldier  of  the  war  of  1812 
and  was  wounded  in  the  battle  of  Put-in- 
Bay,  Sandusky.  Ohio.  The  latter  was 
probably  born  in  Cherry  Valley,  New  York, 
and  from  there  removed  to  Ithaca.  In  1832 
the  family  went  to  Milan,  Huron  county, 
Ohio,  where  he  died  from  the  effects  of  his 
wounds.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Louis  Perry,  was  a  daughter  of 
John  Perry  and  also  a  representative  of  an 


THE  BIOGRAHPICAL   RECORD. 


1 1 1 


old  colonial  family.  Both  she  and  her  hus- 
band were  highly  educated  and  successfully 
engaged  in  teaching  school  in  early  life. 

Alanson  Tucker,  the  Doctor's  father, 
was  born  in  Ithaca,  New  York,  January  27, 
1827,  and  in  1832  accompanied  the  family 
on  their  removal  to  Milan,  Ohio,  where  he 
attended  school  for  a  time.  Later  he  was 
given  a  university  education,  either  at  Ober- 
lin  or  Miami,  Ohio.  He  was  adopted  by 
Rev.  Mr.  Gregory,  a  missionary  to  the 
\Yinnebago  Indians  at  Green  Bay,  Wiscon- 
sin, being  appointed  agent  or  teacher  by 
the  government,  and  there  Mr.  Tucker 
spent  much  of  his  early  life.  Coming  to 
Urbana,  Illinois,  in  1854,  he  was  the  first  to 
embark  in  the  manufacture  of  brick  in  this 
county,  and  after  his  removal  to  Mahomet, 
in  1861,  he  continued  to  engage  in  that 
business  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
December  31,  1875.  He  was  a  strong 
Republican  and  Abolitionist,  and  during  the 
Civil  war  served  as  justice  of  the  peace,  in 
which  capacity  he  tried  many  exciting  cases 
growing  out  of  that  struggle.  Three  times 
he  tried  to  enter  the  Union  army  but  was 
always  rejected  on  account  of  near-sighted- 
ness. In  1855,  he  married  Miss  Susan  C. 
Slater,  who  was  born  in  Hughesville,  Ly- 
Cbming  county,  Pennsylvania,  December 
13,  1831,  a  daughter  of  Peter  and  Mary 
(Shick)  Slater,  the  former  of  English,  the 
latter  of  Pennsylvania  Dutch  extraction. 
Her  paternal  grandparents  were  William 
and  Elizabeth  (Wert)  Slater,  and  the  for- 
mer was  a  son  of  Peter  Slater,  who  with 
his  brother  Jacob  came  to  the  United  States 
at  an  early  day.  and  were  the  first  manu- 
facturers of  cotton  goods  in  this  country. 
William  Slater,  Mr?.  Tucker's  grandfather, 
was  a  captain  in  the  United  States  navy 
during  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  was  under 


the  command  of  Paul  Jones.  He  was  a 
nephew  of  "Fighting"  Tom  Curtis,  a  staff 
officer  of  General  Washington.  He  settled 
in  Stanton,  New  Jersey,  where  his  son,  Peter 
Slater,  was  born  December  12,  1866.  The 
latter  was  a  cooper  by  trade,  but  spent  his 
last  years  in  retirement  from  active  labor. 
In  1854  he  came  to  Champaign  county  and 
located  in  Urbana,  but  died  in  Champaign 
April  12,  1898.  Mrs.  Tucker  came  with 
her  father  to  this  county.  She  is  still  living 
and  now  makes  her  home  with  her  two 
youngest  sons,  George  and  Leonard,  in 
Nebraska  City,  Nebraska.  Her  oldest  son, 
Horace,  is  a  druggist  of  Grand  Island,  that 
state,  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Horace 
Tucker  &  Company. 

Dr.  Alanson  P.  Tucker,  who  completes 
this  family,  attended  the  common  and  high 
schools  of  Mahomet,  and  in  1879  entered 
the  office  of  Dr.  O.  F.  Britton,  a  dentist 
of  Champaign,  with  whom  he  studied  until 
February  I,  1882,  when  he  passed  the  ex- 
amination of  the  state  board  and  became  a 
registered  dentist.  For  the  first  four  years  he 
engaged  in  practice  in  Ponca,  Dixon  county, 
Nebraska,  but  at  the  end  of  that  time  he 
returned  to  Champaign,  which  has  since 
been  his  home  and  field  of  operation.  His 
office  is  now  located  at  No.  6  Main  street. 
From  the  start  he  has  enjoyed  a  large  and 
successful  practice,  and  although  a  com- 
paratively young  man,  he  is  the  oldest  prac- 
titioner in  years  of  service  in  the  city. 

On  the  7th  of  June,  1893,  Dr.  Tucker 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Sarnie  S. 
Allison,  a  daughter  of  Samuel  Allison,  who 
was  a  soldier  of  the  Civil  war  and  died 
shortly  before  her  birth.  She  was  born  in 
Urbana,  but  after  the  death  of  her  parents 
made  her  home  with  her  sister,  Mrs.  T.  S. 
Fitch,  in  Havana,  Illinois.  The  Doctor 


I  12 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


and  his  wife  have  a  pleasant  home  at  No. 
902  West  Church  street,  where  they  delight 
in  entertaining  their  many  friends. 


WILLIAM  H.  ROUGHTON,  the  effi- 
cient chief  of  police  of  Urbana,  is  a 
native  of  Champaign  county,  his  birth  hav- 
ing occurred  June  3,  1858.  Hehas  ever  been 
intensely  interested  in  whatever  has  tended 
to  promote  the  welfare  of  this  section,  and, 
in  his  various  official  positions,  has  won  the 
good  opinion  of  the  public  by  his  sterling 
integrity  and  adherence  to  duty. 

His  father,  Samuel  Roughton,  also  well 
known  in  this  city,  was  born  in  Derbyshire, 
England,  November  10,  1836,  a  son  of 
Jairus  and  Ann  Roughton.  Jairus  Rough- 
ton,  who  was  an  engineer  and  foreman  in 
extensive  collieries,  was  killed  accidentally 
by  a  fly-wheel,  when  attending  to  his  usual 
duties.  About  four  years  subsequent  to  that 
sad  event,  the  mother,  with  her  seven  chil- 
dren, sailed  for  the  United  States,  and  on 
the  voyage  the  ship  encountered  severe 
storms  which  it  seemed  would  engulf  the 
frail  vessel.  The  mother  died  in  1889, 
when  about  seventy  years  of  age,  and  only 
two  of  her  children  survive,  namely:  Sam- 
uel and  John,  the  latter  being  a  blacksmith 
and  farmer  of  Rantoul,  this  county.  The 
family  spent  about  one  year  in  Jackson 
county,  Ohio,  but  since  1855  Samuel  Rough- 
ton  has  resided  in  Illinois.  Before  and  aft- 
er coming  to  this  country,  he  was  employed 
in  coal-mines  for  some  years,  but,  in  1885, 
he  and  two  of  his  brothers  engaged  in 
running  a  sawmill,  and  were  thus  occupied 
for  several  years.  Since  1865,  he  has  held 
the  position  of  stationary  engineer  at  the 
Urbana  flouring  mill,  and  is  one  of  the  most 


reliable  employes  of  the  company.  Both 
he  and  his  estimable  wife,  whose  maiden 
name  was  Elizabeth  Gibbons,  are  members 
of  the  Universalist  church.  She  was  born 
in  August,  1838,  a  daughter  of  Robert  and 
Mary  Gibbons,  of  England. 

William  H.  Roughton  is  the  eldest  child 
of  Samuel  and"  Elizabeth  Roughton.  The 
second,  Spencer,  died  at  the  age  of  a  year 
'  and  a  half.  Mary  is  the  wife  of  George 
Toy,  of  Sidney,  Illinois,  and  their  children 
are:  Cora,  Leta,  John,  Toy  and  Helen. 
Samuel,  a  car-repairer,  resides  in  Urbana. 
He  married  Hettie  Mead,  and  has  two  chil- 
dren, Harold  and  Sylvia.  Stokeley,  who 
wedded  Emma  Hatch,  and  lives  in  this 
place,  is  a  car-repairer,  also.  Nora,  wife 
of  Frank  Toy,  of  this  city,  has  three  chil- 
dren: Bessie,  Lyle  and  Edna. 

After  completing  his  education,  W.  H. 
Roughton  worked  with  his  father  in  the  mill 
for  some  time,  and  then  accepted  a  position 
as  turnkey,  under  Sheriff  J.  E.  Oldham,  and 
later,  under  Sheriff  J.  C.  Ware,  of  Cham- 
paign, and  the  late  P.  E.  Burke.  After- 
wards, he  became  superintendent  of  the 
county  poor  farm,  by  appointment  of  the 
board  of  supervisors,  and  for  two  years  ably 
conducted  the  affairsof  that  institution.  He 
next  became  fireman  on  the  Big  Four  rail- 
road, and  for  a  short  time  was  conductor  on 
a  street  car  line.  Mayor  Fox,  who  then 
was  acting  as  sheriff,  offered  our  subject  a 
place  as  deputy,  and  for  the  ensuing  six  years 
he  continued  as  such,  four  years  of  this 
period  under  D.  D.  Cannon.  The  name  of 
Mr.  Roughton  then  came  before  the  Re- 
publican convention  of  this  county,  in  1898,. 
but  the  present  incumbent,  Ernst  Lorenze, 
was  the  successful  candidate.  Our  subject 
next  served  as  special  watchman  in  the 
shops  of  the  Big  Four  until  he  entered  upon 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  duties  of  his  present  responsible  office, 
May  15,  1899.  Strict  attention  to  the  least, 
as  well  as  to  the  greatest  of  his  duties,  char- 
acterizes all  of  his  actions,  and  universal 
commendation  is  bestowed  upon  him. 

Fraternally,  he  stands  high  in  several 
prominent  societies.  He  is  a  member  of 
Urbana  Lodge,  No.  157,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Ur- 
bana  Chapter,  No.  87,  R.  A.  M. ;  and  Ur- 
bana Council  and  Commandery,  No.  16,  K. 
T.  In  the  blue  lodge  he  is  senior  warden 
and  in  the  commandery  holds  the  office  of 
captain  general.  He  also  belongs  to  the 
Order  of  the  Eastern  Star,  of  which  his  wife 
is  now  the  associate  matron.  In  1900  he 
is  to  represent  the  Subordinate  lodge  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  in  the  Grand  lodge  of 
the  state,  which  is  to  convene  at  Danville, 
Illinois.  Besides,  he  is  identified  with  the 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks, 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and  the 
Court  of  Honor. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Roughton  and  Myra, 
daughter  of  Mrs.  Howard  Carver,  of  Auburn, 
Indiana,  was  solemnized  May  11,1883.  Mrs. 
Roughton,  whose  birth  took  place  in  the 
Buckeye  state,  is  a  lady  of  excellent  educa- 
tion and  social  attainments.  Two  daughters 
bless  the  home  of  our  subject  and  wife, 
namely:  Ethel,  who  is  a  student  in  the  Ur- 
bana high  school,  and  Nellie,  who  is  at- 
tending the  grammar  school. 


f^EORGE  SKINNER,  who  is  living  re- 
V_J  tired  at  his  pleasant  home  on  West 
Green  street,  Urbana,  is  enjoying  a  compe- 
tence to  which  he  is  well  entitled,  as  during 
several  decades  he  labored  unceasingly,  and 
with  excellent  business  judgment,  to  amass 
sufficient  means  for  his  declining  years.  He 


is  still  in  the  prime  of  manhood,  thoroughly 
active  and  interested  in  everything  along  the 
lines  of  progress,  and  ready  to  perform  his 
share  towards  the  improvement  of  his  age 
and  community. 

The  birth  of  George  Skinner  took  place 
in  Somersetshire,  England,  January  29, 
1850,  his  parents  being  Robert  and  Anna 
(Rich)  Skinner.  Theyernigrated  to  America 
in  1854,  with  their  eight- children,  and  for 
eight  years  resided  at  Elk  Grove,  a  place 
twenty  miles  northwest  of  Chicago.  In 
1862,  the  father  removed  to  Shelby  county, 
Illinois,  and  about  four  years  later  settled  on 
a  farm  south  of  Homer,  Champaign  county. 
Soon  after  his  arrival  in  this  country  he  met 
with  an  accident  which  thenceforth  rendered 
him  a  cripple,  but  this  misfortune  he  bore 
bravely,  and  all  who  knew  him  loved  and 
honored  him  for  his  sterling  qualities.  His 
parents,  John  and  Elizabeth  Skinner,  were 
land-holders  in  England.  He  was  born 
May  7,  1801,  and  died  May  23,  1883. 

The  first  marriage  of  Robert  Skinner 
was  to  Miriam,  daughter  of  William  and 
Miriam  Rich,  well-to-do  farmers  of  England. 
After  the  death  of  his  first  wife,  who  bore 
him  six  children,  Mr.  Skinner  wedded  her 
sister,  Anna,  by  whom  he  had  four  children. 
Mary,  the  eldest  of  the  family,  and  her  hus- 
band, Frederick  Moore,  and  their  only  child, 
are  deceased.  Mr.  Moore  was  the  owner  of 
the  land  on  which  Mount  Clare  now  stands, 
and  sold  seventy-five  acres  for  twenty-three 
thousand  dollars.  Mrs.  Sarah  A.  Cureton, 
the  second  child  of  Robert  Skinner,  lives  in 
England.  William,  formerly  an  extensive 
farmer  of  Arcola,  Illinois,  now  lives  in  South 
Dakota.  He  married  Julia  Higgins,  and  all 
of  their  ten  children  live  near  them.  They 
are  named  as  follows:  Ella,  Walter,  Frank, 
George,  Fannie,  Mamie,  Edith,  William, 


114 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Angle  and  Fred.  Anna,  wife  of  Thomas 
Vellum,  of  South  Dakota,  has  four  children, 
Edward,  deceased,  Thomas,  Edith  and 
Nellie.  James,  a  thrifty  farmer  near  Arcola, 
married  Ann  Cheney,  and  their  two  sons  are 
named  Samuel  and  William.  Elizabeth, 
Mrs.  George  Sylvester,  of  Chicago,  lost 
her  only  child,  Ella.  Amelia,  who  married 
William  Hatfield,  of  Paris,  Illinois,  died 
leaving  five  children,  May,  Myrtle,  Elsie, 
Ella  and  Chester.  Rhoda,  widow  of  John 
Junkens,  has  one  son,  Alvah.  George  is 
the  next  in  order  of  birth.  Henry,  who 
wedded  Charlotte  Spencer,  lives  on  a  farm 
south  of  Homer.  Mrs.  Anna  Skinner,  who 
was  born  July  14.  1814,  died  March  25, 1883. 
She  was  a  noble  Christian  woman,  beloved 
by  everybody,  and  for  years  an  active  mem- 
ber of  the  Presbyterian  church.  Mr.  Skin- 
ner was  an  upright,  conscientious  man,  but, 
on  account  of  his  crippled  condition,  he  was 
not  able  to  attend  church. 

Reared  upon  his  father's  farm,  George 
Skinner  early  became  an  experienced  agri- 
culturist, and  with  his  brother  Henry  as- 
sumed the  management  of  the  homestead. 
In  1893  the  estate  was  divided,  Henry  tak- 
ing one  hundred  and  eighty  acres  and  a  sum 
of  money,  and  later  adding  a  quarter-section 
of  land  to  his  original  tract,  while  George 
received  two  hundred  and  four  acres.  Be- 
ing progressive  in  his  methods,  he  made 
substantial  improvements  upon  his  property, 
laid  miles  of  drainage  tiles,  and  constructed 
ditches,  so  that  his  farm  soon  became  known 
as  one  of  the  best  equipped  in  this  direction 
in  the  county.  Year  by  year  he  added  to 
the  value  of  his  place  by  judicious  expend- 
iture and  care,  and,  though. he  now  leases  it 
to  tenants,  he  maintains  a  watchful  super- 
vision over  the  whole.  For  twelve  years  he 
served  his  community  as  a  school  trustee 


and  as  a  road  commissioner,  and  for  three 
years  was  a  supervisor  of  Ayers  township, 
which  office  he  held  at  the  time  of  his  com- 
ing to  Urbana  to  live,  in  1893.  Here  he 
purchased  several  good  building  lots  and  a 
comfortable  residence  on  Green  street.  Like 
his  father  before  him,  he  is  a  stanch  Repub- 
lican. In  all  of  his  relations  with  men,  he 
has  been  actuated  by  strict  integrity  and 
fairness,  and  none  know  him  save  to  highly 
esteem  him. 

On  the  29th  of  December,  1887,  Mr. 
Skinner  and  Mary  E.  Havard  were  united 
in  marriage.  Her  father,  William  R. 
Havard,  a  native  of  Wales,  wedded  Rachel 
Jones  in  that  country,  in  1856.  The  par- 
ents of  William  R.  were  John  Havard,  born 
April  10,  1792,  in  Wales,  and  Jennette 
(Griffith)  Havard,  born  June  20,  1794. 
William  R.  Havard  was  born  March  25, 
1829,  and  died  November  16,  1899.  Soon 
after  his  marriage  he  came  to  this  country, 
and,  after  five  years  residence  north  of 
Homer,  in  Vermilion  county,  Illinois,  re- 
moved across  the  line  into  this  county.  For 
three  decades  he  continued  to  dwell  upon  a 
farm  situated  in  Homer  township,  three 
miles  south  of  the  town  of  that  name,  and 
for  six  years  prior  to  his  death  he  made  his 
home  in  Urbana.  Subsequent  to  his  ar- 
rival in  Illinois,  he  became  an  active  mem- 
ber of  the  Christian  church,  and  for  years 
was  an  officer  and  elder.  His  eldest  son, 
John  W.,  born  in  January,  1857,  and  un- 
married, belonged  to  the  Christian  church, 
and  died  in  that  faith  in  July,  i88r.  Sarah 
Alice  married  M.  F.  Colwell,  in  March, 
1878,  resides  near  Everly,  Iowa,  and  is  the 
mother  of  five  children:  Wilbur,  Cora,  Nel- 
lie, Mary  and  Frank.  Seth  A.  died  at  the 
age  of  four  years,  in  1864.  Elon  R.  mar- 
ried Olive,  daughter  of  L.  Houser,  of  Ur- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


bana,  May  i,  1889,  and  their  children  are 
named  Rachel  and  Houser.  Albert  H.,  un- 
married, is  carrying  on  a  part  of  the  old 
homestead.  M.  Jennie,  formerly  a  favor- 
ably known  music  teacher  of  Urbana,  be- 
came the  wife  of  A.  R.  Mann,  of  Pullman, 
Illinois,  in  December,  1898.  Oliver  D.,  un- 
married, is  employed  as  an  electrician  in  St. 
Louis. 

George  Skinner  joined  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  a  number  of  years  ago, 
attending  Arnes  Chapel,  near  his  home 
farm,  and  for  some  time  served  as  steward 
and  trustee  there.  He  now,  with  his  wife, 
belongs  to  the  First  Methodist  church  of 
Urbana,  and  is  acting  on  the  official  board. 
The  causes  of  religion,  education  and  benev- 
olence find  in  him  a  true  friend,  and  those 
whom  he  has  quietly  aided  when  in  need 
are  legion.  His  record  is  one  of  which  he 
has  reason  to  be  proud,  and  it  should  be 
held  up  as  an  example  for  the  rising  genera- 
tion. 


AUG*UST  C.  SINGBUSCH.  A  brilliant 
example  of  a  self-made  American  cit- 
izen and  a  grand  exemplification  of  the  prog- 
ress that  an  ambitious  foreigner  can  make 
in  this  country  of  unbounded  opportunities, 
is  shown  in  the  case  of  Mr.  Singbusch, 
senior  member  of  the  firm  of  Singbusch  & 
Stoltey,  leading  grocers  of  Champaign.  His 
remarkable  success  is  due  to  his  own  energy 
and  the  high  ideal  which  his  lofty  and  laud- 
able ambition  placed  before  him.  Success 
in  any  walk  of  life  is  an  indication  of  earnest 
endeavor  and  persevering  effort,  character- 
istics that  he  possesses  in  an  eminent  degree. 
Mr.  Singbusch  was  born  in  Germany, 
September  7,  1857,  a  son  of  Christ  and  Car- 
olina (Krueger)  Singbusch,  who,  with  their 


family,  crossed  the  broad  Atlantic  in  1867, 
and  took  up  their  residence  in  Champaign, 
Illinois,  where  the  father  still  lives.  The 
mother  died  in  1892.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  German  Evangelical  church,  to  which 
she  also  belonged. 

Our  subject  acquired  his  education  in 
the  schools  of  Champaign  and  began  his 
business  career  as  a  clerk  for  Burnette  & 
Company,  dealers  in  leather  and  hides,  with 
whom  he  remained  two  years,  acquiring  an 
excellent  knowledge  of  business  methods. 
At  the  end  of  that  time  he  bought  out  H.  D. 
Stoltey,  who  was  then  engaged  in  the  gro- 
cery business  where  our  subject  is  still 
located  at  No.  105  East  University  avenue. 
His  store  at  first  was  quite  small  but  during 
the  ten  years  that  followed,  his  business  had 
grown  so  rapidly  that  he  was  obliged  to 
double  his  floor  space  by  taking  in  No.  107, 
thus  making  one  of  the  largest  grocery 
houses  in  the  city.  He  was  alone  in  busi- 
ness until  1890,  when  he  formed  a  partner- 
ship with  W.  H.  Stoltey,  and  the  firm 
became  Singbusch  &  Stoltey  as  it  now 
stands.  From  the  first  he  handled  some 
queensware,  to  which  he  has  kept  adding 
until  he  now  carries  a  large  and  well  selected 
stock  of  valuable  wares,  as  well  as  a  fine 
line  of  staple  and  fancy  groceries.  The 
trade  of  the  store  has  so  increased  that  em- 
ployment is  now  furnished  seven  people. 
This  large  and  prosperous  business  has  been 
built  up  by  Mr.  Singbusch  in  the  last  twenty 
years,  and  for  the  success  that  he  has 
achieved  he  deserves  great  credit,  for  it  is 
due  entirely  to  his  own  perseverance,  energy 
and  good  management.  He  now  owns  the 
building  which  he  occupies,  and  which  is 
forty  feet  front  and  sixty  feet  deep,  all  of 
which  is  devoted  to  his  business. 

In  July,  1880,  Mr.  Singbusch  was  united 


n6 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


in  marriage  with  Miss  Anna  Wascher,  of 
Champaign,  who  was  also  born  in  Germany, 
and  came  to  this  country  when  a  small  child. 
They  have  two  children,  Arthur  C. ,  aged 
seventeen  years,  who  is  attending  the  high 
school  of  Champaign;  and  Elsa,  who  is  also 
pursuing  her  studies  there.  The  family 
have  a  pleasant  home  at  No.  127  East  Uni- 
versity avenue.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Singbusch 
are  both  members  of  the  German  Evangel- 
ical church,  and  he  has  held  all  of  the  offi- 
cial positions  connected  therewith  and  is  one 
of  its  liberal  supporters. 

Since  casting  his  first  presidential  vote, 
Mr.  Singbusch  has  been  identified  with  the 
Republican  party,  and  was  a  member  of  the 
county  and  township  executive  committees 
during  the  McKinley  campaign  of  1896. 
About  ten  years  ago  he  was  first  elected 
alderman  from  his  ward  and  while  in  that 
office  the  city  building  was  erected  and  con- 
siderable street  paving  done.  Subsequently 
he  was  elected  city  treasurer  and  held  that 
office  for  two  years,  during  which  time  large 
funds  passed  through  his  hands.  For  four 
years  he  has  also  been  township  collector, 
and  is  still  filling  that  position  with  credit  to 
himself  and  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  the 
general  public.  In  all  the  relations  of  life 
he  has  been  found  true  to  every  trust  re- 
posed in  him  and  well  merits  the  confidence 
and  trust  so  freely  accorded  him. 


F^LIAS  RUSSELL,  deceased.  For  several 
I—/  decades  this  worthy  citizen  of  Cham- 
paign county  was  associated  with  its  de- 
velopment and  success,  and  his  name  and 
memory  are  held  in  reverent  honor  by  the 
hosts  of  sincere  friends  who  were  endeared  to 
him  by  his  noble  qualities.  From  time  to  time 
he  was  chosen  to  fill  responsible  local  offices 


and  in  every  instance  discharged  his  duties 
in  a  highly  commendable  manner.  Upright- 
ness and  justice  actuated  him  in  all  of  his 
business  transactions,  and  a  high  sense  of 
honor  was  shown  in  his  treatment  of  every- 
one. To  his  family  he  has  left  the  herit- 
age of  an  unblemished  name  and  the  mem- 
ory of  a  life  worthily  lived. 

Elias  Russell  was  one  of  the  six  children 
of  Joseph  A.  and  Jemima  (Eckhart)  Russell, 
the  former  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  the 
latter  of  Germany.  The  Russells  were  an 
old  and  honored  family  in  the  Old  Domin- 
ion, while  the  Eckharts  were  prominent  in 
the  early  history  of  Ohio.  When  he  was  a 
boy,  Joseph  A.  Russell  removed  with 
his  parents  to  the  Buckeye  state,  and 
there  grew  to  manhood.  Soon  after  his 
marriage  he  removed  from  Pickaway  to 
Fairfield  county,  Ohio,  and  thenceforth  de- 
voted himself  to  agriculture.  He  died  in 
1 88 1  at  an  advanced  age,  and  his  widow 
survived  until  about  1894,  when  she  was 
eighty-seven  years  of  age.  Of  their  chil- 
dren, Elizabeth  became  the  wife  of  Daniel 
Stump,  a  farmer  of  Shelby  county,  Illinois: 
Maria,  wife  of  William  Stump,  lives  near 
the  old  Fairfield  county  homestead;  Mary 
married  Wilkerson  Clark,  of  Hancock 
county,  and  Sarah  became  the  wife  of  Calvin 
Foor,  and  lives  on  a  farm  near  Villisca,  Iowa. 

In  his  boyhood,  Elias  Russell  attended 
the  common  schools  in  Ohio,  and  learned 
the  various  details  pertaining  to  agriculture. 
In  1 860  he  came  to  Illinois,  and,  after  spend- 
ing about  a  year  in  Shelby  county,  came  to 
Champaign  county.  His  homestead  com- 
prised eighty  acres  of  land  in  St.  Joseph 
township,  and  many  substantial  improve- 
ments were  placed  upon  the  farm  by  him, 
thus  greatly  increasing  its  value  and  desir- 
ability. 


ELIAS  RUSSELL. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


119 


Industry  and  perseverance  in  all  his  un- 
dertakings brought  Mr.  Russell  well  de- 
served success,  and  the  respect  of  all  who 
knew  him.  He  served  as  school  trustee  and 
treasurer  of  Stanton  township,  and  was 
commissioner  of  highways  for  some  time  in 
St.  Joseph  township,  besides  being  super- 
visor for  six  or  more  years,  and  town  clerk 
for  several  years.  He  was  an  active  and 
zealous  Republican,  taking  great  interest  in 
the  success  of  the  party.  In  his  religious 
views  he  was  what  is  termed  liberal,  as  he 
did  not  identify  himself  with  any  church, 
yet  he  was  moral  and  conscientious,  being  a 
lover  of  God  and  humanity,  and  striving  ever 
to  perform  his  whole  duty.  His  honesty  was 
above  question  and  his  kindliness  and  liber- 
ality toward  the  poor  and  unfortunate  made 
his  name  a  household  word  in  many  a  home 
and  heart.  He  was  summoned  to  the  bet- 
ter land  February  I,  1891. 

The  marriage  of  Elias  Russell  and  Nancy 
M.  Whitzel  was  solemnized  September  4, 
1860.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and 
Effie  (Drake)  Whitzel,  of  Fairfield  county, 
Ohio.  They  were  originally  from  Hunting- 
don, Pennsylvania,  and  were  pioneers  in 
Fairfield  county.  The  mother  died  in  1846, 
aged  forty-six  years,  and  the  father  came  to 
Champaign  county,  in  1866,  and  died  in 
Somers  township,  April  12,  1871.  Of  their 
nine  children,  three  have  passed  to  the 
silent  land.  Zephaniah  married  Jane  Beatty, 
and  had  five  children,  three  of  whom  sur- 
vive, namely:  Effie,  John  and  Viola.  The 
parents  are  deceased.  Jesse,  who  resides 
in  Nebraska,  married  Hannah  Wimp,  and 
their  eight  children  are,  Thomas,  Hosea, 
Ellen,  Hattie,  Jesse,  Maggie,  Eddie  and 
Luther.  Mary,  who  became  the  wife  of 
Frederick  Frankinburg,  and  lives  in  Staun- 
ton  township,  is  the  mother  of  four  chil- 


dren, Thomas,  Ervin,  Alvin  and  Emma. 
Ervin,  who  lives  in  this  county,  wedded 
Mary  Cross,  and  their  children  are:  Effie, 
Jesse,  Mary  and  Elmer.  Catherine  is  the 
wife  of  Henry  Free. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Elias 
Russell  was  blessed  with  one  son,  Frank, 
who  was  a  very  promising  and  energetic 
business  man,  respected  by  those  who  had 
known  him  from  his  early  years.  He  mar- 
ried Vida  Full,  who  died  in  1892,  when 
about  twenty-six  years  old.  They  had  .two 
children,  Ray,  who  is  attending  school,  and 
Vera,  whose  death  occurred  when  she  was 
fifteen  months  old.  Frank  Russell  was 
summoned  to  the  silent  land  December  12, 
1897,  and  thus  the  devoted  wife  and  mother 
is  left  alone,  with  only  her  grandson  to 
cheer  and  comfort  her  in  her  declining  years. 


QTRAUT  W.  SHURTZ,  M.  D.,  a  suc- 
O  cessful  and  popular  physician  of  Cham- 
paign, has  a  somewhat  remarkable  record, 
and  from  the  study  of  his  life  history  one 
may  learn  valuable  lessons.  The  spirit  of 
self-help  is  the  source  of  all  genuine  worth 
in  the  individual  and  is  the  means  of  bring- 
ing to  man  success  when  he  has  no  advan- 
tages of  wealth  or  influence  to  aid  him.  It 
illustrates  in  no  uncertain  manner  what  it  is 
possible  to  accomplish  when  perseverance 
and  determination  form  the  keynote  to  a 
.man's  life.  Depending  upon  his  own  re- 
sources, looking  for  no  outside  aid  or  sup- 
port, Dr.  Shurtz  has  made  his  way  in  the 
world  and  is  to-day  one  of  the  most  able 
physicians  and  surgeons  of  Champaign. 

He  was  born  in  Tazewell  county,  Illi- 
nois, June  21,  1867,  a  son  of  Watson  M. 
andMalindaM.  (Asher)  Shurtz.  His  father 


I2O 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


was  born  in  what  is  now  South  Lebanon, 
Hamilton  county,  Ohio,  January  8,  1818, 
and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Sarah  (Von  Leiter) 
Shurtz,  both  of  whom  were  born  in  New 
Jersey,  of  German  descent,  and  were  reared 
and  married  in  that  state,  their  ancestors 
being  among  the  pioneer  settlers  near  Tren- 
ton. Our  subject's  paternal  grandfather, 
John  Shurtz,  was  a  soldier  of  the  war  of 
1812,  and  took  part  in  the  battle  of  New 
Orleans  under  General  Jackson.  At  an 
early  day  he  removed  to  what  is  now  South 
Lebanon,  Ohio,  and  the  brick  house  which 
he  erected  there  about  ninety  years  ago,  is 
still  standing.  He  made  a  business  of  buy- 
ing produce,  which  he  loaded  on  flat  boats 
and  floated  down  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi 
rivers  to  New  Orleans,  where  it  was  sold. 
He  would  then  walk  back  to  his  home  in 
South  Lebanon.  He  also  devoted  a  portion 
of  his  time  to  the  improvement  and  cultiva- 
tion of  his  farm.  He  died  there  about  1830 
when  comparatively  a  young  man. 

Watson  M.  Shurtz,  the  Doctor's  father, 
was  educated  in  the  school  of  South  Leb- 
anon, Ohio,  and  remained  on  the  home 
farm  until  attaining  his  majority.  In  1841 
he  came  to  Delevan,  Tazewell  county,  Illi- 
nois, passing  through  Champaign  on  his 
way  to  that  place.  There  he  owned  land 
and  engaged  in  farming  for  some  time.  He 
was  married  in  Tazewell  county,  in  1862,  to 
Miss  Malinda  M.  Asher,  who  was  born  in 
White  county,  Illinois,  where  her  father, 
Watson  Asher,  died,  and  later  with  her 
mother  and  the  other  children  of  the'  family 
she  removed  to  Tazewell  county.  Her 
mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Sarah 
Mickle.  On  disposing  of  his  property  in 
Tazewell  county,  Watson  M.  Shurtz  came 
to  Champaign  county  and  purchased 'a  farm 
in  Rantoul  township  which  he  operated  for 


some  years,  but  now  makes  his  home  in 
Champaign.  He  is  a  supporter  of  the  Re- 
publican party,  and  his  wife  is  a  member  of 
the  Christian  church.  In  their  family  are 
three  children:  Mary  J.,  wife  of  F.  D. 
Erskine,  state  grain  inspector  at  Chicago; 
Straut  W. ,  our  subject;  and  Richard  E., 
who  is  mentioned  below. 

Dr.  Shurtz,  whose  name  introduces  this 
review,  was  two  years  old  when  the  family 
removed  to  this  county,  and  his  early  educa- 
tion was  obtained  in  the  common  country 
schools  and  the  Rantoul  high  school.  His 
father  had  met  with  reverses  in  business 
when  the  Poctor  was  about  nine  years  old, 
and  he  and  his  brother  had  to  begin  the  bat- 
tle of  life  for  themselves  at  an  early  age. 
For  three  years  prior  to  attaining  his 
eighteenth  year,  our  subject  taught  school 
in  the  county  and  for  one  year  of  that  time 
read  medicine  with  Dr.  J.  C.  Harmon,  of 
Rantoul,  driving  each  morning  five  miles  to 
his  school  and  returning  at  night  that  he 
might  spend  the  evening  in  study.  For  one 
year  he  was  a  student  in  the  scientific  de- 
partment of  the  University  of  Illinois,  Cham- 
paign, and  then  entered  Rush  Medical  Col- 
lege, where  he  pursued  a  three  years'  course. 
During  two  years  of  that  time  he  was  night 
nurse  in  St.  Joseph  Hospital  on  the  north 
side.  After  being  on  duty  from  six  P.  M. 
to  six  A.  M.,  he  would  sleep  about  an  hour 
and  then  return  to  the  college  on  the 
west  side.  In  this  way  he  worked  his  way 
through  that  institution  and  was  graduated 
in  1893.  He  first  located  in  Fisher,  Cham- 
paign county,  and  soon  built  up  an  excel- 
lent practice,  which  extended  into  the  coun- 
try for  many  miles,  so  that  he  was  on  the 
road  much  of  the  time  both  day  and  night. 
Although  this  proved  quite  lucrative,  he  be- 
lieved a  broader  field  of  labor  could  be  found 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


121 


in  a  larger  place,  and  in  the  summer  of  1 899 
he  joined  his  brother  in  practice  at  Cham- 
paign, where  much  advantage  is  to  be  de- 
rived from  hospital  work.  He  is  engaged  in 
the  general  practice  of  medicine  and  also 
does  considerable  surgery,  performing  many 
successful  operations  forappendicitis.  Finan- 
cially he  has  prospered,  and  now  owns  a 
nice  home  in  the  city  and  other  property 
which  he  rents. 

On  the  23d  of  August,  1894,  Dr.  Shurtz 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  May 
Gooding,  a  daughter  of  Rev.  William  Good- 
ing,  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Conference  whose  home  is  now  in  Blooming- 
ton.  There  Mrs.  Shurtz  successfully  en- 
gaged in  teaching  school  prior  to  her  mar- 
riage, and  was  quite  prominent  in  musical 
circles.  The  Doctor  and  his  wife  have  two 
children:  Charles  Richar'd,  aged  four  years; 
and  William  Gooding,  aged  two.  The 
parents  are  both  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  and  Dr.  Shurtz  is  also 
an  active  and  prominent  member  of  the 
County  Medical  Society,  of  which  he  has 
beerj  vice-president  and  is  now  its  censor. 
In  manner  he  is  pleasant  and  cordial,  which, 
combined  with  his  sterling  worth,  makes 
him  very  popular  with  his  friends  and  as- 
sociates. 

Richard  E.  Shurtz,  M.  D.,  the  younger 
son  of  \Vatson  M.  and  Malinda  M.  (Asher) 
Shurtz,  was  born  on  a  farm  near  Rantoul, 
September  26.  1870,  and  attended  the 
common  and  high  schools  of  that  place. 
At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  commenced 
teaching,  and  followed  that  profession  for  two 
years,  after  which  he  was  a  student  in  the 
University  of  Illinois  for  one  year.  For 
about  three  years  he  read  medicine  under 
the  direction  of  Professor  A.  C.  Cotton,  of 
Chicago,  and  during  that  time  worked  for 


the  Armour  Company.  He  then  matricu- 
lated at  Rush  Medical  College,  where  he 
attended  lectures  during  the  winter,  pursu- 
ing the  regular  three-years'  course,  while 
through  the  summer  months  he  was  in  the 
employ  of  the  Armour  Company.  He  was 
also  connected  with  one  of  the  hospitals  for 
a  time,  and  was  graduated  with  the  class  of 
1897.  For  the  following  sixteen  months  he 
was  successfully  engaged  in  practice  in  Gif- 
ford,  this  county,  and  at  the  end  of  that 
time  came  to  Champaign,  where  he  formed 
a  partnership  with  his  brother.  They  are 
already  meeting  with  excellent  success 
in  their  new  field  of  labor,  enjoying  a  large 
and  constantly  increasing  practice.  Success 
in  their  profession  comes  through  merit 
alone,  and'the  high  position  which  they  have 
already  attained  attests  their  superiority. 
The  junior  member  -of  the  firm  is  also  a 
member  of  the  County  Medical  Society. 
He  was  married  June  8,  1892,  to  Miss  Nellie 
Turner,  of  Champaign,  a  daughter  of  Heze- 
kiah  Turner.  They  have  two  children  living, 
Malinda  and  Mary.  Religiously  the  Doctor 
and  his  wife  hold  membership  in  the  Chris- 
tian church. 


WALTER  W.  LINDLEY,  one  of  the 
native  sons  of  Urbana,  and  the  pres- 
est  efficient  and  popular  postmaster  of  this 
flourishing  place,  has  won  the  commefida- 
tion  of  the  public  during  the  many  years  of 
his  official  service,  by  his  reliability,  strict 
adherence  to  duty  and  uniform  courtesy. 

His  father,  Dr.  Mahlon  Lindley,  was 
one  of  the  early  physicians  of  Urbana,  and 
few  have  been  engaged  in  practice  in  this 
county  for  a  longer  period.  Both  he  and 
his  first  wife,  the  mother  of  our  subject, 
were  natives  of  Mansfield,  Ohio.  She  bore 


122 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  name  of  Salome  M.  Myers  in  her  girl- 
hood, and  her  death  took  place  upon  the 
anniversary  of  her  birth.  She  was  a  de- 
voted wife,  mother  and  friend,  and  was  loyal 
in  her  relations  to  the  Presbyterian  church. 
For  a  second  wife,  Dr.  Lindley  chose  Clara 
Robinet,  and  they  still  reside  in  this  city, 
where  they  are  deservedly  respected. 

Walter  W.  Lindley,  whose  birth  occurred 
October  20,  1860,  is  one  of  the  six  children 
of  Dr.  Mahlon  and  Salome  Lindley.  The 
eldest-born,  Austin  M.,  pursued  a  special 
course  in  chemistry  in  the  University  of  Illi- 
nois, later  was  graduated  in  the  Cincinnati 
Medical  College  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of 
Medicine,  and  is  now  a  successful  physician 
and  surgeon,  and  is  surgeon  for  the  Big 
Four  Railroad  at  Urbana.  Almeda  is  the 
wife  of  M.  S.  Parks,  and  Grace  married 
Stanley  F.  Boggs,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
real  estate  business  in  Chicago.  Elmer 
Ellsworth  is  the  private  secretary  of  the 
general  freight  agent  of  the  Great  Northern 
Railway,  at  Saint  Paul.  Dr.  Mahlon,  who 
graduated  in  the  Chicago  College  of  Den- 
tistry, in  the  class  of  1896,  is  now  practic- 
ing his  profession  in  Alton,  Illinois. 

In  his  youth,  W.  W.  Lindley  attended 
the  Urbana  schools,  where  he  completed 
the  high  school  course,  and  later  went  to 
Quincy,  there  being  graduated  in  the  Gem 
City  Business  College.  He  returned  home 
to  cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for  Garfield, 
and  soon  afterwards  became  assistant  in  the 
postoffice,  with  George  W.  Curtis,  who  is 
grand  commander  of  the  Knights  Templar. 
Later,  he  was  given  a  position  as  deputy 
county  clerk,  under  J.  S.  McCullough,  the 
present  state  auditor,  and  served  four  years 
to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  all  concerned. 

When  President  Harrison  became  the 
chief  executive,  Mr.  Lindley  was  appointed 


to  the  position  of  postmaster  of  Urbana, 
then  belonging  to  the  third  class,  but  which 
is  now  a  second  class  postoffice.  After 
serving  the  public  in  this  position  for 
four  years,  he  resigned,  owing  to  the  elec- 
tion of  a  Democratic  president,  and  became 
president  and  manager  of  the  Urbana  Brick 
Company,  which  transacted  a  thriving  busi- 
ness, as  much  of  the  paving  of  the  city 
streets  was  carried  out  about  that  period, 
and  supplies  were  purchased  largely  from 
the  concern  with  which  he  was  associated. 
President  McKinley  appointed  Mr.  Lindley 
to  the  postmastership,  June  I,  1897,  and, 
needless  to  say,  he  has  lived  up  to  his  former 
reputation  of  beingoneof  the  most  systematic, 
painstaking  officials  the  city  has  ever  had. 

On  the  27th  of  September,  1882,  Mr. 
Lindley  married  Anna  M.  Konantz,  a  native 
of  Quincy,  Illinois,  and  daughter  of  Paul 
and  Wilhelmina  Konantz,  both  deceased. 
Of  her  eleven  brothers  and  sisters,  Frank, 
E.  A. ,  and  Dick  are  members  of  the  Konantz 
Saddlery  Company,  of  St.  Paul — the  largest 
concern  of  the  kind  in  the  west.  Frank 
served  as  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  the  Rebel- 
lion for  several  years,  nobly  performing  his 
'duty  toward  his  country.  He  pursued  a 
course  of  dentistry,  and  was  graduated  with 
a  degree,  but  turned  his  attention  to  the 
more  profitable  business  in  which  he  now  is 
engaged.  Another  brother  of  Mrs.  Lindley, 
William  H.,  is  a  dealer  in  harness  at 
Quincy,  Illinois.  Minnie  married  Myron  D. 
Smith,  of  Chicago,  and  Hattie  is  the  wife 
of  Joseph  Ripley,  of  Oak  Park,  Illinois.  He 
is  engaged  in  railroading,  and  his  brother, 
Ed.  Ripley,  is  noted  as  one  of  the  leading 
railway  men  of  the  west.  John  P.  resides 
at  Ithaca,  New  York.  Lizzie  is  unmarried. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.    Lindley  two    children 
were  born,  namely:  Jessie  Salome,  who  is  a 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


12$ 


student  in  the  high  school  and  who  possesses 
recognized  ability  as  a  musician.  Etheldred 
Frank  also  has  a  natural  gift  for  music  and 
is  pursuing  a  course  in  that  branch  in  the 
university.  Mrs.  Lindley  is  a  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  church.  Fraternally,  Mr. 
Lindley  is  a  Mason,  identified  with  Urbana 
Lodge,  No.  157;  Urbana  Chapter,  No.  80, 
R.  A.  M. ;  and  Commandery  No.  16,  K.  T. , 
in  which  lodges  he  has  held  several  offices. 
He  also  belongs  to  the  Benevolent  and  Pro- 
tective Order  of  Elks,  and  is  exceedingly 
popular  in  each  of  the  organizations. 


JA.  RICHARDS.  The  prosperity  of 
any  community  depends  upon  its  busi- 
ness activity  and  the  enterprise  manifest  in 
commercial  circles  is  the  foundation  upon 
which  is  builded  the  material  welfare  of 
town,  state  and  nation.  The  most  im- 
portant factors  in  public  life  at  the  present 
day  are  therefore  man  who  are  in  control  of 
successful  business  interests  and  such  a  one 
is  Mr.  Richards,  the  present  alderman  from 
the  first  ward  of  Champaign,  and  one  of  the 
leading  grocers  of  the  city. 

He  was  born  in  Le  Roy,  McLean 
county,  Illinois,  August  21,  1854,  a  son  of 
the  Rev.  Jesse  and  Mary  J.  (Gist)  Rich- 
ards. The  father  was  a  native  of  Maryland, 
and  a  son  of  Stephen  Richards,  who  was 
also  born  in  that  state  and  was  a  representa- 
tive of  an  old  colonial  family.  The  latter 
was  one  of  the  heroes  of  the  Revolutionary 
war.  At  an  early  day  he  removed  to  Dark 
county,  Ohio,  where  he  took  up  a  tract  of 
government  land,  and  there  spent  his  re- 
maining days.  It  was  in  that  county  that 
the  father  of  our  subject  grew  to  manhood 
and  married,  his  wife  being  born  there  of 


Scotch  ancestry.  In  1843,  with  his  family, 
consisting  of  wife  and  four  children,  he  re- 
moved to  McLean  county,  Illinois,  and  be- 
came one  of  its  pioneer  settlers.  He  pur- 
chased a  section  of  land  four  miles  west  of 
Le  Roy  at  the  government  price  of  one 
dollar  and  a  quarter  per  acre,  and  con- 
tinued to  reside  thereon  until  he  had  broken 
and  improved  about  half  of  the' place,  when 
he  located  in  the  village  of  Le  Roy.  On 
the  opening  up  of  Saybrook,  he  removed 
to  that  place,  and  from  the  founding  of  Bell- 
flower  township,  McLean  county,  served 
as  supervisor  for  a  great  many  years.  He 
finally  came  to  Champaign  county  and 
located  one  mile  east  of  the  present  town  of 
Fisher,  before  the  railroad  had  been  built  or 
the  village  dreamed  of.  He  contiuned  his 
residence  there  until  three  years  prior  to  his 
death,  when  he  removed  to  Mahomet, 
where  he  passed  away  in  July,  1894,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-seven  years.  He  followed 
farming  and  stock  raising  throughout  life 
with  the  exception  of  the  time  spent  in  Le 
Roy  and  Saybrook.  He  left  four  children: 
Martha  A.,  wife  of  Alfred  Gulick,  of  Maho- 
met; Mrs.  Sarah  C.  Thrasher,  of  Cham- 
paign; J.  A.,  our  subject;  and  Haynes  C., 
a  resident  of  Fisher.  The  wife  and  mother 
died  June  6,  1876.  Both  parents  were 
consistent  and  faithful  members  of  *  the 
Christian  church,  always  taking  an  active 
part  in  its  work,  and  as  a  pioneer  preacher 
the  father  held  services  in  the  log  school 
houses  all  over  this  section  of  the  country  at 
an  early  day. 

Our  subject  acquired  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  McLean  and  Cham- 
paign counties,  and  remained  upon  the  home 
farm  until  eighteen  years  of  age,  when  he 
began  working  for  others  at  farm  labor.  At 
the  age  of  twenty-two,  he  began  life  for 


124 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


himself  as  an  agriculturist,  and  bought  a 
farm  four  miles  east  of  Rantoul,  where  he 
engaged  in  general  farming  and  stock  rais- 
ing for  some  time.  His  next  purchase  con- 
sisted of  over  two  hundred  acres  of  land  in 
Mahomet  township,  where  he  was  extensively 
engaged  in  raising  high  grade  stock.  In 
the  spring  of  1893,  he  sold  his  farm  there 
and  returned  to  his  first  farm,  upon  which 
he  erected  a  new  house,  but,  in  1894,  he 
came  to  Champaign,  where  he  has  since 
made  his  home.  He  purchased  a  half  in- 
terest in  a  good  real  estate  business,  which 
he  successfully  carried  on  for  two  years  and 
a  half,  making  some  large  sales  in  farm 
lands  and  city  property,  as  a  member  of  the 
firm  of  Miller  &  Richards.  Selling  out  to 
his  partner,  he  bought  a  store  and  residence 
property  at  the  corner  of  East  University 
avenue  and  Fifth  street,  and  embarked  in 
the  grocery,  feed  and  coal  business,  which 
he  has  since  conducted  with  marked  suc- 
cess, having  built  up  a  large  and  profitable 
trade,  while  he  furnishes  employment  to 
eight  people.  He  also  owns  other  city 
property,  which  he  rents,  and  western  lands, 
and  in  all  his  business  undertakings  he  has 
met  with  most  excellent  success.  He  stands 
high  in  public  esteem  and  is  very  popular 
with  his  friends  and  associates.  Fraternally 
he  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  the  Mac- 
cabees and  the  Home  Circle. 

On  the  6th  of  October,  1880,  Mr.  Rich- 
apds  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Har- 
riet J.  Frankeberger,  who  was  born  and 
reared  at  Rising  Station,  this  county.  Her 
father,  John  Frankeberger,  was  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  the  county,  having  located 
here  during  the  '405.  Our  subject  and  his 
wife  have  five  children:  Melvin  F.,  who  is 
with  his  father  in  the  store;  Clarence,  Min- 
nie, Sherman  and  Mabel,  who  are  all  attend- 


ing school.  Mrs.  Richards  is  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  to  the  sup- 
port of  which  her  husband  is  a  liberal  con- 
tributor. 


WILLIAM  H.  FREE  is  a  worthy  repre- 
sentative of  an  honored  Ohio  fam- 
ily— a  family  which  has  furnished  many 
loyal  members  to  the  upbuilding  and  preser- 
vation of  that  state  and  the  Union.  Patriot- 
ism and  devotion  to  the  good  of  the  public 
and  the  majority  have  been  instilled  into 
the  minds  of  every  individual  bearing  the 
name,  and  it  is  beyond  question  that 
wherever  they  go  the  law  and  good  gov- 
ernment will  be  supported  by  them.  Such 
citizens  are  the  mainstay  and  reliance  of 
our  beloved  country,  and  well  would  it  be 
for  her,  and  for  the  world  in  general,  should 
the  example  of  the  Free  family  be  followed 
in-every  home,  and  the  children*  trained  to 
appreciate  and  defend  the  institutions  and 
government  of  this  land  of  liberty  and  right- 
eousness. 

William  H.  Free  was  born  in  the  open- 
ing year  of  the  great  Civil  war,  June  10, 
1861,  a  son  of  Henry  N.  and  Laura  C. 
(Whitzell)  Free,  natives  of  Ohio.  The 
father  was  successfully  engaged  in  the  prac- 
tice of  law  until  he  was  so  unfortunate  as  to 
lose  his  hearing,  since  which  time  he  has 
been  in  the  pension  business.  His  home  at 
present  is  in  New  Lexington,  Ohio,  where  he 
is  highly  respected.  He  is  in  the  sixty- 
ninth  year  of  his  age*  while  his  wife  is  five 
years  his  junior.  She  is  an  active  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and, 
while  the  father  is  not  identified  with  any 
religious  body,  he  contributes  liberally  to  the 
cause  and  is  interested  in  educational  and 
charitable  enterprises.  Three  of  his  broth- 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


125 


ers  won  distinction  and  placed  their  names 
on  the  roll  of  Ohio's  noble  sons  during  the 
Civil  war.  The  eldest  of  the  trio  was  J.  X. 
Free,  who  travels  all  over  the  United  States 
on  free  railroad  passes  and  is  better  known 
as  the  Immortal  J.  N.  John  W.  served  as 
major  in  the  Thirty-first  Ohio  Infantry,  and 
William  was  colonel  of  that  regiment,  which 
did  gallant  service  in  some  of  the  hardest 
campaigns  of  the  dreadful  sectional  strife. 
Colonel  William  Free  died  July  18,  1876. 
A  sister  of  these  heroes,  Kate,  married 
Fred  Hoffman,  who  was  a  soldier  in  the 
Mexican  war  and  in  the  Civil  war  also. 
Rosa,  another  sister,  married  a  Mr.  Sickles 
and  died  when  about  seventy-two  years  of 
age. 

In  his  boyhood,  William  H.  Free  at- 
tended the  public  schools  of  Ohio,  his  native 
state,  and,  upon  completing  his  studies,  he 
accepted  a  position  in  his  uncle's  store  in 
New  Lexington,  Perry  county,  Ohio,  re- 
maining with  him  for  four  years,  and  thor- 
oughly mastering  the  principles  of  the  busi- 
ness in  the  meantime.  Then  he  became  an 
employee  of  his  father,  subsequently  man- 
aging a  store  for  him  at  Porterville,  Ohio, 
for  two  years.  He  next  went  to  Canal  Win- 
chester, Ohio,  where  he  was  employed  in  a 
store  until  March,  1888.  Since  that  time, 
when  he  came  to  Champaign  county,  he  has 
been  engaged  in  farming  in  the  vicinity  of 
Urbana.  Illinois,  and  attends  to  the  cultiva- 
tion of  two  hundred  acres  of  land.  He  is 
energetic  and  business-like  in  his  methods, 
and  richly  deserves  the  success  he  has 
achieved. 

For  several  years  Mr.  Free  was  con- 
nected with  the  Ohio  National  Guard,  and 
at  the  time  of  the  riots  in  Cincinnati,  when 
the  court-house  was  burned,  in  1882,  he 
acted  in  the  capacity  of  orderly  sergeant  of 


Company  A,  of  New  Lexington,  Ohio,  un- 
der command  of  Captain  T.  J.  Smith.  The 
soldier-boys  were  stationed  on  duty  in  the 
streets  for  ten  days  or  more,  and  suffered 
severely  from  exposure  to  the  inclement 
weather.  Politically,  he  is  an  ardent 
Republican,  and,  following  in  the  footsteps 
of  his  father,  he  has  neither  sought  nor  de- 
sired public  office.  Both  himself  and  his 
wife  are  members  of  the  Court  of  Honor,  of 
Urbana,  and  are  justly  popular  in  the  social 
circles  of  this  place. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Free  and  Nannie 
E.  Myers,  of  Champaign,  was  solemnized 
February  22,  1894.  She  is  the  only  daugh- 
ter of  R.  H.  and  Mary  H.  (Shawhan) 
Myers,  and  has  one  brother,  Professor 
George  W.  Myers,  of  Urbana.  He  was 
graduated  in  the  University  of  Illinois  in  the 
class  of  '88,  and  then  went  to  Europe,  where 
he  spent  two  years  in  study  and  travel,  be- 
ing graduated  in  the  University  of  Munich. 
He  chose  for  a  wife,  Mary  Eva,  daughter  of 
Judge  Sim.  The  mother  of  Mrs.  Free  de- 
parted this  life  at  the  age  of  twenty-two 
years,  in  February.  1865,  and  the  father, 
who  was  born  March  24,  1833,  now  resides 
in  Hutchinson,  Kansas.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Free 
are  members  of  the  Christian  church  and 
are  deeply  interested  in  whatever  is  calcu- 
lated to  uplift  humanity. 


JOHN  ISAAC  GROVES,  M.  D.,  a  well- 
known  and  highly  respected  citizen  of 
Champaign,  was  born  in  Virginia,  Illinois, 
May  2,  1854,  and  is  a  son  of  Rev.  Isaac 
Groves,  whose  sketch  appears  elsewhere  in 
this  volume.  His  father  being  a  minister 
and  only  remaining  a  short  time  in  oneplace, 
our  subject  acquired  his  education  in  the 


126 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


various  towns  where  the  family  were  located 
during  his  boyhood  and  youth.  He  first 
entered  school  at  Monticello,  Illinois,  where 
two  years  were  passed,  and  from  there  came 
to  Homer,  this  county,  but  here  he  was  ill 
and  unable  to  attend  school.  The  family 
next  went  to  Georgetown,  Vermilion  county, 
and  later  spent  one  year  in  Carmargo,  after 
which  they  located  on  the  father's  farm  in 
this  county.  In  the  fall  of  1870  they  re- 
moved to  Champaign,  where  our  subject 
attended  the  high  school  and  laterthe  Univer- 
sity, but  on  account  of  his  eyes  was  unable 
to  complete  the  course  at  that  institution. 
In  1874  he  commenced  teaching  school  and 
successfully  followed  that  profession  in 
Champaign  and  Vermilion  counties,  for  two 
years  each.  In  the  meantime  he  commenced 
reading  medicine  with  Dr.  Wilson,  of 
Hoopeston,  and  subsequently  entered 
Hahnemann  Medical  College,  Chicago,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  in  the  class  of  1880. 
For  about  two  years  he  was  engaged  in  prac- 
tice at  Thorntown,  Indiana,  and  then  re- 
moved to  Gibson  City,  Illinois,  where  during 
the  following  four  years  he  built  up  an  ex- 
cellent practice.  At  the  end  of  that  time, 
at  the  urgent  request  of  his  father,  he  re- 
turned to  Champaign,  believing  it  is-  duty, 
although  he  could  ill  afford  to  abandon  his 
practice.  He  has  since  had  charge  of  his 
father's  farms  and  estates,  and  has  displayed 
excellent  business  ability  in  their  manage- 
ment. 

In  1883  the  Doctor  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Grace  F.  Groves  (no  rel- 
ative), who  had  engaged  in  teaching  school 
in  Danvillle,  Rossville  and  Chicago,  and 
who  died  in  1885.  He  was  again  married, 
February  17,  1887,  his  second  union  being 
with  Miss  E.  Lynne  Burton,  of  Newcomb 
township,  this  county,  a  daughter  of  W.  D. 


and  Mary  Burton.  She  was  also  a  school 
teacher  prior  to  her  marriage.  The  Doctor 
and  his  wife  have  one  child,  Evangeline  E. 
While  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medi- 
cine Dr.  Groves  was  a  member  of  the  Illi- 
nois Homeopathic  Medical  Society.  So- 
cially he  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Wood- 
men of  America,  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias 
Lodge  of  Gibson  City,  of  which  he  was  chan- 
cellor commander.  He  is  now  a  member  of 
the  lodge  in  Champaign.  He  is  also  an  act- 
ive and  prominent  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  of  Champaign;  and  has 
been  assistant  superintendent  of  the  Sunday 
school  and  is  trustee  of  the  church;  and  for 
the  past  two  years  has  been  secretary  of  the 
board  of  trustees  and  financial  secretary  of 
the  church.  In  manner  he  is  pleasant  and 
cordial,  which,  combined  with  his  sterling 
worth,  makes  him  one  of  the  popular  citi- 
zens of  Champaign.  Politically  Mr.  Groves 
affiliates  with  the  Prohibition  party  and  has 
been  chairman  of  the  township  central  com- 
mittee for  the  past  five  years. 


A  RMSTEAD  M.  FAULEY,  an  honored 
2\  and  highly  respected  citizen  of  Urbana, 
Illinois,  who  is  now  living  a  retired  life  at 
his  pleasant  home,  No.  305  West  Green 
street,  was  born  in  Fairfield  county,  Ohio, 
September  27,  1830,  and  is  a  son  of  George 
and  Mary  (Stoneburner)  Fauley,  also  na- 
tives of  Ohio.  The  father  was  born  in 
Muskingum  county  in  1805,  and  throughout 
life  made  his  home  in  the  Buckeye  state, 
dying  there  in  1834.  He  was  a  farmer  by 
occupation  and  was  a  prominent  member  of 
the  English  Lutheran  church.  During  his 
life  the  mother  was  also  a  member  of  that 
church,  but  afterward  united  with  the 
Evangelical  church.  She  was  born  in 


A.  M.  FAULEY. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


129 


1815,  and  died  in  1897.  By  her  first  mar- 
riage she  had  two  sons:  Armstead  M.,  our 
subject;  and  Edward,  who  first  married  a 
Miss  Yenser  and  second  a  Miss  Davis.  For 
her  second  husband  the  mother  married 
Michael  Miller,  by  whom  she  has  seven 
children,  namely:  Michael,  who  lives  on  the 
old  homestead  in  Ohio,  where  the  mother 
spent  the  greater  part  of  her  life;  John,  a 
banker  of  Lancaster,  Ohio;  Maria,  who 
married  a  Mr.  Clewell,  an  editor  in  Cleve- 
land, Ohio,  but  is  now  deceased.  Elizabeth, 
wife  of  Jacob  Turner,  of  Fairfield  county, 
Ohio;  and  Abraham,  who  died  in  child- 
hood; David  E.,  a  resident  of  Arcola,  Illi- 
nois; and  Franklin  P.,  of  Iowa. 

Mr.  Fauley,  whose  name  introduces  this 
sketch,  was  educated  in  the  public  schools 
of  his  native  state.  He  was  engaged  in 
general  farming  and  raising  blooded  stock 
in  Ohio  until  1857,  when  he  came  to  Cham- 
paign county,  Illinois,  and  continued  in 
that  business  for  some  years,  making  a 
specialty  of  the  breeding  of  roadsters  and 
driving  horses.  He  purchased  a  farm  of 
about  two  hundred  acres  in  Somer  town- 
ship, but  later  disposed  of  about  sixty 
acres.  In  September,  1899,  he  lost  his 
house  and  a  large  part  of  its  contents  by 
fire,  and  after  meeting  with  that  misfortune 
he  sold  his  farm  and  moved  to  Urbana, 
where  he  is  now  living  retired,  having  prac- 
tically laid  aside  all  business  cares. 

On  the  9th  of  April,  1856,  Mr.  Fauley 
married  Miss  Sarah  E.  Leib,  also  a  native 
of  Ohio,  and  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and 
Clarissa  (Allen)  Leib.  Her  father  was  born 
near  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  October  i, 
1799,  and  died  in  January,  1881,  while  her 
mother  was  born  in  Washington  county, 
Ohio,  in  1803,  and  died  in  1863.  Both 
were  active  and  consistent  members  of  the 


Methodist  Episcopal  church.  Prior  to  her 
marriage,  Mrs.  Fauley  engaged  in  teaching 
in  the  grammar  department  of  the  public 
schools  of  Lancaster,  Ohio,  and  later  as  a 
teacher  in  the  high  school,  under  Dr. 
Williams,  for  two  years.  She  is  the  eldest 
in  a  family  of  nine  children,  the  others  be- 
ing as  follows:  (2)  Levi  H.,  a  member  of 
the  Second  Illinois  Cavalry  during  the  Civil 
war,  was  shot  at  Bolivar,  Tennessee,  but 
also  shot  the  rebel  who  had  wounded  him. 
He  died  ten  days  later,  August  23,  1862. 
(3)  William,  the  twin  brother  of  Levi  H., 
died  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years.  (4) 
Mary  E.  married  Rev.  J.  W.  Stump,  a 
graduate  of  the  Wesleyan  College  of  Ohio, 
and  is  now  a  Methodist  Episcopal  minister 
of  Arizona,  in  which  territory  he  owns  one 
thousand  acres  of  land  containing  rich  gold 
and  silver  mines.  They  had  one  son,  Ed- 
ward, who  was  shot  at  the  age  of  thirty 
years.  (5)  Louisa  Jane  married  John  Reed, 
and  both  are  now  deceased.  Their  daugh- 
ter Alice  now  lives  with  our  subject  and  his 
wife  in  Urbana,  and  is  studying  art  in  the 
Illinois  University.  Mrs.  Fauley  promised 
her  sister  on  her  deathbed  to  educate  her 
two  daughters,  which  trust  she  has  most 
faithfully  fulfilled.  She  also  left  a  son,  who 
is  now  a  telegraph  operator  at  Colorado 
Springs,  Colorado.  (6)  Clarissa  A.  is  the 
wife  of  C.  C.  Holton,  and  now  resides  in 
Florida.  (7)  Martha  R.  married  W.  H. 
Barber,  of  Columbus,  Ohio,  and  lives  in 
Grove  City,  that  state.  (8)  Joseph  Findley 
married  Martha  Watts,  and  is  engaged  in 
farming  and  stock  raising  near  Ogden. 
Champaign  county,  Illinois.  (9)  Samuel  F. 
is  married  and  is  now  a  prominent  attorney 
of  San  Jose,  California.  The  only  child 
born  to  our  subject  and  his  wife  died  in 
early  childhood. 


130 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


The  Republican  party  finds  in  Mr.  Fauley 
a  stanch  supporter,  and  he  has  always  taken 
an  active  part  in  all  campaigns.  While  a 
resident  of  Somer  township  he  most  ac- 
ceptably served  as  justice  of  the  peace  for 
nearly  thirty  years,  as  supervisor  two  years, 
and  collector  of  taxes  one  year.  Any  trust 
reposed  in  him  has  always  been  most  cap- 
ably and  satisfactorily  discharged,  and  he 
has  the  confidence  and  respect  of  all  who 
know  him.  At  one  time  he  was  a  member 
of  the  Grange,  and  both  he  and  his  wife  are 
faithful  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church. 


EDWARD  BLACKSHAW,  D.  D.  S.  This 
worthy  citizen  of  Urbana  has  been  one 
of  the  leading  members  of  his  profession  in 
this  section  of  the  state  for  many  years,  and 
has  won  a  well-deserved  reputation  for  skill 
and  general  ability.  His  history  is  espec- 
ially interesting,  and  his  numerous  friends 
throughout  this  and  other  states  will  take 
pleasure  in  tracing  his  career. 

His  father,  Joseph  Blackshaw,  was  a  na- 
tive of  England,  and  in  his  early  life  he  en- 
tered her  majesty's  service  and  went  to  Cey- 
lon. There,  in  doing  some  civil  engineer- 
ing work,  one  feature  of  which  was  the 
blasting  of  some  rocks,  he  was  injured  by  an 
explosion,  and,  in  consequence,  lost  his  left 
eye  and  left  arm.  Thenceforth  the  govern- 
ment granted  him  a  pension  of  fourteen 
shillings  a  week,  and  when  he  had  regained 
his  general  health  he  obtained  a  position  as 
clerk  and  paymaster  in  Whely's  iron  and 
coal  mines  in  Staffordshire,  England.  He 
retained  that  position  for  thirty  years  and 
more,  and  died  in  1866,  loved  and  respected 
*for  the  honorable  fight  he  had  made  against 
extremely  adverse  circumstances.  He  was 


seventy-three  years  old  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  and  his  wife,  Anna  (Hill)  Blackshaw, 
was  about  seventy  years  of  age  when  she 
was  called  to  the  silent  land,  in  1871.  He 
was  prominent  in  the  Odd  Fellows  society, 
at  one  time  being  grand  secretary  of  the 
Manchester  district  of  that  order.  Formerly 
he  was  connected  with  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church,  and  until  his  death  he  was  an 
earnest  Christian  man.  Of  his  ten  children 
only  three  survive.  Mrs.  Sarah  Hale,  widow 
of  Edward  Hale,  and  Mrs.  Benjamin  Car- 
liss  reside  in  England.  The  latter's  hus- 
band has  been  employed  as  an  engineer  in 
an  insane  asylum  for  the  past  forty  years. 

Dr.  E.  Blackshaw,  whose  birth  took 
place  in  Staffordshire,  England,  September 
i,  1831,  was  well  educated  in  the  schools  of 
his  native  land,  and  when  he  was  in  his  six- 
teenth year,  he  commenced  learning  the 
trade  of  a  taxidermist,  that  calling  being  in 
greater  demand  in  the  British  Isles  than  it 
is  in  America.  For  that  reason,  he  has  not 
pursued  it  to  any  extent  in  the  United  States, 
though  he  has  mounted  many  fine  specimens 
of  the  birds  and  beasts  native  to  this  land, 
and  as  recently  as  1897  prepared  a  splendid 
elk.  He  gave  the  first  instruction  in  taxid- 
ermy that  were  ever  given  at  the  Univers- 
ity of  Illinois,  and  has  not  lost  his  intefest 
in  the  craft,  of  which  he  is  an  adept. 

In  the  summer  of  1853  Dr.  Blackshaw 
came  to  the  hospitable  shores  of  America, 
accompanied  by  his  young  wife,  with  the  in- 
tention of  founding  a  home  here.  Locating 
in  Fond  du  Lac,  Wisconsin,  he  commenced 
learning  dentistry  with  Dr.  J.  R.  Coles,  and 
in  1858  came  to  this  county.  He  has  been 
longer  established  in  continuous  practice 
than  any  dentist  of  eastern  Illinois,  and  his 
fame  is  in  no  sense  local.  Whereas,  it  used 
to  be  necessary  to  make  a  gold  or  silver 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


plate  for  false  teeth,  the  Doctor  was  so  for- 
tunate as  to  successfully  insert  teeth  in  a 
rubber  plate,  and  was  the  first  to  introduce 
the  new  idea  to  the  public.  Forty  years 
ago  he  made  a  gold  plate  for  a  lady,  who  is 
still  using  the  same  plate  and  teeth,  and  a 
gentleman  in  Urbana  has  several  teeth  in 
his  mouth  which  the  Doctor  filled  with  gold 
forty  years  ago.  There  are  two  families 
having  seven  members  each,  and  all  of  these 
fourteen  persons  Dr.  Blackshaw  has  furnished 
with  two  plates  of  teeth.  At  present  and 
for  a  long  time  past,  he  has  been  connected 
with  the  Eastern  Illinois  Dental  Association, 
of  which  he  served  as  vice-president  for  one 
year,  and  besides,  he  belongs  to  the  Dental 
Protective  Association. 

The  wife  of  his  youth,  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Elizabeth  Jones,  was  a 
daughter  of  William  and  Elizabeth  Jones, 
and  their  marriage  was  celebrated  in  April, 
1853.  As  previously  stated  the  young  couple 
came  to  the  United  States  a  few  months 
subsequently.  Their  marriage  took  place 
in  the  Edgebastion  parish  church,  which  is 
more  than  one  thousand  years  old.  Mrs. 
Blackshaw,  who  was  a  devout  member  of 
the  English  Episcopal  church,  died  in  May, 
1 88 1.  The  lady  who  now  bears  the  name 
of  the  Doctor  was  formerly  Mrs.  Mary  J. 
Strachan.  She  is  a  native  of  New  York, 
and  is  a  daughter  of  William  Morgan,  of  the 
vicinity  of  Laurence,  New  York.  In  her 
religious  convictions,  Mrs.  Blackshaw  is  a 
Presbyterian. 

In  Masonic  circles,  the  Doctor  holds  high 
rank  and  honor.  He  joined  the  order  soon 
after  his  arrival  in  Fond  du  Lac,  Wisconsin, 
where  he  belongedto  Fountain  lodge  No.  27, 
and  when  he  removed  to  this  place,  he  be- 
came identified  with  Urbana  lodge  No.  157, 
F.  &  A.  M.  In  time  he  was  exalted  to  the 


august  degree  of  Royal  Arch  Mason,  in 
Champaign  Chapter,  No.  50,  and  for  four- 
teen years  in  succession  acted  as  first  high 
priest  of  Urbana  Chapter,  No.  80.  For 
twenty-two  years  he  has  been  thrice  illustri- 
ous master  of  Urbana  Council,  No.  19, 
Royal  and  Select  Masters,  and  for  one  year 
he  was  eminent  commander  in  Urbana  Com- 
mandery,  No.  18,  Knights  Templar.  He 
has  represented  all  of  these  bodies  in  the 
Grand  bodies  and  in  the  Centennial  year 
had  the  honor  of  being  most  illustrious 
grand  master  of  the  grand  council  of  Royal 
and  Select  Masters  of  the  State  of  Illinois. 
In  1889  he  went  with  his  commandery  to 
Washington,  where  he  participated  in  the 
competitive  drill,  and  for  a  number  of  years 
it  was  his  privilege  to  be  a  representative  to 
the  Grand  Council  of  Louisiana.  Thus, 
without  further  reference  to  the  high  honors 
which  he  has  enjoyed  and  the  numerous 
official  positions  which  he  has  filled  with 
rare  ability  and  zeal,  it  may  be  seen  that  he 
is  very  popular  in  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
and  that  he  possesses  marked  and  distinc- 
tive talents  as  an  executive  and  organizer. 


OIMEON  E.  WEEKS  is  serving  as  justice 
&  of  the  peace  in  Champaign,  a  position 
he  has  filled  for  a  number  of  years  with 
credit  to  himself  and  satisfaction  to  his  con- 
stituents. He  is  thoroughly  impartial  in 
meting  out  justice,  his  opinions  being  unbi- 
ased by  either  fear  or  favor,  and  his  fidelity 
to  the  trust  reposed  in  him  is  above  ques- 
tion. 

Mr.  Weeks  was  born  in  Matteawan, 
Dutchess  county,  New  York,  on  the  Hud- 
son river,  sixty  miles  above  New  York  City, 
September  4,  1837,  and  is  a  son  of  William 


132 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


and  Wealthy  (Rich)  Weeks.  The  maternal 
grandfather  was  Captain  John  Rich,  a  sea 
captain  who  was  lost  at  sea,  and  a  repre- 
sentative of  an  old  Massachussetts  family 
from  Roxbury,  that  state.  The  father  of 
our  subject  was  born  in  Litchfield  county, 
Connecticut,  June  14,  1783,  and  was  reared 
in  that  state.  In  early  manhood  he  went 
to  Westchester  county,  New  York,  where 
he  was  married,  and  then  located  in  Dutch- 
ess  county,  where  he  was  employed  in  the 
cotton  factories  for  many  years.  In  April, 
1855,  he  came  to  Bloomington,  Illinois, 
and  engaged  in  farming  in  McLean  county 
until  1 86 1,  when  he  moved  to  Missouri  and 
purchased  land  there,  but  after  farming  in 
that  state  for  one  year  he  returned  to  Illi- 
nois and  took  up  his  residence  in  Fulton 
county,  where  he  died  in  March,  1869. 
His  wife  had  passed  away  December  15, 
1868.  In  early  life  he  was  a  Democrat, 
but  joined  the  Republican  party  on  its  or- 
ganization in  1856.  Religiously  he  was  a 
consistent  member  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  received  a 
good  practical  education  in  the  schools  of 
Matteawan,  New  York,  and  then  learned 
the  trade  of  a  bricklayer.  He  located  in 
Bloomington,  Illinois,  in  1855,  just  after 
the  completion  of  the  Alton  Railroad 
through  that  city  and  when  the  place  con- 
tained only  five  thousand  inhabitants. 
There  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
brick  until  after  the  Civil  war  broke  out, 
when  he  enlisted  in  Company  A,  Ninety- 
fourth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was 
under  the  command  of  Colonel  W.  W. 
Orme  at  first,  but  most  of  the  time  under 
General  John  McNulta.  Going  to  Missouri 
with  his  regiment,  he  was  first  in  battle  at 
Prairie  Grove,  December  7,  1862,  and  was 


there  wounded.  He  was  in  active  service 
in  Missouri,  Arkansas,  Kentucky,  Tennes- 
see, Mississippi,  Louisiana,  Texas  and  Ala- 
bama, and  participated  in  all  of  the  battles 
and  skirmishes  in  which  his  command  took 
part.  After  three  years  of  faithful  and 
arduous  service,  he  was  mustered  out  at 
Galveston,  Texas,  July  17,  1865,  and  re- 
turned to  Bloomington.  He  was  interested 
in  the  brick  business  in  that  city  until  No- 
vember 8,  1874,  when  he  took  up  his  resi- 
dence in  Champaign,  and  here  he  has  since 
made  his  home.  In  1879  he  opened  a 
brickyard  of  his  own  east  of  Champaign 
and  north  of  Urbana,  and  gave  employ- 
ment to  about  sixty-five  men,  his  pay  roll 
averaging  three  hundred  and  seventy-five 
dollars  per  week.  He  was  engaged  in  that 
business  until  1883,  and,  as  a  contractor, 
laid  the  brick  for  many  of  the  buildings  in 
the  city  until  April,  1893,  doing  as  large  a 
business  in  that  line  as  any  man  in  the 
place.  Being  in  poor  health,  he  has  since 
given  his  whole  attention  to  his  official 
duties. 

Mr.  Weeks  has  been  thrice  married,  his 
first  wife  being  Miss  Margaret  Stevenson,  of 
Bloomington,  who  died  leaving  one  child, 
James  W.,  now  of  Elizabethton,  Tennessee, 
who  was  a  major  of  the  Third  Tennessee 
Regiment  during  the  Spanish-American  war. 
March  i,-i866,  he  married  Miss  Kittie  Ames, 
who  died  December  15,  1872.  On  the  24th 
of  October,  1874,  Mr.  Weeks  married  Miss 
Fannie  Ames,  a  sister  of  Kittie  Ames,  and 
daughter  of  Richard  Ames,  of  Bloomington, 
and  granddaughter  of  Fisher  Ames,  a 
member  of  the  first  United  States  Con- 
gress, and  a  noted  orator  who  delivered  the 
funeral  orations  of  Washington,  Adams  and 
Jefferson.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Weeks  have  one 
child,  Algernon  S.,  now  a  member  of  the 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


133 


bar  of  this  county.  The  home  of  the  fam- 
ily is  at  No.  305  East  University  avenue. 
While  engaged  in  business  Mr.  Weeks 
served  as  alderman  of  Champaign  for  three 
terms,  during  which  time  the  first  paving 
was  done  in  the  city,  and  the  water  works 
and  electric  light  put  in,  making  a  marked 
change  in  the  city.  Although  a  Republican, 
he  was  elected  to  that  high  office  from  a 
Democratic  ward,  a  fact  which  indicates  his 
personal  popularity  and  the  confidence  and 
trust  reposed  in  him  by  his  fellow-citizens. 
In  1893  he  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace; 
was  re-elected  in  1897,  and  is  still  holding 
that  office,  his  present  term  not  expiring 
until  1901.  His  decisions  have  been  sus- 
tained in  most  of  his  cases  when  appealed 
to  the  higher  courts,  and  for  three  years 
did  more  business  than  any  other  justice  of 
the  peace  in  the  city,  having  as  high  as 
fifty-three  cases  in  one  day.  He  is  past 
grand  of  the  Odd  Fellows  Lodge,  No.  333, 
and  past  commander  of  Colonel  Nodine 
Post,  No.  140,  G.  A.  R. ;  is  a  prominent 
member  of  both  orders;  and  has  been  a  del- 
egate to  the  State  and  National  Encamp- 
ments of  the  Grand  Army. 


REV.  S.  K.  REED,  a  retired  Methodist 
Episcopal  minister  living  on  North 
State  street,  Champaign,  was  born  in 
Martinsburg,  Berkley  county,  West  Virginia, 
May  22,  1803,  a  son  of  William  and  Mary 
(Karr)  Reed.  The  father  was  also  a  minister 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  He 
was  a  native  of  Ireland  and  during  his  resi- 
dence in  this  country  made  his  home  in 
Martinsburg.  Before  he  attained  his  ma- 
jority he  entered  the  Continental  army  dur- 
ing the  Revolutionary  war,  but  his  father 
bought  him  out. 


Our  subject  attended  the  public  schools 
of  Martinsburg  and  also  a  small  college 
there,  but  the  greater  part  of  his  education 
was  acquired  by  reading  and  study  at  home. 
In  early  life  he  engaged  in  merchandising 
until  1826,  when  he  waslicensed  to  preach. 
As  one  of  the  old  style  circuit  riders  he 
traveled  all  over  that  section  of  the  country, 
but  never  accepted  any  regular  pastorate. 
In  1828  he  went  to  Winchester,  West 
Virginia,  where  he  married  Miss  Mary  E. 
Grinshaw.  There  he  bought  out  a  man  who 
kept  a  carpet  store  and  engaged  in  weaving 
and  continued  to  reside  at  that  place  for  ten 
years,  during  which  time  he  lost  his  wife 
and  three  children. 

Mr.  Reed  next  went  to  Kentucky,  where 
his  brother,  James  Reed,  was  a  presiding 
elder  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and 
was  a  minister  under  him  for  a  time,  but  on 
account  of  the  slavery  agitation  he  left  that 
State  and  went  to  Ohio,  where  he  spent 
eight  years.  He  joined  the  Northern  Ohio 
Conference,  and  was  first  stationed  at  Lima, 
Ohio.  In  1849  he  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Mary  C.  Magee,  a  daughter  of  George 
W.Magee,  of  Tarlton.Picka  way  county,  Ohio. 
For  many  years  shesuccessfully  carried  on  the 
tailoring  business,  and  has  been  connected 
with  the  best  firms  in  that  line  in  Cham- 
paign. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reed  had  three  chil- 
dren: John  W.,  who  was  a  dentist  of  Paxton, 
Illinois,  for  fifteen  years,  and  died  August 
24,  1898;  Alice  O.,  wife  of  D.  Wilmot 
Rankin,  of  Roseland;  and  Flora  M.,  at 
home. 

In  the  fall  of  1860  Mr.  Reed  came  from 
Ohio  to  Champaign  and  brought  with  him 
fine  recommendations,  but  they  were  lost 
by  the  elder  before  they  were  presented  to 
the  conference.  He  engaged  in  preaching 
under  the  elder  for  about  three  years, 


134 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


traveling  over  a  circuit  where  now  may  be 
found  many  good  churches.  His  health 
then  failed  and  he  was  obliged  to  give  up 
that  work,  and  for  a  time  filled  different 
appointments.  Since  attaining  his  ninetieth 
year  he  has  preached  but  little  with  the 
exception  of  funeral  sermons,  and  is  now 
practically  living  retired;  though  he  still 
marries  many  couples  who  come  to  his 
house.  He  has  labored  long  and  earnestly 
in  the  Master's  cause,  and  has  ever  sup- 
ported those  interests  which  are  calculated 
to  uplift  and  benefit  humanity,  while  his  own 
high  moral  worth  is  deserving  of  the  high- 
est commendation. 


f>EORGE  W.  HUBBARD,  of  the  firm 
V-J  of  Hubbard  &  Sons,  of  Urbana,  is  one 
of  the  leading  citizens  of  this  county.  By 
his  business  influence  and  foresight  he  has 
done  much  to  advance  the  interests  of  this 
locality,  and  the  loyal,  patriotic  spirit  he 
ever  has  manifested  makes  him  very  popu- 
lar with  all  classes,  regardless  of  politics. 

Mr.  Hubbard  is  a  native  of  Middlesex 
county,  Connecticut,  his  birth  having  oc- 
curred in  the  town  of  Durham,  June  25, 
1853.  He  is  a  son  of  Thomas  S.  and  Jane 
E.  (Woodruff)  Hubbard,  who  likewise  were 
natives  of  Connecticut.  The  former  came 
to  Urbana  in  1854,  and  in  1860  established 
a  hardware  store,  the  first  of  the  kind  in  the 
pla^e. 

The  education  of  George  W.  Hubbard 
was  chiefly  obtained  in  the  schools  of  this 
county,  and  in  the  University  of  Illinois. 
He  was  one  of  the  first  students  enrolled  in 
that  institution,  and  at  the  time  he  left  he 
lacked  but  a  few  months  of  completing  the 
regular  course.  As  early  as  1869,  he  be- 


came a  clerk  in  his  father's  hardware  store, 
and  for  more  than  thirty  years  has  been  con- 
nected with  the  business.  In  June,  1874, 
he  was  admitted  to  the  firm  of  Hubbard  & 
Sons,  comprising  Thomas  S.,  Harry  T.  and 
himself.  This  firm,  which  is  one  of  the  old- 
est of  this  line  of  business  in  the  county, 
handles  a  large  share  of  the  hardware  trade 
of  this  section  of  the  state,  and  its  reputa- 
tion for  square-dealing  and  enterprise  is 
highly  creditable. 

In  1885  George  W.  Hubbard  was  hon- 
ored by  election  to  the  responsible  office  of 
city  treasurer,  in  which  capacity  he  acted 
for  two  years.  Then  he  was  chosen  as  a 
member  of  the  city  council,  and  acted  in 
that  honorable  body  from  1890  to  1895.  In 
the  last-mentioned  year,  he  was  elected 
mayor  on  the  Republican  ticket,  and  at  the 
end  of  two  terms  spent  in  that  important 
office  retired  to  private  life.  While  he  was 
mayor,  many  improvements  were  made  in 
the  streets  and  sidewalks,  and  the  stone 
arched  bridge  at  the  west  end  of  Main  street 
was  built.  He  was  chairman  of  the  com- 
mittee that  had  charge  of  putting  in  the 
present  sewerage  system.  The  question  of 
whether  the  shops  of  the  Big  Four  Railroad 
Company  should  be  located  here  came  up 
for  consideration  during  Mr.  Hubbard's  term 
as  mayor,  and  it  was  due  largely  to  his  influ- 
ence and  able  management  Urbana  owes 
the  result,  which  is  highly  satisfactory.  He 
was  made  treasurer  of  the  fund  raised  as  an 
inducement  to  the  company  to  build  shops 
here,  and  handed  over  to  them  thirty-five 
thousand  dollars,  besides  sixty-five  acres 
of  land  which  patriotic  citizens  had  con- 
tributed. 

On  the  roth  of  September,  1874,  Mr. 
Hubbard  married  Edna  P.  Post,  of  Crom- 
well, Connecticut.  She  is  the  elder  of  the 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


'35 


two  children  of  Eben  W.  and  Mary  (Stick- 
ney)  Post,  who,  likewise,  were  born  in  Con- 
necticut. Her  brother  Charles  is  deceased. 
Of  the  eight  children  born  to  our  subject 
and  wife  the  eldest,  Willie,  died  when  three 
months  old,  and  Fred  P.,  born  May  28, 
1891,  died  July  13,  1899.  George  Wallace, 
the  eldest  living  child,  is  a  graduate  of  the 
engineering  department  of  the  University  of 
Illinois,  and  now  is  in  the  employ  of  the 
Murphy  Iron  Works,  of  Detroit,  Michigan. 
May  W.,  who  was  graduated  in  the  Urbana 
high  school,  is  now  pursuing  a  course  in 
music  in  the  university.  Jennie  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  junior  class  of  the  Urbana  high 
school.  Julia  and  Ernest  T.  are  attending 
school.  Charlie  died  at  the  age  of  one 
month.  The  parents  and  the  older  children 
are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church, 
and  are  held  in  high  esteem  in  the  social 
circles  of  this  city. 


HTHOMAS  J.  PATTENGALE,  an  honored 
1  and  highly  respected  citizen  of  Cham-v 
paign,  who  is  now  serving  as  supervisor,  was 
born  in  Porter  township,  Sciota  county, 
Ohio,  September  i,  1843,  a  son  of  Stephen 
and  Lydia  (Beloat)  Pattengale.  The  father, 
a  native  of  New  York,  went  to  Ohio  when 
a  young  man  and  made  his  first  purchase  of 
land  just  across  the  river  in  Kentucky,  upon 
which  he  located  in  1851.  As  his  children 
grew  up,  he  returned  to  Sciota  county  to 
educate  them  and  bought  a  farm  there.  In 
politics  he  was  first  a  Whig  and  later  a  Re- 
publican, and  during  his  residence  in  Ohio, 
he  served  as  township  trustee  for  many  years. 
His  wife  was  born  and  reared  in  Sciota 
county.  Coming  to  Illinois,  in  1864,  the 
father  purchased  a  farm  in  Montgomery 


county  and  another  in  Christian  county,  near 
Pana,  and  upon  the  latter  he  continued  to 
engage  in  agricultural  pursuits  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  1882.  The  mother  of  our 
subject  also  died  there  September  8,  1867. 
Both  were  consistent  and  faithful  members 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

Mr.  Pattengale,  of  this  review,  is  in- 
debted to  the  public  schools  of  his 'native 
state  for  his  educational  advantages.  After 
the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  war,  he  enlisted 
several  times,  but  was  always  rejected  on 
account  of  being  small  in  stature,  until  1864, 
when  he  was  finally  accepted  and  became  a 
member  of  Company  M,  Seventh  Ohio  Cav- 
alry, which  was  assigned  to  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland.  He  saw  a  great  deal  of  hard 
fighting,  was  in  the  Atlanta  campaign,  and 
then  returned  to  Nashville  to  meet  Hood. 
After  that  engagement  the  command  went 
on  the  Wilson  raid,  and  when  near  Ander- 
sonville  prison  were  met  by  a  flag  of  truce, 
after  which  they  returned  to  Nashville,  where 
they  were  mustered  out  July  3,  1865,  after 
sixteen  months  of  arduous  and  faithful 
service. 

On  his  return  home,  Mr.  Pattengale  en- 
gaged in  farming  in  Montgomery  county, 
where  he  made  his  home  for  twenty-seven 
years,  and  where  he  still  owns  a  fine  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  eighty-two  acres  under 
a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  improved  with 
good  and  substantial  buildings.  He  suc- 
cessfully followed  general  farming  and  stock 
raising  until  1892,  when  he  removed  to 
Champaign,  and  embarked  in  the  flour  and 
feed  business,  which  after  carrying  on  four 
years  he  sold  to  his  sons,  who  now  conduct 
it  under  the  firm  name  of  Pattengale  Broth- 
ers. The  brick  building  on  University 
avenue  occupied  by  them  was  purchased 
February  i,  1899.  For  the  past  three  years 


136 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Mr.  Pattengale  has  lived  retired  from  active 
labor,  enjoying  a  well-earned  rest  and  the 
comfortable  competence  secured  by  former 
toil.  In  1 892  he  erected  a  comfortable  resi- 
dence on  East  Springfield  avenue,  where  he 
expects  to  spend  his  remaining  years. 

On  the  3Oth  of  November,  1865,  Mr. 
Pattengale  married  Miss  Maria  Cable,  also  a 
native  of  Sciota  county,  Ohio,  and  they  have 
three  sons:  Stephen  M.,  now  a  member  of 
the  firm  of  Pattengale  Brothers,  was  well 
educated  and  successfully  engaged  in  teach- 
ing school  for  some  years;  John  K.,  a  resi- 
dent of  Champaign,  was  a  member  of  Com- 
pany M,  Fourth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry, 
during  our  recent  war  with  Spain,  and  went 
to  Cuba  with  his  regiment;  Carl  is  the  junior 
member  of  the  firm  of  Pattengale  Brothers 
and  resides  at  home.  The  family  attend 
and  support  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

While  a  resident  of  Montgomery  county 
our  subject  took  quite  an  active  and  promi- 
nent part  in  local  politics;  was  a  delegate  to 
the  different  conventions  of  the  Republican 
party,  and  was  central  committeeman  in  his 
township  for  fifteen  years.  He  was  census 
enumerator  in  1890,  and  also  served  as 
supervisor  five  years,  and  as  assessor,  being 
elected  to  those  offices  in  a  Democratic 
township,  which  fact  speaks  highly  as  to  his 
standing  in  the  community.  He  was  a 
prominent  and  influential  member  of  Cun- 
ningham Post,  No.  236,  G.  A.  R.,  of  Noko- 
mis,  of  which  he  was  adjutant  and  com- 
mander, and  which  he  represented  in  the 
department  commandery  of  the  state.  He 
is  now  an  honored  member  of  Colonel 
Nodine  Post,  of  Champaign  and  has  served 
as  its  adjutant  for  two  years.  In  the  fall  of 
1898  he  was  appointed  supervisor  to  fill  a 
vacancy,  and  the  following  spring  was  elected 
to  that  office  for  a  term  of  two  years,  being 


at  present  a  member  of  the  election  and 
finance  committees,  the  latter  being  quite 
important  at  the  present  time,  as  the  new 
court  house  is  in  course  of  construction.  He 
is  a  man  of  recognized  ability,  public- 
spirited  and  enterprising  and  takes  a  deep 
and  commendable  interest  in  everything 
calculated  to  prove  of  public  benefit  or  will 
in  any  way  advance  the  welfare  of  his.  city 
and  county. 


AUGUST  PFISTERER.  This  well- 
known  resident  of  Urbana  is  one  of 
the  leading  German-American  citizens  of 
Champaign  county,  and  in  his  successful 
business  career  he  has  shown  the  character- 
istic thrift  and  enterprise  of  his  race.  Be- 
ginning with  no  capital  except  that  ac- 
quired by  his  own  industry,  he  has  suc- 
ceeded in  accumulating  a  handsome  prop- 
erty and  is  now  practically  living  retired  at 
his  beautiful  home  No.  907  West  Green 
street. 

Mr.  Pfisterer  was  born  and  reared  in 
Smieden,  near  Stutgart,  Germany,  August 
!7.  J833.  His  parents,  Philip  and  Catherine 
(Mueller)  Pfisterer,  spent  their  entire  lives 
as  farming  people  in  Smieden.  The  father 
was  a  soldier  in  the  war  against  France  in 
1790,  and  a  medal  received  for.  bravery  in 
that  struggle  is  now  in  possession  of  our 
subject. 

Mr.  Pfisterer  received  a  good  practical 
education  in  the  schools  of  his  native  land, 
and  remained  under  the  parental  roof  until 
about  twenty  years  of  age,  when  he  decided 
to  come  to  America  to  avoid  military  ser- 
vice, as  he  was  old  enough  to  enter  the  army 
at  that  time.  Accordingly  on  the  i$th  of 
June,  1853,  he  left  home — a  day  long  to  be 
remembered  by  him,  as  he  did  not  know 


AUGUST  1'FISTERER. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


139 


whether  he  would  ever  see  his  parents  again, 
and  he  did  not  return  to  his  native  land 
until  after  their  deaths.  On  reaching  this 
country  he  spent  three  months  in  Cincin- 
nati, Ohio,  where  he  had  a  brother  living, 
and  where  he  worked  for  a  butcher.  He 
then  came  to  Champaign  county,  Illinois, 
where  another  brother  made  his  home,  and 
found  employment  with  B.  F.  Harris,  liv- 
ing twelve  miles  west  of  Urbana,  feeding 
cattle  the  first  winter.  Not  knowing  the 
English  language  he  did  not.  like  his  new 
home  at  first.  For  three  months  he  re- 
ceived fifteen  dollars  per  month  and  after 
that  thirty  dollars.  He  remained  with  Mr. 
Harris  until  after  his  marriage  to  Christina 
Wise,  also  a  native  of  Germany,  and  then 
operated  that  gentleman's  farm  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  during  which  time  he  saved 
money  and  accumulated  some  stock.  Sub- 
sequently he  lived  upon  an  adjoining  farm 
for  three  years,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time 
purchased  ninety  acres  of  land  from  Mr. 
Harris  a  mile  and  a  half  southwest  of  Ma- 
homet, upon  which  was  a  good  log  house; 
that  in  later  years  he  replaced  by  a  resi- 
dence costing  three  thousand  dollars.  He 
also  built  a  granary  and  other  buildings 
after  he  had  finished  paying  for  his  land. 

Mrs.  Pfisterer,  who  for  twenty-two  years 
had  traveled  life's  journey  with  her  husband 
and  had  proved  a  faithful  helpmeet  to  him, 
died  in  1876,  leaving  six  children:  John 
W.  and  Charles  William,  both  farmers  of 
this  county;  Jacob  Oscar,  also  a  farmer, 
who  died  three  years  ago;  Frank  F. ,  a 
farmer  of  this  county;  Rose  E.,  wife  of 
Oscar  Wright;  and  Susan,  wife  of  James 
Ospen,  of  Iowa.  Mr.  Pfisterer  was  again 
married  in  1878,  his  second  union  being  with 
Mrs.  Julia  A.  Latshaw,  who  died  in  March, 
1883.  On  the  2nd  of  October,  1885,  he 


married  Mrs.  Almira  Jane  (Cox)  lunrich, 
widow  of  Jacob  lunrich,  a  brother  of  our 
subject's  second  wife.  She  was  born  in 
Perry  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  belongs 
to  an  old  and  highly  respected  family  of 
that  state,  her  father  being  Colonel  William 
Cox,  commander  of  a  regiment  in  the  state 
militia,  and  a  prominent  business  man  of 
Perry  county.  Her  grandfather  represented 
his  district  in  the  state  Legislature  for  sev- 
eral terms. 

As  his  financial  resources  increased,  Mr. 
Pfisterer  added  to  his  farm  until  it  com- 
prises two  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  which  he 
still  owns,  and  also  purchased  a  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  near  Staley,  but 
has  now  practically  divided  his  property 
with  his  children.  In  1881  he  purchased  a 
residence  in  Champaign  and  removed  to 
that  place,  but  after  the  death  of  his  second 
wife  he  returned  to  his  farm,  remaining 
there  two  years.  When  he  was  again  mar- 
ried, he  bought  a  farm  near  his  wife's  old 
home  in  Pennsylvania,  but  not  liking  the 
location  he  sold  out  at  the  end  of  two  years 
and  returned  to  this  county.  Here  he  pur- 
chased more  land,  so  that  he  had  a  half 
section  in  Mahomet  township,  as  well  as 
another  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  the 
same  township,  and  there  successfully  en- 
gaged in  farming  and  stock  raising  for  three 
or  four  years.  He  then  returned  to  Cham- 
paign, where  he  still  owns  a  house,  one 
block  west  of  the  University,  but  a  year  and 
a  half  later  he  sold  that  place,  and  bought 
his  present  beautiful  home  on  West  Green 
street,  Urbana,  one  of  the  choicest  locations 
in  the  city.  He  has  always  endeavored  to 
buy  property  where  it  could  be  sold  advan- 
tageously. At  present  he  is  not  actively  en- 
gaged in  any  occupation  though  he  continues 
to  look  after  his  property  interests. 


140 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Politically  Mr.  Pfisterer  is  a  stanch  sup- 
porter of  the  Republican  party,  and  has 
held  several  local  offices,  serving  as  school 
director  for  many  years.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  Order,  and  was  also  con- 
nected with  the  Odd  Fellows  Lodge  at  Ma- 
homet until  it  broke  up,  and  he  is  still  hold- 
ing a  certificate.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
and  are  held  in  high  regard  by  all  who  have 
the  pleasure  of  their  acquaintance. 


JACOB  F.  HERBSTRIET.  One  of  the 
upright,  enterprising  young  business 
men  of  Urbana  is  he  of  whom  this  sketch 
is  penned.  By  diligence  and  strict  atten- 
tion to  the  needs  and  wishes  of  his  cus- 
tomers he  has  won  the  favor  of  the  public, 
and  rarely, if  ever,  finds  any  leisure  time  upon 
his  hands  of  late  years.  Public  spirited  and 
progressive,  he  takes  great  interest  in  the 
prosperity  of  this  community,  and  performs 
his  full  share  towards  the  common  welfare. 
Though  he  is  a  native  of  Germany,  his 
birth  having  occurred  in  the  town  of  Wit- 
landsweiler,  Wurtemburg,  August  26,  1864, 
he  was  so  young  when  he  came  to  the 
United  States  that  he  is,  to  all  intents  and 
purposes,  an  American.  With  his  two  sis- 
ters, Caroline  and  Maggie,  he  accompanied 
their  parents,  Jacob  Frederick  and  Anna 
Herbstriet,  to  the  hospitable  shores  of  this 
fair  land  some  thirty  years  ago,  three  weeks 
being  spent  in  making  the  voyage.  An 
uncle  of  our  subject,  Matthew  Herbstriet, 
had  crossed  the  Atlantic  previously,  and  an 
aunt,  Mary,  who  became  the  wife  of  Fred 
Sweitzer,  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  also  had 
come  to  America.  Anna,  widow  of  Fred 
Kinzel,  who  died  November  28,  1899, 


aged  sixty  years,  resides  in  Mattoon,  Illi- 
nois; Effie,  who  married  John  Ross,  of  Ur- 
bana, died  in  1888,  and  Mrs.  Sanborn 
died  in  Missouri.  Several  of  the  brothers 
and  sisters  of  our  subject's  mother  reside 
in  Germany,  but  none  live  in  this  country. 
Mrs.  Anna  Herbstriet  departed  this  life 
about  five  years  subsequent  to  the  arrival  of 
the  family  in  the  United  States. 

Of  the  seven  children  born  to  Jacob 
Frederick  and  Anna  Herbstriet  all  but  two 
have  passed  to  the  better  land.  Maggie, 
wife  of  James  Vaughn,  resides  on  Sixth 
street,  Champaign,  Illinois.  Caroline, 
who  was  born  in  1861,  and  died  in  1892, 
was  the  wife  of  Ryman  Herbe,  and  left 
five  children  to  mourn  her  loss.  Effie  died 
in  Germany  with  the  small  pox,  which  dis- 
ease the  father  also  had,  and  the  other 
members  of  the  family  suffered  from  it  in 
its  lightest  form.  Fred  and  Frank,  twins, 
did  not  outlive  babyhood,  the  latter  being 
about  two  years  old  at  the  time  of  his 
death.  Annie,  the  youngest  child,  died 
when  in  her  twenty-second  year,  in  1893. 

From  the  time  of  his  arrival  in  Illinois,  in 
1870,  until  1879,  J.  F.  Herbstriet  lived  with 
his  relatives  in  Champaign,  attending  the 
common  schools  and  making  thorough  prep- 
aration for  the  more  serious  duties  of  life. 
Beginning  to  work  at  the  trade  of  a  tailor  in 
the  year  last-mentioned,  he  found  employ- 
ment for  several  years  with  John  Ross,  of 
Urbana,  and  about  nine  years  ago  he  em- 
barked in  business  here  independently.  He 
has  been  located  at  his  present  commodious 
quarters  in  the  Masonic  building,  on  Main 
street,  from  the  beginning,  and,  as  the 
workmanship  and  style  of  all  clothing  or- 
dered of  him  is  excellent,  and  gives  a  high 
degree  of  satisfaction  to  all  of  his  patrons,. 
he  commands  a  large  and  lucrative  trade. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


141 


The  marriage  of  Mr.  Herbstriet  and 
Miss  Josephine  Hill  was  celebrated  April  16, 
1885.  Her  father,  William  Hill,  who  died 
in  1894,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-two 
years,  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  was  one  of 
the  old  and  honored  pioneers  of  Urbana,  his 
residence  here  extending  over  a  period  of 
thirty-five  years.  His  wife,  whose  maiden 
name  was  Elizabeth  Simmers,  is  still  living 
at  their  old  home  on  South  Vine  street. 
Mrs.  Herbstriet  is  one  of  eight  children, 
namely:  William,  Jesse,  Joseph,  Thomp- 
son, John,  who  was  drowned  in  the  Oswego 
river;  Josephine,  Carrie,  and  Alice,  who 
died  in  1882,  aged  fourteen  years.  Joseph 
is  married,  and  is  carrying  on  a  farm  in 
Woodbury  county,  Iowa.  The  half-brother 
of  Mrs.  Herbstriet  is  deceased.  The  only 
child  of  our  subject  and  wife  is  Jean,  a 
bright  little  girl  of  ten  years.  Mrs.  Herb- 
striet has  ably  assisted  her  husband  in  his 
business  during  the  past  nine  years. 

In  political  affairs,  Mr.  Herbstriet  is  a 
Republican,  and  fraternally,  he  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Masonic  order  and  belongs  to  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  He  de- 
serves great  credit  for  the  success  which  he 
has  achieved,  for  it  is  founded  upon  true 
merit  and  correct  business  principles. 


OOBERT  ABERNATHY,  a  well-known 
1  V  carriage  and  sign  painter  of  Champaign, 
who  has  made  his  home  in  that  city  since 
the  spring  of  1879,  was  born  in  Jennings 
township,  Fayette  county,  Indiana,  May  10. 
1846,  and  is  a  son  of  James  and  Susanna 
(Burk)  Abernathy.  The  father  was  a  native 
of  Dunlapville,  Union  county,  Indiana,  and 
a  son  of  Robert  Abernathy,  who  about 
1800  removed  from  South  Carolina  to  Indi- 


ana, the  state  at  that  time  being  an  unbroken 
wilderness  inhabitated  only  by  the  red  men 
and  a  very  few  white  settlers,  for  whose 
protection  a  block  house  had  been  built  near 
the  present  site  of  Dunlapville.  There  he 
took  up  land  and  continued  to  make  his 
home  throughout  life,  but  his  death  occurred 
in  Fayette  county,  Indiana.  He  was  of 
Scotch  descent.  The  father  of  our  subject 
grew  to  manhood  in  his  native  county,  and 
at  an  early  day  entered  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land  in  Hancock  county,  Indi- 
ana, which  he  proved  up  and  continued  to 
own  until  a  short  time  before  his  death. 
From  his  father  he  also  received  a  farm  of 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Fayette 
county,  and  upon  that  place  he  lived.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  old  state  militia,  and 
both  he  and  his  wife  were  earnest  and  con- 
sistent members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  She  was  born  and  reared  in  Ohio, 
and  was  a  daughter  of  John  Burk,  who  later 
moved  with  his  family  to  Indiana.  Our 
subject's  father  died  in  March,  1867,  and 
the  mother  in  February,  1882. 

Mr.  Abernathy,  whose  name  introduces 
this  sketch,  passed  his  boyhood  and  youth 
on  the  home  farm  and  obtained  his  educa- 
tion in  the  schools  of  the  neighborhood. 
He  was  married,  November  25,  1865,  to 
Miss  Tabitha  Finnell,  and  about  two  years 
later  came  to  this  county,  locating  in  Cham- 
paign township,  six  miles  southwest  of  the 
city  of  Champaign,  where  he  owned  a  farm 
of  eighty  acres  and  engaged  in  general  farm- 
ing and  stock-raising  for  some  time.  There 
his  wife  died,  August  4,  1874,  leaving  three 
sons:  William  Arthur,  who  is  mentioned  be- 
low; James  Madison,  who  assists  his  father 
in  business;  and  Walter  M.,  of  Champaign. 

After  the  death  of  his  wife,  Mr.  Aber- 
nathy stopped  farming  and  traded  his  farm 


142 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


for  property  on  East  University  avenue,  be- 
tween First  and  Second  streets,  Champaign, 
consisting  of  two  lots,  upon  one  of  which 
he  erected  a  residence,  the  other  a  shop. 
Here  he  has  since  successfully  engaged 
in  carriage  and  sign  painting,  his  work 
displaying  considerable  artistic  taste,  and 
gaining  for  him  a  worthy  reputation  in  that 
line.  He  now  has  the  oldest  exclusive  car- 
riage shop  in  the  city,  and  he  and  his  son 
are  kept  constantly  busy  to  meet  the  de- 
mands of  their  trade.  In  his  political  affili- 
ations he  is  a  Democrat. 

On  the  25th  of  September,  1884,  Mr. 
Abernathy  was  again  married,  his  second 
union  being  with  Miss  Susan  Conwell,  of 
Champaign,  also  a  native  of  Indiana.  She 
was  reared  in  Richmond,  that  state,  and 
came  to  Colfax,  Illinois,  with  her  father, 
Robert  Conwell,  the  same  year  that  our  sub- 
ject located  here.  They  have  one  child, 
Leola  Frances.  Mrs.  Abernathy  is  a  most 
estimable  woman  and  a  member  of  the 
Christian  church. 

ARTHUR  W.  ABERNATHY,  proprietor  of 
the  Abernathy  studio  of  Champaign,  which 
is  one  of  the  best  studios  in  this  part  of 
the  state,  was  born  in  Rushville,  Indiana, 
August  29,  1866,  and  was  only  two  years  old 
when  brought  by  his  parents  to  this  county. 
After  completing  his  education  in  the  com- 
mon and  high  schools  of  Champaign,  he 
entered  the  studio  of  Mr.  Holland  in  1882, 
at  the  age  of  fifteen  years,  to  learn  the  art 
of  photography,  and  spent  three  years  with 
him.  Subsequently  he  worked  in  different 
galleries  here  and  in  other  cities,  and  then 
started  in  business  for  himself  in  Champaign. 
Later  he  had  an  interest  in  galleries  outside 
of  the  city,  but  carried  on  business  here  in 
partnership  with  F.  W.  Stafford  until  their 
studio  was  destroyed  by  fire  January  6, 


1899.  Since  then  Mr.  Abernathy  has  been 
alone,  and  on  the  completion  of  the  new 
building  opened  his  present  gallery  on  the 
ground  floor,  which  was  planned  especially 
for  him  and  is  one  of  the  finest  studios  in 
the  central  part  of  the  state,  being  ninety 
feet  long  and  supplied  with  all  conveniences. 
Mr.  Abernathy  is  certainly  master  of  the  art 
to  which  he  devotes  his  talents,  and  has  met 
with  most  gratifying  success.  On  the  I2th 
of  March,  1891,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Mary  E.  Skelly,  of  Pekin,  Illi- 
nois. Both  are  members  of  the  Christian 
church,  and  he  also  belongs  to  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America,  the  Red  Men  and 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
having  passed  all  the  chairs  in  the  subordi- 
nate lodge  of  the  last  named  fraternity. 


REV.  WILLIAM  SUESSMITH,  pas- 
tor of  St.  Peter's  United  Evangel- 
ical church,  of  Champaign,  was  born  in 
Darmstadt,  Germany,  October  28,  1869,  a 
son  of  Adam  and  Elizabeth  Suessmith,  who 
have  always  made  their  home  in  Darmstadt. 
The  father  was  a  civil  engineer  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  government  and  had  oversight 
of  all  the  engineering  in  his  division,  which 
is  similar  to  our  counties,  this  including  rail- 
roads and  all. 

During  his  boyhood  Rev.  Suessmith 
pursued  his  studies  in  the  colleges  of  his 
native  land.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  years  he 
came  alone  to  the  United  States,  landing  in 
New  York,  in  1884,  and  he  spent  some  time 
in  the  office  of  his  uncle,  a  physician  of  that 
city.  He  then  entered  Berea  College 
(Ohio),  remaining  there  within  one  year  of 
graduation,  and  next  became  a  student  in 
the  Theological  Seminary  of  the  Evangel- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


143 


ical  Synod  of  North  America,  where  he 
pursued  the  full  course  and  was  graduated 
with  the  class  of  1895.  He  was  then  or- 
dained and  accepted  his  first  charge  at 
Houston,  Texas,  as  pastor  of  the  First 
Evangelical  Lutheran  church  of  that  city. 
He  next  went  to  Warrenton,  that  state, 
where  he  renovated  the  church  and  built  a 
school  in  the  parish,  but  on  account  of  his 
health  he  had  to  leave  Texas,  the  climate 
not  agreeing  with  him.  In  August,  1899, 
he  came  to  Champaign  and  accepted  the 
pastorate  of  St.  Peter's  Evangelical  church. 
This  church  has  a  membership  of  over 
one  hundred  families  and  is  the  largest  Ger- 
man church  in  the  county.  The  congrega- 
tion was  organized  in  1864  and  the  first 
clergyman  was  Rev.  I.  M.  Harthman,  the 
missionary  for  this  district,  but  the  first  res- 
ident pastor  was  Rev.  Julius  Schumm,  who 
remained  here  three  years  and  nine  months, 
leaving  July  11,  1869.  During  this  time 
the  first  church  was  built  and  dedicated  on 
the  last  day  of  December,  1865.  Rev. 
Schumm  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  N.  R. 
Buehler,  and  was  pastor  two  years,  and  in 
turn  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  John  Andres, 
who  remained  until  1873.  The  next  pastor 
was  Rev.  H.  Strehlow,  who  was  in  charge 
of  the  work  here  for  the  long  period  of 
twenty-two  years,  or  until  1895,  and  it  was 
during  his  pastorate  that  arrangements  were 
made  to  build  the  new  church,  but  it  was 
not  started  until  after  the  arrival  of  Rev. 
Frederick  Werhahn,  from  December,  1895, 
to  April,  1898.  This  brick  edifice,  on  the 
corner  of  University  avenue  and  Fourth 
street,  was  dedicated  in  1896.  It  was  built 
at  a  cost  of  about  twenty-five  thousand  dol- 
lars, and  has  a  seating  capacity  of  nine  hun- 
dred. The  parsonage,  which  adjoins  the 
church,  was  purchased  in  1890.  There  is 


also  a  parochial  school  with  W.  Rathmann 
as  teacher,  who  is  also  organist  in  the  church, 
which  is  supplied  with  a  fine  new  pipe  organ. 
This  school  is  under  the  supervision  of  the 
pastor,  and  has  forty  pupils  in  attendance. 
The  church  has  increased  in  membership 
quite  rapidly,  especially  in  the  last  three  or 
four  years,  and  is  one  of  the  most  success- 
ful in  the  county.  The  Ladies  Society,  at 
their  tenth  anniversary  in  July,  1899,  had 
sixty  members,  while  the  Young  People's 
Society  has  forty-five  members.  The  latter 
bought  the  organ  for  the  church  in  1899, 
and  the  three  bells  in  1896.  Through  the 
efforts  of  Rev.  Suessmith  several  interior  im- 
provements have  already  been  made  in  the 
church,  and  he  is  doing  an  excellent  work 
in  the  community.  Broad  in  his  views  and 
sympathies,  a  friend  of  the  poor  and  op- 
pressed, ever  ready  with  helpful  counsel  for 
the  perplexed  or  sorrowful,  he  has  a  wide 
field  for  labor  and  well  does  he  discharge  its 
arduous  and  sacred  duties.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Evangelical  Synod  of  North 
America. 

On  the  5th  of  December,  1895,  Rev. 
Suessmith  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Amelia  Eschenbach,  who  was  born  in  Han- 
over, Germany,  and  was  given  an  excellent 
education,  her  uncle  being  a  college  pro- 
fessor in  Verden,  Hanover.  She  is  also  a 
fine  musician  and  a  most  estimable  lady. 


JOHN  REIMUND,  deceased,  was  one  of 
the  prominent  and  most  highly  respected 
citizens  of  Urbana  for  many  years,  and, 
though  about  eighteen  years,  with  note- 
worthy changes,  have  passed  since  he  was 
summoned  to  his  reward,  the  memory  of  his 
noble  life  and  sterling  virtues  is  undimmed 


.144 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


in  the  minds  of  the  hosts  of  sincere 
friends  to  whom  he  had  endeared  himself. 

Born  in  Bedford,  Pennsylvania,  January 
24,  1821,  he  was  a  son  of  Solomon  and 
Elizabeth  (Hessheizer)  Reimund,  likewise 
natives  of  the  Keystone  state.  The  father, 
who  died  about  1872,  when  eighty-one  years 
of  age,  was  a  manufacturer  and  dealer  in 
furniture,  and  was  favorably  known  in  Bed- 
ford, where  he  made  his  home  for  almost  a 
life-time.  He  was  an  earnest  member  of 
the  Lutheran  church,  and  led  the  choir  for 
a  long  time.  His  wife  also  was  a  devoted 
member  of  the  church,  and  their  home  was 
noted  for  hospitality  and  good  cheer.  She 
departed  this  life  in  1852,  loved  and  mourned 
by  everyone  who  knew  her.  Their  eldest 
child,  Mary,  first  married  William  Weisel, 
whose  death  occurred  about  a  year  subse- 
quently. His  widow  later  became  the  wife 
of  Henry  Nicodemus,  who  survives  her. 
She  died  when  in  her  sixty-third  year,  and 
her  husband  now  is  approaching  his  nine- 
tieth year.  Of  their  five  children  John  and 
Mary  are  unmarried,  and  the  others  are 
William,  whose  wife,  formerly  Julia  Reed, 
is  deceased;  Ellen,  wife  of  Harry  Harclay; 
and  Frank.  Henry,  youngest  child  of  Solo- 
mon Reimund,  makes  his  home  in  Beatrice, 
Nebraska.  He  was  married,  in  Bedford, 
Pennsylvania,  to  Mary  Ann  Ridebaugh,  and 
three  sons  were  born  to  them,  namely;  Am- 
brose, William  and  Alfonzo.  .  , 

John  Reimund,  whose  name  heads  this 
sketch,  was  educated  in  the  Lutheran  schools 
at  Bedford,  and  when  he  had  completed  his 
studies  he  commenced  learning  the  jeweler's 
trade.  He  was  thus  employed  for  about  six 
years,  one  year  being  in  the  employ  of  his 
brother-in-law,  Mr.  Weisel.  Going  to 
Hagerstown,  Maryland,  the  young  man  was 
there  engaged  in  business  for  four  years, 


after  which  he  returned  to  his  native  place 
and  continued  to  conduct  a  jewelry  store  on 
his  own  account  until  1853.  At  that  time 
he  located  in  Princeton,  Illinois, and  three 
years  later  he  went  to  Wabasha,  Minnesota, 
where  he  pre-empted  a  claim,  and  fulfilled 
the  conditions  of  the  law  in  regard  to  the 
property.  At  Red  Wing,  in  the  same  state, 
he  was  employed  at  his  trade  until  August 
1 8,  1862,  when, he  offered  his  services  to  his 
stricken  country. 

Then,  as  we  all  know,  were  the  days 
that  "tried  men's  souls,"  and  for  three 
years  John  Reimund  was  ever  found  at  the 
post  of  duty,  though  how  often  did  his 
thoughts  return  to  the  happy  little  family 
he  had  left  in  the  north,  and  who  he  was 
not  to  see  for  the  entire  period  of  his  army 
life.  He  had  enlisted  in  Company  F,  Sixth 
Regiment  of  Minnesota  Volunteer  Infantry, 
and  from  October,  1862,  until  the  following 
fall,  his  regiment  was  kept  in  the  home 
state,  guarding  the  settlers  from  threatened 
Indian  outbreaks.  During  the  winter  of 
1864  Mr.  Reimund  was  kept  on  guard  duty, 
having  charge  of  prisoners,  and  then  was 
sent  to  Helena,  Arkansas,  on  that  rigorous 
campaign,  where  great  numbers  of  his  com- 
rades died  of  illness  contracted  in  camp.  At 
the  time  of  Lincoln's  second  election,  he 
was  stationed  at  the  St.  Louis  barracks, 
and  voted  for  the  great  American  who  was 
so  soon  to  fall  by  the  hand  of  an  assassin,  and 
here  it  may  be  stated  that  our  subject  always 
was  a  loyal  advocate  of  the  Republican 
party.  He  took  part  in  the  military  opera- 
tions around  New  Orleans  and  participated 
in  the  last  battle  of  the  war.  At  Ft.  Ridgely, 
in  Minnesota,  his  regiment  was  disbanded, 
and  in  August,  1865,  just  three  years  from 
the  date  of  his  enlistment,  he  was  granted 
an  honorable  discharge  from  the  army. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


145 


Imagine  the  happy  re-union  of  John 
Reimund  and  his  family,  who  for  three 
dreadful  years  of  anxiety  and  suffering  had 
been  separated.  The  brave  wife,  whose 
part  had  been  no  less  difficult  than  his  own, 
had  returned  to  Bedford  with  their  five  chil- 
dren, and  had  nobly  performed  her  duties. 
Now  she  tenderly  cared  for  her  husband  for 
nearly  a  year,  as  his  health  was  broken 
down  in  the  arduous  campaigns  of  the  south- 
west. In  December,  1866,  the  family  re- 
moved to  Urbana,  where  Mr.  Reimund's 
brother  Henry  was  a  resident.  Buying  the 
stock  and  good  will  of  his  sister's  husband, 
Mr.  Ridebiugh,  our  subject  continued  to 
carry  on  the  business  here  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  June  5,  1882.  He  had  won 
the  respect  of  the  people  of  Urbana,  and  had 
identified  himself  with  all  of  their  interests. 
For  a  number  of  years  he  served  as  steward 
in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  besides 
being  chorister  for  a  long  period,  and  a 
teacher  and  leader  of  the  singing  in  the  Sun- 
day-school. 

The  marriage  of  John  Reimund  and  Re- 
becca Nawgel  took  place  March  29,  1849. 
Her  ancestors  were  numbered  among  the 
old  and  honored  pioneers  of  Bedford  county, 
and  to-day  she  has  some  documents  in  her 
possession  which  were  written  there  one 
hundred  and  three  years  ago,  and  yet  are 
well  preserved.  Her  grandfather,  Anthony 
Nawgel,  came  from  Baden,  Germany,  and 
was  one  of  the  first  treasurers  of  Bedford  • 
county.  He  married  Sarah  Faust.  Her  fa- 
ther, Frederick  Nawgel,  who.  was  born  Jan- 
uary 1 8,  1791,  and  died  May  15,  1880,  was 
a  prosperous  farmer,  owning  upwards  of 
seven  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land.  He 
was  very  prominent  in  the  Lutheran  church, 
and  besides  being  an  elder  until  late  in  life 
he  served  as  superintendent  of  the  Sunday- 


school  for  a  score  of  years.  His  wife,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Eva  Ott  (and  who  was  a 
daughter  of  Michael  Ott)  was  born  May  8, 
1795,  afid  died  May  15,  1863.  She,  too, 
was  a  zealous  church  member,  and  carried 
her  religious  faith  into  her  every-day  life. 
Her  two  eldest  children,  Anthony  and  Phoebe, 
died  in  infancy.  Michael,  born  in  June, 
1819,  died  in  1897.  He  married  Maria 
Horn,  now  deceased,  and  several  children 
blessed  their  union.  Sarah,  born  October 
15,  1821,  became  the  wife  of  the  Rev.  P.  P. 
Lane,  and  the  mother  of  ten  children.  Both 
parents  and  seven  of  their  children  have 
passed  to  the  better  land.  Elizabeth,  de- 
ceased, was  the  wife  of  George  Logan,  and 
three  of  their  children  survive.  Frederick, 
now  seventy-five  years  of  age,  married  Hen- 
rietta Cavendish  in  his  youth,  and  of  their 
large  family  seven  survive.  Anna,  widow 
of  David  Coffman,  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri, 
has  four  living  children. 

Mrs.  Rebecca  Reimund  was  born  and 
reared  in  Bedford,  Pennsylvania,  the  date  of 
her  birth  being  January  5,  1831.  By  her 
marriage  she  became  the  mother  of  seven 
children,  one  of  whom  is  in  the  silent  land. 
Her  daughter,  Levanda,  lives  with  her,  and 
her  youngest  child,  Solomon  J.,  a  confec- 
tioner, has  a  store  in  Urbana,  in  one  wing 
of  his  mother's  house  on  Main  street.  Fred- 
erick B.,  a  jeweler  by  trade,  resides  in  Iowa. 
George  A.,  whose  home  is  in  Sullivan,  Illi- 
nois, married  Agnes  Bushman,  and  has  one 
child,  Grace  A.  Wilbur  O.,  of  Lawrence- 
ville,  Illinois,  and  a  tobacconist  by  occupa- 
tion, married  Gertrude  Ingersoll,  and  has 
one  child,  Harold  R.  Clara,  wife  of  J.  L. 
Charni,  of  Crawfordsville,  Indiana,  has  four 
children,  Guy,  Dean,  Hazel  and  Fred.  Al- 
meron  A.,  the  third  child  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Reimund,  died  at  the  age  of  three  years,  as 


146 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  result  of  an  attack  of  the  croup,  his  ill- 
ness lasting  only  three  hours.  Many  heart- 
breaking sorrows  and  lesser  griefs  have  be- 
fallen Mrs.  Reimund,  but  she  has  borne 
them  patiently  and  with  the  fortitude  of  a 
true  Christian,  believing  always  that  "  all 
things  work  together  for  good  to  them  that 
love  the  Lord,"  and  feeling  happy  in  the 
faith  that  some  day  she  shall  join  her  loved 
ones  who  are  waiting  her  on  the  other  shore. 


WILLIAM  HARTFORD,  D.  O.,  who 
is  successfully  engaged  in  the  prac- 
tice of  osteopathy  in  Champaign,  Illinois, 
was  born  in  Henderson  county,  this  state, 
December  6,  1856,  and  is  a  son  of  Winfield 
Scott  and  Lucetta  R.  (Thomas)  Hartford, 
both  natives  of  Ohio,  the  former  born  in 
Muskingum  county,  the  latter  in  Cayuga 
county.  The  family  has  been  well  repre- 
sented in  the  wars  of  this  country,  the 
great-great-grandfather  of  our  subject  hav- 
ing come  to  this  country  in  1740  and 
served  as  a  British  officer  in  the  French  and 
Indian  war;  four  great  uncles  of  the  father 
being  soldiers  of  the  Revolution;  and  Will- 
iam Hartford,  the  grandfather,  a  soldier  of 
the  war  of  1812.  The  Hartfords  are  of 
Scotch-Irish  origin. 

Winfield  S.  Hartford,  the  Doctor's 
father,  was  a  farmer  by  occupation.  About 
a  month  after  his  marriage  in  Union  county, 
Ohio,  .he  moved  to  Henderson  county,  Illi- 
nois, where  he  purchased  land  and  made 
his  home  until  1866,  when  he  went  to  Adair 
county,  Missouri,  and  bought  a  section  of 
land,  upon  which  he  engaged  in  farming  and 
stock  raising  for  many  years.  He  met  with 
excellent  success  in  his  undertakings,  and  is 
now  living  retired  with  his  daughter,  Ella, 


in  Springfield,  Missouri.  His  first  wife  and 
the  mother  of  our  subject  died  in  Adair 
county,  in  the  fall  of  1867.  Of  the  eleven 
children  born  to  them,  two,  Justus  and  Lin- 
coln, died  in  infancy.  The  others  were 
Eliza,  now  the  widow  of  R.  G.  David,  a 
Union  soldier,  of  Coffey  county,  Kansas; 
Mary  A.,  wife  of  A.  J.  Brooks,  a  Union  sol- 
dier, of  Clark  county,  Iowa;  Sarah  E., 
widow  of  Alexander  McLelland  and  resi- 
dents of  Cameron,  Missouri,  where  she 
makes  her  home  with  her  son,  Charles,  an 
osteopathist;  William,  our  subject;  John  T. , 
a  farmer  of  Putnam  county,  Missouri;  Isaac 
J.,  formerly  a  college  professor,  now  an 
osteopathist  engaged  in  practice  in  Dayton, 
Ohio;  Ella  L.,  wife  of  H.  F.  Walker,  of  near 
Springfield,  Christian  county,  Missouri; 
Martha  R. ,  wife  of  Robert  Bledsoe,  of  Schuy- 
ler  county,  Missouri;  and  Washington  I.,  an 
osteopathist  of  Kirksville,  Missouri.  The 
last  named  was  a  twin  brother  of  Lincoln, 
who  died  in  infancy.  The  father  was  again 
married,  June  15,  1870,  his  second  union 
being  with  Emily  F.  McFerron,  by  whom 
he  had  three  children:  Grace,  who  is  the 
widow  of  Charles  Albright,  and  is  now  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  osteopathy  in  Salem, 
Oregon;  Winfield  S.,  Jr.,  who  is  engaged  in 
farming  near  Davenport,  Iowa;  and  Andrew 
J.,  who  follows  the  same  pursuit  near  Dav- 
enport. 

Dr.  Hartford,  whose  name  introduces 
this  sketch,  obtained  his  primary  education 
in  the  district  schools  of  Adair  county,  Mis- 
souri, and  later  was  graduated  from  the 
State  Normal  at  Kirksville  and  also  from 
the  Kirksville  Mercantile  College.  Up  to 
this  time  he  had  made  his  home  with  his 
father,  and  then  engaged  in  teaching  the 
country  schools  of  Adair  county  for  five 
years,  in  the  high  schools  of  Monroe  county 


WILLIAM  HARTFORD,  OSTEOPATHIST. 

GRADUATE  OF  AMERICAN  SCHOOL  OF  OSTEOPATHY, 

KIRKSVILLK,  Mo. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


149 


one  year,  and  the  high  schools  of  Schuyler 
county,  Missouri,  for  two  years.  At  the 
end  of  that  time  he  was  elected  county 
superintendent  of  schools  in  Adair  county 
for  a  term  of  two  years,  and  was  again 
offered  the  office,  but  declined,  preferring  to 
go  to  St.  Edward,.  Nebraska,  where  he  was 
principal  of  the  high  school  for  two  years. 
On  account  of  his  wife's  health  he  returned 
to  Missouri,  and  accepted  the  professorship 
of  commercial  law  and  arithmetic  in  the 
Kirksville  Mercantile  College. 

On  the  26th  of  March,  1882,  Dr.  Hart- 
ford was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Hat- 
tie  Sterrett,  who  was  born  in  Missouri,  in 
1860,  a  daughter  of  Johnson  and  Margaret 
(Ryals)  Sterrett.  Her  father  entered  the 
Union  army  during  the  Civil  war  and  died 
in  a  hospital  in  1861.  Her  mother  survived 
him  only  a  short  time,  and  after  her  death, 
Mrs.  Hartford  was  adopted  by  her  uncle, 
Peter  Crockett  Berry,  of  Iowa,  in  which 
state  she  was  reared.  The  Doctor  and  his 
wife  have  two  children:  William  Scott, 
born  April  16,  1883,  is  now  attending  the 
Champaign  high  school;  and  Naoma  R. , 
born  November  3,  1891,  is  attending  the 
grammar  schools  of  that  city. 

In  1893  Dr.  Hartford  resigned  his  posi- 
tion in  the  Kirksville  Medical  College  on  ac- 
count of  his  wife's  health.  He  soon  became 
interested  in  osteopathy,  as  his  wife  was 
cured  by  that  science.  Only  as  a  last  re- 
sort and  with  great  misgivings  he  placed  her 
in  Still's  infirmary  at  Kirksville,  but  she  was 
completely  restored  to  health.  He  decided 
to  go  deeper  into  the  mysteries  of  that 
science,  and  studied  for  four  terms  of  five 
months  each  in  the  American  School  of 
Osteopathy  at  Kirksville,  from  which  he 
graduated  June  22,  1897.  On  the  28th  of 
the  same  month  he  opened  an  office  in 


Clarinda,  Iowa,  and  successfully  engaged  in 
practice  there  for  a  few  months,  during 
which  time  he  effected  some  marvelous 
cures,  among  them  being  Miss  Shenton,  of 
Coin,  Page  county,  Iowa,  who  was  totally 
blind  for  twenty-three  years;  and  D.  R.  Mc- 
Alpine,  of  Clarinda,  who  was  suffering 
from  chronic  Bright's  disease  and  was  pro- 
nounced incurable  by  some  of  the  most 
eminent  physicians  of  Iowa.  In  October, 
1897,  on  account  of  the  anti-osteopathic 
law  passed  in  Iowa,  he  went  to  Ogden, 
Utah,  where  he  met  with  splendid  success 
in  his  profession,  but  was  three  times  ar- 
. rested  on  the  charge  of  practicing  without 
license,  and  came  out  victorious  in  each 
case.  On  the  ist  of  April,  1898,  he  came 
to  Champaign,  Illinois,  and  engaged  in 
practice  here  with  remarkable  success  until 
October,  1898,  when,  on  account  of  the 
opposition  he  encountered,  he  returned  to 
Clarinda,  Iowa,  as  a  law  had  been  passed 
legalizing  osteopathy  in  that  state.  After 
such  a  law  was  passed  in  Illinois,  he 
again  came  to  Champaign  in  September. 
1899,  and  here  he  is  now  meeting  with 
splendid  success,  having  effected  some  won- 
derful cures  and  won  the  confidence  of  the 
people.  The  Doctor  is  the  author  of  an 
excellent  definition  of  osteopathy,  as  fol- 
lows: Osteopathy  is  the  method  of  science 
which  attributes  the  etiology  of  disease  to 
an  abnormal  condition  of  the  bones,  mus- 
cles, ligaments  and  fascia  causing  an  ob- 
struction of  the  circulation  of  the  life  giving 
fluid;  especially  a  treatment  the  basis  prin- 
ciples being  the  adjustment  of  the  bones, 
muscles,  ligaments  and  fascia,  thereby  re- 
moving all  obstruction  to  the  vital  forces 
that  there  may  be  freedom  to  all  life-giving 
fluids  and  forces,  using  the  bones  as  levers 
to  accomplish  this  object. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


The  Doctor  and  his  wife  are  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  take 
quite  an  active  part  in  church  work.  So- 
cially he  is  a  member  of  Adair  County 
lodge,  No.  366,  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Kirksville, 
Missouri,  and  the  K.  P.  lodge,  No.  72,  of 
the  same  city. 


WILLIAM  S.  ROYAL.  .Urbana  is  for- 
tunate in  possessing  so  many  enter- 
prising young  business  men,  citizens  who 
take  genuine  pride  in  the  development  and 
beautifying  of  the  place,  as  does  the  subject 
of  this  sketch.  Within  a  few  years  he  has 
built  up  a  lucrative  business  and  enviable 
reputation  for  square-dealing,  and,  judging 
by  the  past,  his  future  holds  much  of  promise. 

He  is  a  son  of  William  and  Eunice 
(Withrow)  Royal,  who  were  natives  of  Ohio, 
and,  at  an  early  day  settled  in  Tippecanoe 
county,  Indiana,  buying  a  homestead  from 
the  government.  The  father  was  born  Feb- 
ruary 6,  1820,  and  was  called  to  his  reward 
May  ii,  1894,  loved  and  honored  by  all 
who  knew  him.  He  was  a  devoted  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and 
in  the  days  of  the  so-called  circuit  riders, 
his  home  was  a  favorite  stopping  place  for 
the  ministers  of  that  denomination.  The 
mother,  who  was  born  February  9,  1825,  is 
yet  living,  and  takes  an  active  interest  in 
church  work. 

The  first  death  in  the  large  family  of 
William  Royal,  was  his  own,  six  years  ago, 
and  no  other  break  in  the  circle  has  yet 
occurred.  The  eldest,  Anna,  who  first  mar- 
ried John  Stingle  and  had  three  daughters, 
is  now  the  wife  of  John  Mozier,  of  Columbia 
City,  Indiana.  Jennie,  widow  of  Perry  Sea- 
wright,  resides  in  Frankfort,  same  state. 
Josie,  widow  of  Dr.  Goldsberry,  makes  her 


home  in  Lafayette,  Indiana.  Fannie,  also 
a  resident  of  Lafayette,  is  the  wife  of  S. 
Wade.  Samuel  T.,  whose  wife  formerly 
was  Mary  E.  Cole,  lives  in  Lafayette.  James 
A.  married  Fannie  Seawright,  and  is  a  cit- 
izen of  Idaville,  Indiana.  Ella  A.,  who 
married  J.  D.  Bush,  resides  in  Urbana. 
Julia,  wife  of  William  Frantz,  lives  in  Day- 
ton, Indiana,  and  Clara,  Mrs.  Linn  Frazier, 
is  a  resident  of  Fowler  City,  Kansas. 
Charles  E.,  the  youngest,  is  located  in 
Lafayette. 

William  S.  Royal,  who  is  next  to  the 
youngest  of  the  family,  was  born  in  Tippe- 
canoe county,  Indiana,  May  16,  1864.  He 
was  reared  upon  his  father's  fine,  productive 
farm  in  that  county,  and  took  just  pride  in 
having  everything  about  the  homestead  in 
fine  condition.  About  1886,  he  accom- 
panied his  father  to  Kansas,  where  both  took 
up  quarter-sections  of  land,  and  held  the 
property  until  it  became  theirs,  according 
to  the  law.  In  1888,  the  young  man  dis- 
posed of  his  land,  and  thus  made  his  start 
in  the  business  world.  Going  then  to  Kan- 
sas City,  he  engaged  in  the  oil  business,  and 
continued  to  devote  his  energy  to  that  enter- 
prise until  1892.  Since  that  year  he  has 
made  his  home  in  Urbana,  and  now  con- 
ducts a  grocery  trade,  and  at  the  same  time 
deals  in  oil  quite  extensively.  During  the 
past  year  or  two  his  sales  in  the  last-men- 
tioned commodity  have  amounted  to  thirty- 
one  thousand,  five  hundred  gallons,  annu- 
ally. He  buys  from  the  Standard  Oil  Com- 
pany, and  keeps  the  best  grades  in  the 
market.  Success  has  come  to  him  as  the 
result  of  merit  and  diligence,  and  his  cus- 
tomers are  invariably  his  friends.  He  now 
owns  and  carries  on  two  groceries,  in  differ- 
ent parts  of  the  city,  and,  though  competi- 
tion is  keen  in  this  line,  he  is  prospering. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


In  politics,  Mr.  Royal  is  a  stanch  Repub- 
lican. Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Odd 
Fellows  order,  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America,  the  Court  of  Honor  and  Daughters 
of  Rebecca.  His  means  and  influence  are 
freely  used  in  the  support  of  all  meas- 
ures which  he  believes  will  promote  the  wel- 
fare of  his  community  and  country,  and  thus 
his  example  is  well  worthy  to  be  followed 
by  patriotic  citizens.  With  his  wife  he  holds 
membership  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church. 

Our  subject's  wife,  formerly  Miss  Kate 
Harris,  is,  like  himself,  one  of  eleven  chil- 
dren, both  families  having  seven  daughters 
and  four  sons.  Their  marriage  was  cele- 
brated March  30.  1887,  and  three  children 
bless  their  home,  namely  :  William  Glenn, 
Lester  Harris  and  Hazel  A.  Mrs.  Royal's 
parents  are  Rev.  J.  G.  and  Sarah  (Horn) 
Harris,  now  living  retired  at  Bellefontaine, 
Ohio,  and  are  enjoying  excellent  health  of 
mind  and  body.  The  father  was  born  Feb- 
ruary 14,  1817,  in  York,  Pennsylvania,  and 
is  a  great-grandson  of  the  Rev.  Nicholas 
Kurtz  and  grandson  of  Rev.  Jacob  Goering, 
pioneers  of  the  Lutheran  faith  in  the  Key- 
stone state.  Rev.  Mr.  Harris  entered  the 
junior  class  at  Pennsylvania  College  in 
1839,  and  was  graduated  in  the  theological 
seminary  at  Gettysburg  in  the  class  of  '42. 
Having  been  ordained,  he  accepted  a  pas- 
torate at  Bellefontaine,  Ohio,  and  later  oc- 
cupied the  pulpits  of  his  denomination  at 
Shanesville,  Tuscarawas  and  Tippecanoe 
City,  Ohio.  For  two  years  he  was  a  pro- 
fessor in  Wirtemberg  College,  Springfield, 
Ohio,  and  in  May,  1856,  he  was  elected 
president  of  the  Kentucky  synod,  and  four 
years  later  was  re-elected,  serving  in  that 
important  capacity  for  six  years.  Both  he 
and  his  wife  have  been  a  power  for  good  in 


their  generation,  and  possess  the  love  of  a 
multitude  to  whom  they  have  endeared 
themselves.  The  wife  and  mother  was 
born  August  16,  1822,  and,  besides  rearing 
several  children  to  take  honored  places  in 
"the  world's  broad  field  of  battle,"  she 
nobly  aided  and  encouraged  her  husband  in 
his  long  years  of  labor  and  trial.  A  great 
sorrow  came  to  them  in  their  early  married 
life  in  the  loss  of  their  two  eldest  daugh- 
ters, who  died  only  three  days  apart  of  scar- 
let fever,  the  father  being  absent  from 
home  at  the  time.  Elizabeth  was  about 
three  years  old  and  Maria  was  in  her  sixth 
year.  The  first  born  of  the  family,  John, 
now  of  DeGraff,  Ohio,  married  Matilda 
Schick.  Sarah,  the  eldest  surviving  daugh- 
ter, is  the  wife  of  J.  D.  Lamb,  of  Bellefon- 
taine. Jacob  Goering,  who  wedded  Mary 
Keller,  and  William  C. ,  whose  wife  was 
Anna  Adams,  both  reside  at  Bellefontaine. 
Susan,  Gustavus  A.,  and  Emma  E.,  unmar- 
ried, live  with  their  parents,  the  son  man- 
aging his  father's  farm.  Louisa  J.  is  the 
wife  of  Joseph  Yates,  of  Bellefontaine. 


LORENZO  DOW  MASSEY,  a  prom- 
inent and  successful  real  estate  dealer 
of  Champaign,  was  born  in  Marion,  William- 
son county,  Illinois,  June  18,  1860.  His 
father,  Fortner  Massey,  was  born  in  the 
north  of  Ireland  of  Scotch  ancestry,  and 
came  to  this  country  as  a  boy  with  his  par- 
ents, locating  in  North  Carolina,  where  the 
grandfather  of  our  subject  engaged  in 
merchandising  until  his  death.  There  the 
father  was  reared  to  manhood  and  received 
his  education.  He  then  removed  to  Vir- 
ginia, where  he  met  and  married  Miss 
Jane  Eaton,  a  native  of  that  state,  and  as  a 


152 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


wedding  trip  came  to  southern  Illinois, 
about  1849.  He  pre-empted  land  in 
Williamson  county,  and  soon  was  the  owner 
of  a  well-improved  and  valuable  farm  of  five 
hundred  acres,  one  of  the  finest  places  in 
that  section.  Mr.  Massey  was  one  of 
the  leading  breeders  of  fine  horses  in  that 
county,  and  was  one  of  its  best  known  and 
most  prominent  citizens,  but  would  never 
accept  public  office.  He  was  a  strong 
Union  man  during  the  Civil  war,  but  did  not 
enter  the  army  on  account  of  a  crippled 
hand.  He  always  saw  that  the  companies 
got  transportation,  conveying  them  himself 
to  the  railroad  station  in  Carbondale.  His 
wife  died  in  1862,  leaving  five  children,  of 
whom  our  subject  is  next  to  the  youngest, 
and  he  died  upon  his  farm  three  years  later. 
After  his  father's  death  our  subject  was 
bound  out  to  Maston  Walker,  a  very  wealthy 
and  noted  man,  with  whom  he  remained 
until  seventeen  years  of  age,  and  then  went 
to  Edgar  county,  Illinois.  He  received  a 
thorough  education,  attending  the  Marion 
high  school,  the  Southern  Normal  at  Car- 
bondale, and  the  Normal  at  Normal,  Illinois, 
and  for  ten  years  he  successfully  engaged  in 
teaching  school  in  Champaign  county,  where 
he  located  in  1886,  seven  years  of  that  time 
as  teacher  in  the  Dunham  school,  Hensley 
township,  and  the  remainder  in  Savoy  and 
as  assistant  for  a  short  time  in  the  west  side 
school  in  Champaign.  He  has  also  taught 
at  teachers'  institutes,  and  for  two  years 
engaged  in  farming.  He  has  visited  all 
parts  of  the  county,  and  is  probably  as  well 
known  to  the  farmers  as  any  man  within  its 
borders.  In  November,  1892,  he  opened  a 
real  estate  and  loan  office  at  No.  3  Main 
street,  where  he  still  carries  on  business, 
making  a  specialty  of  mortgage  loans,  and 
in  this  undertaking  he  has  met  with  most 


gratifying  success.  Since  making  his  first 
loan,  in  1891,  he  has  never  had  a  foreclos- 
ure, although  he  has  done  a  large  business. 
He  also  buys  and  sells  considerable  real 
estate,  and  is  a  good  judge  of  city  values, 
being  a  shrewd  and  capable  business  man  of 
sound  judgment  and  untiring  energy.  In 
his  politicial  affiliations  he  is  a  Republican. 
On  the  1 3th  of  July,  1892,  Mr.  Massey 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Myrtle 
Dunham,  of  Champaign,  a  graduate  of  the 
high  school  of  that  city,  and  a  daughter  of 
William  Dunham,  a  representative  of  one  ot 
the  early  families  of  Hensley  township.  By 
this  union  has  been  born  one  child,  Mildred. 
The  family  residence,  at  the  corner  of  Union 
and  Lynn  streets,  was  purchased  by  Mr. 
Massey  in  1894.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are 
active  and  prominent  members  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church. 


WILLIAM  HILL,  deceased,  for  many 
years  a  highly  respected  and  honored 
citizen  of  Urbana,  Illinois,  was  born  in  Tus- 
carawas  county,  Ohio,  November  8,  1812, 
and  was  a  son  of  Charles  and  Charity 
(Vaughn)  Hill,  who  were  born,  reared  and 
married  in  Kentucky,  and  later  moved  to- 
Ohio,  locating  on  a  farm  in  Tuscarawas 
county,  where  they  spent  the  remainder  of 
their  lives,  both  dying  at  a  good  old  age. 
The  mother  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church.  In  their  family  were  the 
following  children:  Robert,  who  has  been 
dead  many  years;  Charles,  deceased,  who 
was  married  in  Ohio,  but  after  the  death  of  his 
wife  returned  to  Kentucky,  where  he  secured 
land  on  a  land  warrant  given  to  his  grand- 
father for  services  in  the  Revolutionary  war; 
Catherine,  wife  of  Zachariah  Pierce;  Joseph, 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


153 


\vho  died  in  Iowa,  about  1884;  Margaret, 
who  married  Daniel  Anderson  and  died  in 
1879;  William,  our  subject;  John,  who  died 
young;  Jesse,  who  died  in  February,  1895; 
Nancy,  wife  of  James  Lewis;  and  Thomas, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years. 

William  Hill  grew  to  manhood  in  his 
native  state,  and  there  he  married  Miss 
Priscilla  Lewis,  a  sister  of  James  Lewis, 
previously  mentioned,  and  she  died  near 
Mt.  Vernon,  Ohio,  in  1834.  By  that  union 
he  had  three  children,  namely:  Job,  who 
was  accidentally  killed  at  the  age  of  four- 
teen years;  Thomas,  a  member  of  an  Illinois 
regiment  tor  three  years  during  the  Civil 
war,  and  who  lived  only  a  few  years  after  his 
discharge,  he  and  his  wife  dying  on  the  same 
day;  and  John,  who  completes  the  family. 

Mr.  Hill  was  again  married  July  27, 
1848,  his  second  union  being  with  Miss 
Hannah  Elizabeth  Simmers,  a  daughter 
of  Henry  and  Martha  (Davis)  Simmers, 
the  former  a  native  of  Canada,  the 
latter  of  Westmoreland  county,  Penn- 
sylvania. They  were  married  in  1820, 
when  the  father  was  twenty-one  years  of 
age.  .By  occupation  he  was  a  farmer.  He 
died  in  1880,  and  his  wife  April  20,  1864, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years.  Both  were 
active  members  of  the  Methodist  church, 
and  the  mother  was  regarded  as  one  of  the 
best  church  singers  of  her  day.  Their  chil- 
dren were  as  follows:  Matilda,  wife  of 
Christian  Roth  and  a  resident  of  Tuscara- 
was  county,  Ohio;  and  Mary  Ann,  wife  of 
Newell  Litten,  of  Monroe  county,  Ohio; 
Mahala,  deceased  wife  of  James  Brice;  John 
Wesley,  who  lives  near  Dugger,  Indiana; 
James  William,  who  is  living  with  his  daugh- 
ter, Laura  Bullard,  near  Worthington,  In- 
diana; and  Henry  Clay,  whose  home  is  near 
Jasonville,  Indiana.  By  his  second  mar- 


riage our  subject  had  eight  children:  Will- 
iam Henry,  who  lives  with  his  mother  in 
Urbana;  Jesse,  who  was  in  old  Mexico  when 
last  heard  from;  Joseph  L. ,  a  resident  of 
Iowa,  who  married  Lottie  Turner  and  has 
four  children,  Mabel,  Lloyd,  Clara  and 
Frank;  Charles  T.,  at  home;  John  W. ,  who 
was  drowned  in  Kansas  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
nine  years;  Martha  J.,  wife  of  Jacob  Herbs- 
treit,  whose  sketch  appears  on  another  page 
of  this  volume;  Carrie  E.,  at  home;  and 
Allie,  who  died  July  27,  1882,  at  the  age 
of  fourteen  years. 

On  leaving  Ohio,  Mr.  Hill  removed  to 
Sullivan  county,  Indiana,  where  he  made 
his  home  for  eleven  years,  and  in  March, 
1863,  came  to  Urbana,  Illinois.  He  en- 
gaged in  digging  ditches,  followed  farming 
and  was  employed  as  a  general  laborer. 
He  cast  his  first  vote  for  General  W.  H. 
Harrison,  the  Whig  candidate,  and  later 
affiliated  with  the  Republican  party.  He 
died  November  22,  1894,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-two  years,  honored  and  respected  by 
all  who  knew  him.  His  family  resides  at 
No.  206  Vine  street,  and  are  widely  and 
favorably  known  in  the  community  where 
they  have  long  made  their  home. 


CHARLES  M.  EAGLETON,  a  well- 
V^»kno\vn  constable  of  Champaign,  and  one 
of  its  highly  esteemed  citizens,  was  born  in 
Newton,  Jasper  county,  Illinois,  October 
24,  1857,  natives  of  Tennessee  and  Pennsyl- 
vania, respectively,  who  were  married  in  In- 
diana. When  a  young  man  the  father  re- 
moved to  Vigo  county,  Indiana,  where  he 
became  acquainted  with  the  lady  who  after- 
ward became  his  wife,  and  where  he  engaged 
in  school  teaching  and  farming  a  few  years, 


154 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


when  he  removed  to  Jasper  county,  Illinois, 
and  took  up  a  tract  of  new  land,  making  it 
his  home  throughout  the  remainder  of  his 
life.  It  was  a  good  sized  farm  and  quite 
well  improved.  He  served  as  justice  of  the 
peace  for  several  years,  and  during  the  Civil 
war  enlisted  as  lieutenant  of  Company  B, 
Ninety-eighth  Illinois  Cavalry,  but  his  health 
failed  and  he  was  placed  in  charge  of  a  gov- 
ernment supply  store  at  Helena,  Arkansas, 
where  he  was  taken  with  fever  and  died. 
He  left  five  children.  The  mother  is  now 
Mrs.  Benjamin  Miller  and  is  still  a  resident 
of  Jasper  county.  Religiously  she  is  an 
earnest  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church. 

Our  subject  was  reared  upon  the  home 
farm  and  obtained  his  education  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  the  neighborhood  and  the 
normal  school  at  Newton.  On  the  ist  of 
January,  1879,  he  married  Miss  Margaret  L. 
Howell,  of  Jasper  county,  and  then  engaged 
in  farming  on  his  own  account  in  that  coun- 
ty. Subsequently  he  removed  to  Douglas 
county,  this  state,  where  for  two  years  he 
handled  stock  with  James  Ellers,  a  promi- 
nent stock  dealer  of  Illinois,  and  while  there 
his  wife  died,  leaving  two  children,  namely: 
Mena  B.,  and  Ruby,  wife  of  Walter  Ellis,  a 
farmer  of  Newton. 

After  traveling  for  some  time  through 
different  parts  of  the  state,  Mr.  Eagleton 
came  to  Champaign  in  the  winter  of  1 884-5, 
and  here  engaged  in  telephone  work  and 
later  in  carpentering  until  elected  constable 
in  June,  1897.  Since  then  he  has  given  the 
greater  part  of  his  time  and  attention  to  the 
duties  of  that  office,  but  is  also  interested  in 
the  real  estate  business,  buying  and  selling 
property  for  himself  and  as  agent 
for  others.  He  has  handled  real  estate  in 
Jasper  county,  and  now  owns  property  in 


Neoga.  In  connection  with  his  official 
duties  he  has  done  considerable  detective 
work,  especially  in  connection  with  the 
murder  of  Snyder,  who  was  killed  on 
Thanksgiving  day,  1899. 

Mr.  Eagleton  has  been  twice  married, 
his  second  wife  being  Mrs.  Minnie  (Conroy) 
Murphy,  of  Champaign,  who  by  her  first 
marriage  had  one  son,  Elmer  Murphy,  and 
by  the  second  union  there  is  also  one  child, 
Charles  M.  Eagleton,  Jr.  As  a  Republican 
our  subject  takes  an  active  interest  in  politi- 
cal affairs,  and  does  all  in  his  power  to  ad- 
vance the  interests  of  his  party.  He  is  a 
prominent  Odd  Fellow;  is  past  grand;  has 
represented  the  lodge  in  the  Grand  lodge, 
is  a  member  of  the  Encampment;  and  is  dis- 
trict deputy  of  Champaign  Lodge,  No.  333. 
He  is  also  official  examiner  and  instructor  on 
unwritten  work  in  jurisdiction  of  this  state. 


BURT  GORDON  IJAMS,  principal  of 
the  third  ward  school  of  Urbana,  was 
born  in  that  city,  December  23,  1871,  and 
is  a  son  of  Joseph  R.,  and  Margaret  (Gor- 
don) Ijams,  the  former  a  native  of  Muskin- 
gum  county,  Ohio,  the  latter  of  Michigan. 
The  mother  was  the  only  child  of  Alexander 
and  Catherine  (Batty)  Gordon,  natives  of 
London,  England,  and  New  York,  respect- 
ively. They  came  west  in  1835  an^  ner 
mother  died  in  Michigan  at  the  age  of  seventy 
years,  her  father  in  Illinois,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-eight.  They  were  members  of  the 
Episcopal  and  Presbyterian  churches.  Mrs. 
Gordon  was  a  daughter  of  William  and 
Sarah  Batty,  who  were  also  born  in  New 
York,  and  from  that  state  removed  to 
Pennsylvania,  where  they  made  their  home 
for  twenty  years,  but  spent  their  last  days 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


'55 


in  Michigan.  Mr.  Batty  was  a  farmer  by 
occupation.  In  his  family  were  seven  chil- 
dren, three  sons  and  four  daughters,  but 
only  one  is  now  living,  Avaline,  wife  of 
Samuel  Van  Duzer.  who  lives  near  Ann 
Arbor,  Michigan. 

Lewis  Ijams,  our  subject's  paternal 
grandfather,  was  born  in  Maryland,  in  1797, 
of  Welsh  descent,  but  spent  the  greater  part 
of  his  early  life  in  Ohio,  where  he  served  as 
quartermaster  and  colonel  in  the  state  mili- 
tia. In  1851  he  came  to  Illinois  and  became 
an  extensive  stock  raiser  near  Bloomington. 
He  married  Eliza  Rodman,  who  was  born 
in  Pennsylvania  and  was  descended  from 
old  Quaker  ancestry  of  Ireland.  Both  have 
been  dead  for  many  years.  In  their  family 
were  eleven  children.  Those  living  are: 
Joseph  Rodman,  father  of  our  subject; 
Lewis  E.,  who  is  mentioned  below;  George, 
a  resident  of  Bloomington;  Mrs.  Mary  Grif- 
fith, of  Colorado;  Charlotte,  wife  of  Rev.  J. 
W.  Colwell,  a  member  of  the  Central  Illinois 
Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  and  Jennie,  who  lives  with  her 
brother,  Lewis  E.,  and  Mary,  who  lives  in 
Boulder,  Colorado.  Lewis  E.  Ijams,  uncle 
of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Muskingum 
county,  Ohio,  November  21,  1841.  He 
was  a  soldier  of  the  Civil  war,  enlisting  first 
on  the  loth  of  May,  1862,  in  Company  F, 
Sixty-eighth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry, 
for  three  months,  and  re-enlisting,  April  i, 
1863,  in  Company  M,  Sixteenth  Illinois 
Cavalry.  His  first  engagement  was  the 
battle  of  Jonesville  against  Longstreet's 
cavalry,  where  as  orderly  sergeant  he  com- 
manded his  company,  repulsing  a  charge  in 
a  hand-to-hand  encounter  and  meeting  with 
heavy  losses.  He  was  severely  wounded 
and  taken  prisoner  with  the  entire  command. 
After  his  recovery  he  was  with  the  army  sent 


against  General  Hood,  and  took  part  in  the 
battles  of  Nashville,  Columbia,  Duck  River 
and  Franklin,  having  charge  of  his  company 
and  also  the  battalion  a  part  of  the  time,  al- 
though not  a  commissioned  officer.  A 
severe  storm  was  raging  during  the  battle  of 
Nashville,  and  suffering  from  exposure  he 
was  obliged  to  go  to  the  hospital  on  the 
second  day  of  that  engagement.  He  practi- 
cally had  command  of  his  company  for  ayear, 
and  was  discharged  at  Chicago,  October  1 1, 
1865,  with  the  rank  of  captain.  This 
company  lost  thirty-three  men  in  Anderson- 
ville  and  other  southern  prisons.  Captain 
Ijams  now  resides  in  Bloomington,  and  has 
served  as  county  treasurer  of  McLean  county 
for  twelve  or  fifteen  years. 

About  1850,  Joseph  R.  Ijams,  father  of 
our  subject,  came  to  Illinois  and  settled 
near  Bloomington.  In  1867  he  came  to 
Champaign,  and  is  now  living  retired  at  No. 
299  South  Race  street,  Urbana.  In  early 
life  he  was  interested  in  railroad  business, 
and  served  as  assistant  superintendent  of  the 
Chicago  division  of  the  Wabash  railroad 
for  twelve  years,  ending  about  1880.  He, 
too,  was  a  soldier  of  the  Civil  war,  enlist- 
ing in  the  early  part  of  1 86  r,  as  a  private 
in  the  Ninety-fourth  Illinois  Volunteer  In- 
fantry. He  remained  in  the  service  four 
years  and  participated  in  many  important 
battles,  but  fortunately  was  never  wounded 
nor  taken  prisoner.  He  served  in  the 
office  of  General  McNulta  while  the  latter 
was  at  New  Orleans.  He  had  three  chil- 
dren: Lewis  A.,  who  died  in  1871,  at  the 
age  of  two  years;  Burt  G.,  our  subject;  and 
Harriet  Catherine,  who  is  attending  school 
at  Washington,  D.  C. 

Mr.  Ijams,  whose  name  introduces  this 
review,  was  educated  in  the  Urbana  high 
schools  and  the  Illinois  University,  and  in 


56 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


1891  commenced  teaching  in  the  district 
schools  of  this  county.  He  accepted  a  po- 
sition as  teacher  in  the  public  schools  of 
Urbana  in  1894,  and  two  years  later  was 
made  principal  of  the  intermediate  depart- 
ment. Since  then  he  has  been  promoted  to 
principal  of  the  grammar  department  and 
is  still  filling  that  position  in  a  'most  credit- 
able and  satisfactory  manner,  being  one  of 
the  most  thorough  and  competent  teachers 
in  the  city.  He  is  a  stanch  Republican  in 
politics,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Alpha  Tau 
Omega,  a  college  fraternity,  and  of  the 
Presbyterian  church. 


JOHN  T.  LUMSDEN,  an  honored  veteran 
of  the  Civil  war,  is  now  living  retired  in 
Champaign,  and  is  enjoying  the  fruits  of  his 
many  years  of  honest  industry  and  success- 
ful business  enterprise.  Respected  and  ad- 
mired for  what  he  has  accomplished,  and 
for  the  manly  way  in  which  he  has  met  all 
of  the  obligations  of  citizenship,  he  has 
reason  to  be  proud  of  his  record,  and  to  his 
children  it  will  be  a  more  desirable  and 
lasting  inheritance  than  wealth. 

Mr.  Lumsden  comes  of  good  old  Virginia 
families,  his  parents,  William  and  Lucy 
(Keelen)  Lumsden,  being  natives  of  that 
state.  Soon  after  their  marriage,  they  re- 
moved to  Kentucky,  where  the  father  owned 
a  large  plantation  and  kept  numerous  slaves 
until  1830,  when  he  settled  in  Morgan 
county,  Illinois.  There  he  purchased  or 
took  up  two  hundred  acres  of  land,  and  in 
addition  to  that,  owned  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  in  Macoupin  county.  For 
years  he  was  accounted  one  of  the  substan- 
tial agriculturists  of  his  county,  and  though 
he  was  urged,  on  more  than  one  occassion, 
to  accept  public  positions,  he  persistently 


declined.  Though  born  and  reared  in  the 
south,  he  was  strongly  averse  to  secession, 
and,  after  the  organization  of  the  Republi- 
can party,  he  became  one  of  its  stanchest 
advocates.  When,  a  youth,  attending 
school  near  Louisa,  Virginia,  he  formed  the 
acquaintance  of  Jefferson  Davis,  a  student 
there  also,  and,  personally,  they  were  warm 
friends  at  that  period.  He  and  his  devoted 
wife  reared  nine  children,  all  of  whom  sur- 
vive, namely:  Susan,  wife  of  John  Brace- 
well,  of  Iowa;  Martha,  wife  of  Thomas 
Widdup,  of  Iowa;  James,  of  Waverly, 
Illinois;  Marion,  of  Green  county;  John; 
Nancy,  wife  of  Howard  Ayre,  of  England; 
Edward,  of  Monticello,  Illinois;  Mary,  wife 
of  Edward  Wyatt,  of  Maryville,  Illinois; 
and  Angeline,  a  resident  of  the  same  town,  . 
and  wife  of  Hardin  Rimby.  The  father  de- 
parted this  life  in  1890,  when  in  his  eighty- 
eighth  year,  and  the  mother  was  ninety  at 
the  time  of  her  death. 

John  T.  Lumsden  was  born  April  16, 
1839,  in  Morgan  county,  and  when  he  was 
old  enough  he  attended  the  nearest  school, 
which  was  held  in  a  log  cabin  about  three 
miles  away.  The  country  was  sparsely 
settled,  and  the  schools  were  conducted 
upon  the  subscription  plan.  From  the  time 
that  he  was  fourteen  years  of  age  until  he 
was  fully  grown,  the  youth  worked  very  hard 
on  the  farm,  performing  almost  a  man's 
labor,  and  doing  heroic  duty  at  clearing 
away  timber  and  cultivating  the  land. 

Lessons  of  patriotism  and  loyalty  to  the 
right  had  been  early  inculcated  in  young 
Lumsden's  rnind,  and  when  his  country 
called  for  brave  and  true  men  to  come  to 
her  defense,  he  quickly  responded,  and  on 
August  i,  1 86 1,  was  enrolled  as  a  private 
in  Company  G,  First  Missouri  Cavalry. 
His  service  was  in  the  west,  where  for 


JOHN  T.  LUMSDEN. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


159 


nearly  two  years  he  and  his  ccxnrades  were 
obliged  to  fight  the  bushwhackers  and  bor- 
der outlaws,  who  took  advantage  of  the 
critical  situation  in  Missouri  to  pillage 
and  plunder,  kill  and  destroy  lives  and 
property.  Then,  for  a  period,  Mr.  Lums- 
den  was  stationed  in  Little  Rock  and  vicin- 
ity, and,  besides  participating  in  number- 
less skirmishes,  he  was  actively  engaged  in 
the  great  battles  of  Pea  Ridge  and  Prairie 
Grove,  and  went  on  the  famous  march  with 
Curtis  from  Pea  Ridge  to  Helena  For 
three  months  he  was  on  half  rations,  and 
his  privations  and  thrilling  experiences 
so  severely  taxed  his  strength,  rugged 
country  youth  that  he  was,  that  on  De- 
cember 15,  1864.  he  was  mustered  out 
of  the  service  on  account  of  disability 
which  he  could  no  longer  contend  against. 
For  two  years  after  his  return  home  he  was 
on  the  invalid  list,  and  at  times  it  seemed 
that  he  never  would  recover  even  a  tithe  of 
his  accustomed  health  and  vitality. 

On  the  26th  of  March,  1866,  Mr.  Lums- 
den  married  Elizabeth  Ayre,  a  native  of 
Lancashire,  England.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
Jonas  and  Ann  (Towers)  Ayre,  both  of  Lan- 
cashire, and  her  brothers,  Richard  and 
John,  reside  in  Monticello,  Illinois.  Her 
sister  Jane  died  in  infancy  and  another  sis- 
ter, Parthenia,  became  the  wife  of  our 
subject's  brother,  Edward.  Jonas  Ayre 
was  a  cabinet  maker  by  trade,  and  for  many 
years  was  engaged  in  taking  large  contracts 
for  fine  work  in  that  line,  employing  skilled 
hands  to  execute  his  orders.  In  1857,  he 
came  to  the  United  States,  and  for  twelve 
years  engaged  in  contracting  and  building 
in  Jacksonville,  Illinois.  Then  he  carried 
on  a  farm  near  Monticello  for  three  years, 
after  which  he  was  practically  retired,  mere- 
ly looking  after  his  property  interests.  He 


died  November  25,  1899,  when  nearly 
seventy-eight  years  of  age,  and  his  wife, 
who  had  died  January  31,  1890,  was  then 
in  her  seventy-fourth  year. 

About  two  years  subsequent  to  his  mar- 
riage, Mr.  Lumsden  removed  to  a  farm  of 
eighty  acres,  in  Colfax  township.  The 
tract  was  wild  prairie,  not  a  rod  of  the  turf 
having  been  turned  by  a  plow,  and  thus  a 
great  task  confronted  him.  He  built  a 
small  cabin  and  at  once  set  about  making 
necessary  improvements  upon  the  place, 
which,  within  a  few  years,  bore  little  re- 
semblance to  the  farm  he  had  located  upon. 
At  different  times  he  added  land  to  his 
original  farm,  until  it  comprised  two  hun- 
dred acres,  all  in  a  body.  He  judiciously 
expended  money  in  tiling,  ditching,  and 
innumerable  improvements,  and  continued 
to  dwell  there  until  March,  1892,  when  he 
disposed  of  the  property  to  Samuel  Wills, 
and  moved  to  Champaign.  Later,  he  in- 
vested some  of  his  means  in  four  hundred 
and  forty  acres  of  land,  located  on  sections 
17,  1 8,  19  and  20,  Hensley  township.  This 
is  very  desirable  farm  land,  and  at  present 
it  is  being  cultivated  by  our  subject's  sons, 
who,  like  their  father  before  them,  are 
practical,  energetic  agriculturists. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lumsden  four  children 
were  born.  Robert  T.,  the  eldest,  now  a 
resident  of  Hensley  township,  married  Alice 
Campbell,  and  has  two  children,  Raymond 
and  Nora.  Richard  Ayre  married  Nellie 
Dibble  and  lives  in  Hensley  township.  Their 
three  children  are  named  respectively:  Sybil, 
Ruth  and  Richard.  William  E.,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  business  in  Anderson,  Indiana, 
chose  Mary  Stormfeldt  for  his  wife.  George 
L.,  who  married  Laura  K.  Young,  makes 
his  home  in  Anderson,  also,  and  is  em- 
ployed as  a  skilled  mechanic. 


i6o 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Fraternally,  Mr.  Lumsden  belongs  to 
Colonel  Nadine  Post,  No.  420,  G.  A.  R. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  church.  The  latter,  in  com- 
pany with  her  father,  visited  her  old  home 
in  Lancashire,  England,  in  1891,  and 
greatly  enjoyed  the  trip.  Politically,  Mr. 
Lumsden  is  a  Republican,  and  his  personal 
popularity  was  shown  when  he  was  elected 
as  road  commissioner  in  a  strong  Demo- 
cratic township.  He  served  in  the  capacity 
for  twelve  years,  giving  general  satisfaction, 
and  for  ten  years  was  one  of  the  drainage 
commissioners  of  his  district,  which  locality 
was  the  first  one  properly  drained,  the  land 
now  being  as  valuable  as  any  other.  For  over 
twenty  years  he  acted  as  a  member  of  the 
board  of  education,  and  aided  in  building 
the  first  school  in  his  distrct. 


JOSEPH  O'BRIEN.  It  is  astonishing  to 
witness  the  success  of  young  men  who 
have  emigrated  to  the  United  States  without 
capital,  and  from  a  position  of  comparative 
obscurity  have  worked  their  way  upward  to 
one  of  prominence.  The  readiness  with 
which  they  adapt  themselves  to  circum- 
stances and  take  advantage  of  opportunities 
offered  brings  to  them  success  and  wins 
them  a  place  among  the  leading  men  of 
the  community  in  which  they  reside.  In 
Mr.  O'Brien,  a  well-known  civil  engineer  of 
Champaign,  we  find  a  worthy  representa- 
tive of  this  class. 

He  was  born  near  Summerhill,  County 
Meath,  Ireland,  February  13,  1836,  a  son  of 
John  and  Margaret  (Hoggarty)  O'Brien. 
The  father,  a  farmer  and  nurseryman  by  oc- 
cupation, crossed  the  Atlantic  in  1854,  to 
Quebec,  Canada,  where  he  died  that  sum- 


mer, leaving  three  children,  two  sons  and 
one  daughter,  orphans  at  an  early  age  in  a 
strange  country, 

Our  subject  had  received  a  good,  practi- 
cal education  in  the  schools  of  his  native 
land,  and  at  Quebec,  in  1854,  he  found  em- 
ployment on  the  railroad  survey  as  chain 
bearer.  As  soon  as  he  had  saved  enough 
money  to  pay  his  expenses,  he  studied  civil 
engineering  in  the  Royal  Engineers  School, 
at  Hamilton,  Upper  Canada.  On  first 
coming  to  Illinois,  in  1856,  he  was  con- 
nected with  the  survey  of  the  Peoria  & 
Oquawka  railroad,  and  when  work  was  dis- 
continued there  he  entered  the  service  of 
the  Illinois  Central,  being  engaged  in  the 
construction  of  the  road  between  Cham- 
paign and  Centralia.  On  its  completion  he 
was  made  road  master  of  the  Mattoon  divi- 
sion, which  position  he  most  satisfactorily 
filled  until  1893.  He  not  only  saw  the  road 
built,  but  has  seen  it  change  from  old  chain 
rails  and  mud  track  to  stone  ballast  and 
steel  rails,  becoming  one  of  the  modern 
roads  of  to-day.  One  winter  he  laid  eighty- 
five  hundred  tons  of  steel  rails  on  fifty  miles 
of  track  while  the  trains  were  still  running. 
He  also  had  charge  of  building  the  South 
Chicago  branch,  and  the  first  five  miles  of 
the  Bloomington  division,  during  which 
time  he  had  several  hundred  men  working 
under  him.  He  has  devoted  the  best  years 
of  his  life  to  railroad  construction,  and  dur- 
ing the  last  year  he  was  connected  with  the 
road,  he  built  the  south  yards,  the  coal 
chute  and  most  of  the  side  tracks  in  Cham- 
paign. He  has  made  his  home  in  this  city 
since  1865,  and  in  18,93  was  appointed  city 
engineer  for  a  term  of  two  years,  during 
which  time  he  laid  out  and  constructed  the 
main  outlet  for  the  sewers  and  made  the 
surveys  for  the  sewer  system  of  Champaign. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


161 


Since  1895  he  has  been  engaged  in  private 
civil  engineering  on  drainage  and  construc- 
tion work  in  several  of  the  drainage  dis- 
tricts of  this  and  other  counties  of  the  state, 
now  having  charge  of  a  number  of  such  dis- 
tricts. 

Mr.  O'Brien  married  Miss  Kate  Duggan, 
a  native  of  County  Tipperary,  Ireland,  and 
a  daughter  of  Dennis  Duggan,  who  fol- 
lowed farming  in  that  country,  but  after 
coming  to  America  was  a  railroad  man.  He 
became  a  resident  of  Champaign  in  1853, 
and  here  died  in  1866.  He  was  one  of  the 
earliest  members  of  the  Catholic  church  of 
that  city,  and  it  was  in  his  house  that  the 
first  collection  was  taken  up  to  buy  a  lot  for 
the  church,  he  being  the  first  subscriber. 
His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Ellen  Dougherty,  died  in  1887.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  O'Brien  were  married  April  21,  1867, 
and  the  same  year  he  erected  a  comfortable 
home  on  Walnut  street,  where  they  have 
now  lived  for  a  third  of  a  century.  Of  the 
six  children  born  to  them,  two  are  now  de- 
ceased, one  who  died  at  the  age  of  four 
years,  and  the  other  at  the  age  of  eight 
months.  Those  living  are  D.  W. ,  a  locomo- 
tive engineer,  living  at  Fort  Scott,  Kansas; 
Margaret  H.,  Katheryn  I.  and  Grace  May. 
They  have  received  good  educational  ad- 
vantages, attending  the  parochial  and  high 
schools  of  Champaign  and  the  University  of 
Illinois. 

Mr.  O'Brien  and  his  wife  were  also 
among  the  first  members  of  the  Catholic 
church  of  Champaign  and  started  its  first 
choir,  with  which  he  was  connected  for 
twelve  years.  He  has  always  affiliated  with 
the  Republican  party,  and  represented  the 
third  ward  in  the  city  council  for  some 
years,  during  which  time  the  paving  was  in 
progress,  many  brick  sidewalks  were  laid, 


and  the  sewers  started.  He  is  widely  and 
favorably  known  on  account  of  his  sterling 
worth  and  many  excellences  of  character, 
and  well  merits  the  success  that  he  has 
achieved  in  life. 


BC.  STEPHENS,  a  leading  and  popular 
photographer  of  Urbana,  Illinois,  was 
born  in  Wood  county,  West  Virginia,  April 
14.  1863,  a  son  of  John  A.  and  Mary  J. 
(Smith)  Stephens.  The  father  was  born  in 
the  same  county,  April  27,  1827,  and  was  a 
son  of  Thomas  and  Ethrilda  (Dockins) 
Stephens,  both  natives  of  Virginia.  He  was 
the  second  child  in  their  family,  the  other 
being  Thomas,  who  spent  his  entire  life  as 
a  farmer  in  Wood  county,  West'  Virginia. 
He  was  born  December  18,  1824,  and  died 
near  his  birthplace,  in  the  early  '905.  In 
religious  taith  he  was  a  Baptist.  He  mar- 
ried Mary  Herdman,  who  passed  away  be- 
fore his  death.  Their  children  were  Thomas 
T. ,  deceased;  Winfield  S. ;  Lewis  D. ;  John 
A.;  James  A.,  deceased;  Amanda;  and  Mar- 
garet. 

John  A.  Stephens,  father  of  our  subject, 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  remained 
a  resident  of  West  Virginia  until  after  the 
Civil  war, during  which  struggle  he  served  as 
captain  of  the  Home  Guards,  receiving  his 
commission  from  Governor  Fletcher.  In 
1865  he  came  to  Champaign  county,  Illinois, 
and  took  up  his  residence  in  Coltax  town- 
ship, where  he  owned  and  operated  a  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres.  He  was 
an  active  member  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal church,  and  died  in  that  faith.  On  the 
7th  of  June,  1849,  he  married  Miss  Mary  J. 
Smith,  who  was  born  in  Harrison  county, 
West  Virginia,  January  30,  1831,  a  daugh- 


l62 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ter  of  Joseph  and  Margaret  (Roby)  Smith, 
natives  of  Virginia.  Her  father,  who  was 
also  a  farmer  by  occupation,  came  to  Illinois 
in  1863,  and  located  in  Sadorus  township. 
He  was  born  October  20,  1809,  and  died 
May  23,  1873;  and  ms  wife  was  born  August 
10,  1810,  and  died  April  6,  1864.  Both 
were  life-long  and  active  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  to  which  Mrs. 
Stephens  also  belongs.  She  is  the  oldest  in 
their  family  of  nine  children,  the  others  be- 
ing as  follows:  (2)  Catherine,  born  January 
8,  1833,  was  married  in  April,  1849,  to  T. 
G.  Spencer,  now  deceased,  and  she  died  in 
September,  1851.  (3)  Martha  M.,  born 
March  20,  1835,  was  married  in  March,  '856, 
to  A.  B.  Ball,  by  whom  she  had  two  chil- 
dren, Charles  I.  and  Mrs.  Alice  Carey  Lu- 
cas, and  after  his  death  she  married  Absalom 
House,  now  deceased,  by  whom  she  had 
three  children:  Etta,  wife  of  J.  D.  Gard- 
ner; William;  and  Elmer.  She  died  March 
5,  1874.  (4)  Jennie  Ann,  born  June  10, 
1837,  married  H.  Sams  and  died  in  May, 
l%73-  (S)  Gideon  D.,  born  August  3,  1839, 
was  a  Union  soldier  and  non-commissioned 
officer  in  the  First  Virginia  Cavalry  during 
the  Civil  war.  He  was  captured  while  on 
skirmish  duty,  having  a  new  and  unmanage- 
able horse,  and  died  in  Belle  Isle  prison, 
March  17,  1863.  (6)  Dexter  S.  is  now  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  confer- 
ence in  Missouri.  He  was  a  member  of  an 
Illinois  regiment  during  the  Civil  war  and 
remained  in  the  service  until  hostilities 
ceased.  He  was  taken  prisoner  in  the  south 
and  was  later  paroled.  For  his  first  wife  he 
married  Emma  Frost,  by  whom  he  had  two 
sons:  Frank,  who  was  a  soldier  in  the 
Spanish- American  war;  and  George:  For 
his  second  wife  he  married  Hannah  Boying- 
ton,  of  Minneapolis,  Minnesota,  and  they 


have  two  children:  Leverne  and  Foster  C. 
(7)  Morton  B.,  born  March  16,  1848,  died 
in  1898,  while  pastor  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church  at  Burlington,  Missouri,  hav- 
ing successfully  labored  in  the  ministry 
throughout  life.  He  married  Florence  Bot- 
tome,  of  Minneapolis,  Minnesota,  and  had 
five  children:  Wilbur;  Mabel,  deceased; 
Ethel;  Philip;  and  Loren  E.  (8)  Joseph 
H.,  born  August  23,  1851,  is  editor  of  the 
Downs  Times,  of  Downs,  Kansas.  He  mar- 
ried Mary  H.  Lochrie,  of  Champaign  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  and  their  children  are  Walter, 
Wardie,  Mary  A.  and  Margaret  J. 

To  John  A.  and  Mary  J.  (Smith) 
Stephens  were  born  seven  children:  Will- 
iam Perry,  born  March  17,  1850,  was  a 
school  teacher,  and  died  June  13,  1875; 
Charles  Webster,  born  December  10,  1851, 
died  November  18,  1871;  Joseph  D. ,  born 
May  10,  1854,  engaged  in  farming  and 
school  teaching  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred October  24,  1875;  Thomas  A.,  born 
August  31,  1858,  and  a  farmer  of  Pesotum 
township,  this  county,  married  Lucy  V. 
Sewell,  and  they  have  seven  children,  Car- 
lisle, Robert  Bruce,  Nettie,  John  S., 
Thomas  Earl,  William  and  Hazel;  Maggie, 
born  November  3,  1860,  was  a  school 
teacher  and  milliner,  and  died  September 
9,  1887;  Boyd  C. ,  our  subject,  is  next  in 
order  of  birth;  and  Nettie  A.,  born  Decem- 
ber 27,  1866,  died  March  28,  1888.  The 
mother  now  makes  her  home  with  our  sub- 
ject at  1 12  West  street,  Urbana. 

Mr.  Stephens,  whose  name  introduces 
this  sketch,  acquired  the  greater  part  of  his 
education  in  the  country  schools,  but  also 
attended  the  Champaign  high  school  for  a 
time.  Subsequently  he  successfully  en- 
gaged in  teaching  school  for  three  terms, 
and  then  followed  farming  for  one  season, 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


163 


after  which  he  was  engaged  in  general  mer- 
chandising at  Mayview  for  several  years. 
On  selling  out  there  he  embarked  in  his 
present  business  at  Urbana,  in  January, 
1896,  and  is  now  one  of  the  leading  pho- 
tographers of  this  section  of  the  state.  He 
not  only  receives  a  liberal  share  of  the  pub- 
lic patronage  from  Urbana,  but  has  many 
patrons  in  Champaign  and  surrounding 
towns,  having  in  one  week  received  thirty 
dollars'  worth  of  work  from  four  business 
men  of  Champaign,  unsolicited  by  him. 

On  the  2d  of  May,  1888,  Mr.  Stephens 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Laura  N. 
Tackett,  a  daughter  of  Walter  and  Eliza- 
beth Tackett,  farming  people  of  Tolono 
township,  this  county,  in  whose  family  were 
six  children  :  Marion;  Anna,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  thirty  years;  Dora;  Laura  N.; 
William,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
six  years;  and  Blanche.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Stephens  have  four  children,  namely:  Ray- 
mond, Russell,  Paul  and  Ethel.  The  par- 
ents both  hold  membership  in  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  and  Mr.  Stephens  is  also 
a  prominent  member  of  Urbana  Lodge, 
No.  139,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  in  which  he  has 
passed  all  the  chairs,  and  served  as  deputy 
grand  master  and  as  representative  to  the 
grand  lodge  two  years. 


REV.  A.  J.  WAGNER,  pastor  of  St. 
Mary's  Catholic  church,  of  Cham- 
paign, ministers  faithfully  to  the  spiritual 
needs  of  his  people  and  gives  powerful  and 
effective  aid  to  all  influences  which  work  for 
the  advancement  of  the  community.  Re- 
vered and  loved  by  his  own  flock,  he  has 
also  won  the  honor  and  esteem  of  all  others 
who  have  seen  his  devotion  to  his  noble 
calling. 


Father  Wagner  was  born  and  reared  in 
Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania;  was  graduated 
from  the  Jesuit  College  at  Fordham,  New 
York,  in  1875,  and  completed  his  theologi- 
cal studies  by  a  three  years'  course  at  Over- 
brook,  near  Philadefphia.  On  the  i  3th  of 
December,  1878,  he  was  ordained  by  Rt. 
Rev.  J.  L.  Spaulding,  of  Peoria,  Illinois, 
and  on  the  2Oth  of  the  same  month  came  to 
Champaign  as  assistant  pastor  to  Father  P. 
Toner.  On  the  26th  of  July,  1879,  he  was 
appointed  pastor  of  the  church  at  Tolono, 
which  had  previously  been  a  part  of  the 
Champaign  parish  and  was  the  second  church 
taken  from  it.  While  there  Father  Wagner 
improved  the  church  and  purchased  a  brick 
parsonage  and  twenty-five  acres  of  land, 
and  also  erected  a  church  at  Broadlands, 
Critenden  township,  which  he  dedicated  on. 
Christmas  Day,  riding  eleven  miles  to  do  it, 
although  the  thermometer  was  eighteen  de- 
grees below  zejro.  He  received  his  ap- 
pointment as  pastor  of  St.  Mary's  church, 
Champaign,  May  4,  1888,  and  has  rem  lined 
here  ever  since,  being  an  irremovable  pas- 
tor, one  of  ten  in  his  diocese. 

Father  Ryan  founded  a  Catholic  mission 
in  Champaign,  and  once  in  every  six  weeks 
held  mass  on  Walnut  street  from  1855  to 
1858,  there  being  but  few  Catholic  fami- 
lies in  that  place  at  that  time.  Among  the 
first  to  locate  here  were  James  Kelly,  Mar- 
tin Hurlburt,  Frank  Donley,  Robert  Gra- 
ham, James  O'Brien,  Dennis  Duggan  and 
his  son  Daniel  Duggan.  In  1856  they  took 
up  a  collection  and  bought  a  lot  on  Hickory 
street,  but  as  it  was  inconvenient  for  the 
members  of  the  church  living  at  Urbana  it 
was  decided  to  locate  at  the  present  site  of 
St.  Mary's.  Under  Father  Ryan  the  walls 
for  a  brick  church  were  erected  in  1856  or 
1857,  and  were  ready  for  a  roof,  when  they 


164 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


were  blown  down  in  a  storm.  About  a  year 
later,  when  the  parish  had  somewhat  re- 
covered from  their  loss,  a  frame  church  was 
built  by  Father  Ryan,  who  ministered  to  the 
congregation  from  Mattoon,  at  which  place 
he  died.  Father  Lambert  then  became 
first  resident  pastor  of  Champaign,  but  a 
year  later  was  succeeded  by  Father  Frolich. 
Prior  to  this  time  Fathers  Ryan,  Pender- 
gast,  Lambert,  and  others  from  Paris,  Illi- 
nois, had  charge  of  the  church  at  this  place, 
which  was  the  first  in  the  county,  and  from 
which  have  sprung  those  at  Tolono,  Ives- 
dale,  Rantoul,  Pesotum,  Penfield,  Philo, 
Broadlands  and  Thomasboro.  Father  Fro- 
lich was  succeeded  by  Rev.  Thomas  Scan- 
Ian,  who  died  here,  and  was  followed  by 
Rev.  Thomas  Ryan,  who  remained  two 
years  and  then  went  to  Paxton.  He  had  the 
church  lathed  and  plastered,  seats  put  in, 
and  the  edifice  enlarged.  Following  him 
was  Father  Mcllvaine,  who  came  direct 
from  Ireland  and  returned  to  that  country 
after  one  year. 

In  1866  Rev.  Patrick  Toner  was  made 
pastor,  and  it  was  under  his  ministrations 
that  in  1876  a  two-story  brick  school  build- 
ing was  erected  and  opened  for  use  in  1878. 
It  occupies  a  whole  block  bounded  by  Park, 
Church,  Wright  and  Sixth  streets.  Owing 
to  ill  health,  Father  Toner  returned  to  Ire- 
land in  May,  1879,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Father  McDermott,  whose  stay  here  was  of 
short  duration,  and  who  was  succeeded  by 
Rev.  T.  S.  Keating,  now  pastor  of  St. 
Columbus  church,  of  Ottawa,  Illinois.  It 
was  during  his  pastorate  that  the  plans  were 
drawn  for  the  new  church  and  the  contractlet, 
but  work  was  not  begun  until  after  he  left. 

As  he  was  succeeded  by  Father  Wagner 
it  is  to  the  untiring  efforts  of  the  latter  that 
the  parish  now  has  a  fine  church,  besides 


other  valuable  property.  The  corner  stone 
was  laid  June  10,  1888,  by  Bishop  Ryan,  of 
Alton,  it  being  the  first  corner  stone  laid  by 
him  as  bishop.  Four  months  later  the  build- 
ing was  completed  at  a  cost  of  twenty-one 
thousand  dollars,  and  during  that  time  nine- 
teen thousand  had  been  raised,  leaving  only 
two  thousand,  which  was  subscribed  on  its 
dedication  and  paid  in  less  than  a  year. 
The  church  has  a  seating  capacity  of  about 
six  hundred  and  fifty,  and  is  finished  in  a 
most  approved  style,  the  frescoing  and  altar 
decorations  being  of  the  best,  while  the 
building  is  heated  by  steam.  In  1895  Father 
Wagner  built  a  beautiful  parsonage  of  St. 
Louis  pressed  brick,  in  modern  style  of 
architecture,  heated  with  hot  water,  and 
supplied  with  speaking  tubes,  bath  and 
electric  light.  In  connection  with  the 
church  there  is  also  a  convent  built  by  Father 
Keating  in  1885  at  a  cost  of  five  thousand 
dollars.  One-half  of  this  property  on  East 
Church  street  was  purchased  by  him,  while 
the  other  half  on  East  Park  street  was 
bought  by  Father  Toner.  The  Sisters  of 
Notre  Dame,  Milwaukee,  have  charge  of 
this  convent,  six  of  the  sisters  acting  as 
teachers  to  something  over  two  hundred 
pupils.  Father  Wagner  now  has  at  least 
one  thousand  souls  in  his  charge.  Under 
his  ministry  the  congregation  at  Champaign 
has  steadily  increased,  but  no  estimate  of 
material  progress  can  give  one  any  idea  of 
the  great  work  he  has  done  in  molding  and 
shaping  to  higher  issues  the  lives  of  those  to 
whom  he  gives  his  best  thought. 


OLIVER  P.  LOOMIS,  deceased,  was  for 
several  years  a  well-known  groceryman 
and  highly  respected  citizen  of  Urbana.      He 
was  born  in  North  Coventry,  Tolland  coun- 


THE  BIOGRAHPICAL    RECORD. 


165 


ty,  Connecticut,  January  20,  1820,  a  son  of 
Walter  and  Diantha  (Babcock)  Loomis, 
also  natives  of  that  state.  The  father  was 
a  mason  by  trade  and  built  the  bridge  across 
the  Potomac  river  at  Washington,  D.  C., 
for  which  he  never  received  his  pay,  al- 
though his  partner  received  his  share.  He 
also  built  many  of  the  roads  in  Virginia.  He 
died  in  1841,  at  about  the  age  of  forty-nine 
years,  and  his  wite  passed  away  in  1877,  a* 
the  advanced  age  of  ninety-five.  Both  were 
members  of  the  Congregational  church.  In 
their  family  were  eight  children,  namely: 
Sophronia  married  Andrew  Gilmore,  of  New 
York  state,  and  died  in  1897,  aged  eighty- 
four  years.  Caroline  married  Reuben  A. 
Chapman,  who  died  in  1878,  but  she  is  still 
living  in  Hartford,  Connecticut,  at  the  age 
of  ninety  years.  Mariva  married  Eleazer 
Hunt,  and  died  in  1883,  aged  sixty-six  years. 
Lydia  is  living  in  Makanda,  Illinois,  at  the 
age  of  eighty-four  years.  Walter  wedded 
Mary  Harris  and  was  a  retired  farmer  of 
Makanda  at  the  time  of  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  1885.  Oliver  Porter,  our  sub- 
ject, was  the  next  in  order  of  birth.  Milo 
married  Emeline  Brown,  who  died  Septem- 
ber n,  1896,  and  he  died  in  Bridgeport, 
Connecticut,  May  21,  1892,  aged  sixty-nine 
years.  Catherine  married  Levi  Moody, 
who  died  about  1880.  but  she  is  still  living 
and  makes  her  home  in  Bridgeport. 

In  his  native  state  our  subject  grew  to 
manhood  and  was  married,  December  27, 
1842,  by  Rev.  Isaac  N.  Sprague,  of  the 
Fourth  Congregational  church,  of  Hartford, 
Connecticut,  to  Miss  Amelia  Long.  Her 
father,  Oliver  Long,  was  an  excellent  black- 
smith, and  did  most  of  the  work  in  that  line 
in  his  neighborhood.  His  customers  would 
await  their  turn,  and  if  any  happened  to  be 
there  at  dinner  time,  they  were  asked  to 


partake  of  his  meal  that  none  might  go  away 
hungry.  He  was  well  and  favorably  known 
for  a  radius  of  many  miles.  He  was  born 
in  North  Coventry,  Connecticut,  June  7, 
1783,  and  died  April  4,  1842.  On  the  29th 
of  March,  1808,  he  married  Anna  Porter, 
also  a  native  of  North  Coventry,  who  was 
born  June  3,  1782,  and  died  February  12, 
1860.  She  was  a  member  of  Rev.  George 
Calhoun's  Congregational  church  of  North 
Coventry,  Connecticut.  Her  parents  were 
Noah  and  Submit  (Cook)  Porter,  and  their 
children  were  Adenath,  Submit,  Lucretia, 
Anna,  Noah,  Zelotus,  Ebenezer  and  Joseph. 

Mrs.  Loomis,  born  January  30,  1816,  is 
the  youngest  in  a  family  of  five  children, 
and  the  only  one  now  living,  the  others  be- 
ing as  follows:  (i)  Otis  G.,  born  Novem- 
ber 26,  1808,  was  married  November  21, 
1830,  to  Calista  Williams,  now  deceased, 
and  he  died  August  29,  1863.  They  had 
five  sons.  (2)  Revilo,  born  August  28, 
1811,  was  married  April  i,  1834,  to  Jason 
C.  Reach,  and  died  February  18,  1860, 
leaving  one  child,  Adelaide,  wife  of  Alfred 
Andres.  (3)  Mary  Ann,  born  December  9, 
1814,  was  married  January  2,  1865,  to 
Charles  Sawyer,  and  died  January  19, 
1892.  He  died  in  July,  1896.  (4)  Flora, 
born  March  29,  1816,  was  married,  Febru- 
ary 9,  1841,  to  William  Webster,  who  died 
about  1865,  and  she  died  March  12,  1897. 

To  our  subject  and  his  wife  were  born 
five  daughters,  namely:  (ij  Elvertine 
Amelia,  born  August  31,  1843,  died  at 
Colebrook  River,  Connecticut,  at  the  age 
of  six  years  and  ten  months.  (2)  Isabella 
Imogene,  born  November  18,  1845,  mar- 
ried Edward  Norton,  and  they  have  one 
child,  Carrie  Belle,  who  has  been  a  teacher 
in  the  University  of  Illinois.  They  reside 
with  Mrs.  Loomis  in  Urbana.  (3)  Joseph- 


1 66 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ine  Rosalie,  born  January  17,  1852,  died 
in  1852,  at  the  age  of  eight  months.  (4) 
Katie  Adele,  born  May  i,  1854,  died-Sep- 
tember  11,  1868.  (5)  Carrie  Eudora,  born 
May  3,  1856,  married  James  A.  Campbell, 
who  died  May  21,  1898,  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
six  years,  leaving  one  child,  Grace  Amelia. 
In  early  life  Mr.  Loomis  was  superin- 
tendent of  a  cotton  mill  at  Colebrook  River, 
Litchfield  county,  Connecticut.  On  the 
iithof  September,  1862,  he  laid  aside  all 
personal  interests  and  entered  the  service  of 
his  country,  becoming  a  member  of  Com- 
pany F,  Nineteenth  Connecticut  Volunteer 
Infantry,  which  was  afterward  converted 
into  the  Second  Connecticut  Heavy  Artillery. 
He  was  commissioned  second  lieutenant  of 
his  company,  and  was  later  made  first  lieu- 
tenant of  Company  D.  While  serving  in 
the  infantry  his  company  did  patrol  duty  at 
Alexandria,  Virginia,  from  the  fall  of  1862 
until  the  following  spring.  Later  three  of 
the  companies.  D,  F  and  G,  of  his  regi- 
ment were  sent  to  garrison  Fort  Ellsworth, 
where  his  daughter  Emogene  remained  with 
him  from  July  to  March,  1864.  Prior  to 
this  time  his  wife  and  two  daughters  had 
been  with  him  at  the  fort.  His  first  en- 
gagement was  with  the  Army  of  the  Poto- 
mac in  the  battle  of  Cold  Harbor,  where 
they  lay  in  the  trenches  for  forty-eight 
hours,  and  where  the  commander  of  the 
regiment,  Colonel  Kellogg,  was  killed,  being 
shot  five  times.  When  last  seen  he  was 
on  his  knees  giving  orders.  Mr.  Loomis 
was  a  member  of  a  picked  company  from 
Litchfield  county,  and,  like  many  of  its 
members,  was  past  the  required  age  for  mil- 
itary service.  He  had  charge  of  the  bar- 
racks at  Fort  Williams,  which  was  garri- 
soned by  Companies  D,  I  and  B,  but  many 
of  the  recruits  proved  bounty  jumpers,  and 


one  morning  he  found  that  fifty  of  these  had 
disappeared.  After  two  years  of  faithful 
service  Mr.  Loomis  resigned  on  account  of 
ill  health  and  returned  home. 

In  November,  1877,  he  came  West,  and 
first  located  in  Cobden,  Union  county,  Illi- 
nois, where  he  engaged  in  the  grocery  busi- 
ness for  six  years,  and  in  1882  removed  to 
Urbana,  where,  in  partnership  with  hisson- 
in-law,  Mr.  Campbell,  he  opened  a  grocery 
and  bakery,  under  the  firm  name  of  Loomis 
&  Campbell.  He  continued  his  connection 
with  that  business  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred July  21,  1891.  He  was  buried  with 
military  honors  by  Black  Eagle  Post,  No. 
157,  G.  A.  R.,  of  which  he  was  a  member. 
In  politics  he  was  a  stanch  Republican. 
His  upright,  honorable  life  won  for  him  the 
confidence  and  respect  of  all  with  whom  he 
came  in  contact,  and  he  was  highly  es- 
teemed wherever  known.  Mrs.  Loomis, 
wfio  still  makes  her  home  in  Urbana,  is  a 
most  estimable  lady  of  many  sterling  qual- 
ities, and  has  a  large  circle  of  friends  in 
the  community. 


A  LFRED  SPRADLING  is  one  of  Cham- 
i\  paign's  highly  respected  citizens,  whose 
useful  and  well-spent  life  has  not  only 
gained  for  him  the  confidence  of  his  fellow 
men  but  has  also  secured  for  him  a  com- 
fortable competence  which  enables  him  to 
lay  aside  all  business  cares  and  spend  his 
declining  days  in  ease  and  retirement. 

Mr.  Spradling  was  born  in  Franklin 
county,  Indiana,  May  17,  1823,  a  son  of 
John  and  Betsy  (Chapman)  Spradling,  na- 
tives of  South  Carolina  and  Tennessee,  re- 
spectively. His  paternal  grandfather  was 
born  in  one  of  the  eastern  states  and  from 


ALFRED  SPRADLING. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


169 


there  removed  to  South  Carolina,  where  he 
owned  and  conducted  a  tobacco  plantation. 
The  father  of  our  subject  was  a  soldier  of 
the  war  of  1812,  a  member  of  the  land 
forces.  He  continued  his  residence  in  his 
native  state  until  after  his  marriage,  when 
he  moved  to  Indiana,  becoming  one  of  the 
very  early  settlers  of  Franklin  county,  and 
taking  up  a  tract  of  government  land,  he  de- 
veloped from  the  unbroken  forest  two  fine 
farms  in  the  White  Water  bottoms.  In 
1851  he  came  to  La  Salle  county,  Illinois, 
where  he  and  his  wife  spent  their  remaining 
days,  both  dying  at  about  the  age  of  eighty- 
two  years.  He  had  prospered  in  his  under- 
takings and  was  quite  well-to-do.  In  his 
family  were  twelve  children,  namely:  Sarah, 
William,  Polly,  Nancy,  John,  Elizabeth, 
Enoch,  James,  Thomas,  Rebecca,  Alfred 
and  Lear.  All  are  now  deceased  with  the 
exception  of  our  subject  and  Rebecca,  who 
is  living  near  Brookville,  Franklin  county, 
Indiana. 

In  the  county  of  his  nativity,  Alfred 
Spradling  grew  to  manhood,  and  was  edu- 
cated in  an  old  log  school  house  with 
puncheon  floor,  slab  benches,  and  greased 
newspapers  for  windows.  The  scholarsgen- 
erally  paid  a  dollar  and  a  half  per  quarter 
for  their  tuition,  and  the  teacher  boarded 
around  among  them.  Our  subject  had  to 
walk  about  three  miles  to  school,  and  was 
then  only  able  to  attend  three  months  in 
winter,  as  his  services  were  needed  on  the 
farm  throughout  the  remainder  of  the  year. 
In  this  way  he  continued  his  studies  until 
about  twenty  years  of  age. 

Mr.  Spradling  remained  at  home  with 
his  parents  until  he  was  married,  May  4, 
1844,  to  Miss  Amy  Jane  Peterson,  also  a 
native  of  Franklin  county.  She  had  a  bet- 
ter chance  of  obtaining  an  education  than 


her  husband, as  the  school  house  was  located 
upon  her  father's  farm,  and  it  was  at  that 
primitive  educational  institution  that  she 
and  Mr.  Spradling  became  acquainted.  Her 
parents  were  John  and  Edith  (Clifton)  Pe- 
terson, both  natives  of  New  Jersey,  the  for- 
mer born  in  1794,  the  latter,  August  21, 
1796.  They  continued  their  residence  in 
that  state  a  few  years  after  their  marriage, 
but,  in  1818,  moved  to  Franklin  county,  In- 
diana, where  the  father  took  up  government 
land  in  the  timber  and  cleared  and  im- 
proved a  good  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres.  He  subsequently  added  to  it  and 
becamequite  a  prosperous  farmer.  In  1853 
he  sold  his  property  in  Indiana  and  came  to 
La  Salle  county,  Illinois,  where  he  pur- 
chased three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
land,  making  that  his  home  for  a.  few  years, 
but  finally  removed  to  Philo,  Champaign 
county,  where  he  died  in  1873,  his  wife  in 
1877.  They  were  the  parents  of  fourteen 
children:  Samuel,  Benjamin,  Mary,  Henry, 
Sarah,  John,  Elizabeth,  Catherine,  Amy  J., 
Ruth,  Charlotte,  Clara,  Annie  W.  and  Han- 
nah. Those  living  are  Catherine,  Amy  J., 
Ruth,  Charlotte  and  Hannah. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spradling  have  been 
born  eleven  children,  as  follows:  Elizabeth 
died  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years.  Sarah  is 
the  wife  of  Harvey  Cunningham,  of  Mar- 
sha.lltown,  Iowa.  Hartley  wedded  Mary  E. 
Baker,  and  died  in  1894,  leaving  a  widow 
who  resides  in  Urbana.  Emory  married 
Frances  Harrington,  and  died  in  1843.  His 
wife  also  died,  leaving  a  two-year-old  child, 
who  was  reared  by  our  subject  and  his  wife, 
and  is  now  the  wife  of  Fred  Street,  of  Mc- 
Pherson,  Kansas.  Alpheus  married  Emma 
Turner  and  died  in  Las  Vegas,  New  Mexico, 
while  there  for  his  health.  His  widow  is  liv- 
ing in  Missouri.  Albert  L.  married  Hannah 


170 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Owens,  and  engaged  in  the  hardware  busi- 
ness in  Hoopeston,  Illinois.  Ami  N.  mar- 
ried Ameda  Wymer  and  died  at  the  age  of 
forty-two  years.  Stephen  H.  married  Ella 
Phares  and  is  engaged  in  the  hardware  busi- 
ness in  Saybrook.  George  S.  died  at  the 
age  of  fifteen  years.  Kate  S.  is  the  wife  of 
Frank  Phares,  a  grocer  of  Lincoln,  Nebraska. 
Frank  married  Betty  Taylor,  and  is  engaged 
in  the  grocery  and  hardware  business  in  Og- 
den,  Illinois. 

After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Spradling  oper- 
ated his  father's  farm  on  the  shares  for  a 
time,  and  would  haul  his  grain  and  wood  to 
Cincinnati,  it  requiring  six  days  to  make  the 
round  trip.  In  1851,  he,  too,  moved  to  La 
Salle  county,  Illinois,  taking  a  steamer  at 
Cincinnati  and  floating  down  the  Ohio  river 
to  the  Mississippi.  He  then  went  up  that 
stream  and  the  Illinois  to  La  Salle,  where 
he  landed  his  team  and  proceeded  across 
the  country  to  Mission  Grove  township — 
his  destination.  There  he  purchased  eighty 
acres  of  unimproved  land,  to  which  he  added 
another  eighty-acre  tract  two  years  later, 
making  a  good  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres,  which  he  continued  to  cultivate 
until  his  removal  to  this  county  in  1864. 
In  Philo  township  he  bought  three  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  known  as  the  Griffs  farm, 
upon  which  he  made  his  home  for  sixteen 
years,  and  on  disposing  of  that  tract  bought 
another  farm  of  similar  size  in  Cheney  Grove 
township,  McLean  county,  where  he  engaged 
in  general  farming  and  stock  raising,  ship- 
ping from  two  to  three  car  loads  of  stock 
annually.  In  1890,  he  sold  his  half-section 
of  land  in  that  county  and  moved  to  Gibson 
City,  but  only  remained  there  a  few  months 
before  coming  to  Champaign,  where  he  built 
a  comfortable  residence  in  1891,  and  is  now 
living  a  retired  life.  In  his  farming  opera- 


tions he  met  with  the  success  that  usually 
follows  the  industrious  and  enterprising 
man,  and  is  now  enabled  to  live  in  ease  and 
comfort  upon  the  proceeds  of  his  former 
life  of  toil.  He  still  has  eighty  acres  of  land 
in  Ogden  township  purchased  by  him  in 
1884,  and  also  has  four  town  lots  in  Ogden 
and  five  in  Champaign.  In  early  life  he 
was  a  Whig,  but  since  the  organization  of 
the  Republican  party  he  has  been  one  of  its 
stanch  supporters.  He  served  as  pathmaster 
or  road  commissioner  in  Franklin  county, 
Indiana,  but  has  never  cared  for  the  honors 
or  emoluments  of  public  office.  He  and  his 
estimable  wife  are  members  of  the  First 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Champaign, 
and  are  highly  respected  and  esteemed  by  all 
who  have  the  pleasure  of  their  acquaintance 
on  account  of  their  sterling  worth  and  many 
excellences  of  character. 


JESSE  R.  GULICK,  a  leading  and  prom- 
inent attorney  of  Champaign,  who  has 
made  his  home  in  this  county  since  1858, 
was  born  on  a  farm  near  Darbyville,  Pick- 
away  county,  Ohio,  between  Columbus  and 
Circleville,  December  8, 1 840,  and  is  a  member 
of  an  old  colonial  family  of  Holland  origin, 
which  was  founded  in  this  country  by  four 
representatives  of  the  name.  His  great- 
grandfather, Ferdinand  Gulick,  was  a  sol- 
dier of  the  Revolutionary  war  and  made  his 
home  in  Virginia,  where  his  death  occurred. 
Our  subject  has  in  his  possession  a  deed 
which  conveyed  land  to  him,  in  1794,  on  the 
road  from  Winchester  to  Rumney,  in  what 
is  now  West  Virginia.  The  grandfather, 
John  Gulick,  was  a  soldier  of  the  war  of 
1812  from  Virginia,  having  been  a  member 
of  the  militia  in  that  state.  He  married  a 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


171 


Miss  Lee,  who  belonged  to  the  same  family 
as  Robert  E.  Lee.  About  1817,  he  removed 
with  his  family  to  Ohio,  becoming  one  of 
the  pioneer  settlers  of  Pickaway  county,  • 
where  he  purchased  land  and  spsnt  his  re- 
maining days. 

Joseph  Gulick,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
was  probably  born  in  Loudon  county,  Vir- 
ginia, and  was  a  child  of  three  years  when 
the  family  removed  to  Pickaway  county, 
Ohio,  where  he  was  reared  in  much  the 
usual  manner  of  farmer  boys  of  his  day  in 
a  new  country,  his  home  being  a  log  cabin 
on  a  farm.  On  reaching  manhood  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Eliza  Hillery,  who  was  born  and 
reared  near  Kingston,  Pickaway  county. 
Her  father,  John  Hillery,  was  a  soldier  of 
the  war  of  1812  from  Ohio,  and  was  also  a 
farmer  by  occupation.  After  his  marriage 
Mr.  Gulick,  the  father  of  the  subject  of  our 
sketch,  began  farming  on  his  own  account  in 
Pickaway  county,  where  he  continued  to 
make  his  home  until  1858,  which  year  wit- 
nessed his  arrival  in  Newcomb  township, 
Champaign  county,  Illinois.  Later  he  lived 
in  Piatt  county,  this  state,  and  finally  went 
to  Jasper  county,  Missouri,  where  he  died 
in  September,  1897.  His  widow  is  still 
living  in  that  county.  For  years  he  was  a 
consistent  and  faithful  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  during  his 
residence  in  this  state  held  membership  in 
the  church  at  Mahomet. 

Our  subject  was  the  second  child  and 
eldest  son  in  a  family  of  twelve  children. 
His  early  education  was  acquired  in  the 
common  schools  of  Pickaway  county,  Ohio, 
and  after  coming  to  Champaign  county, 
Illinois,  he  successfully  engaged  in  teaching 
school  for  two  years.  During  the  following 
three  years  he  attended  the  Asbury  Univer- 
sity, now  the  Depauw  University,  a  Method- 


ist Episcopal  institution,  of  Greencastle, 
Indiana,  and  for  one  year  thereafter  he 
taught  school  in  Macon  county,  this  state. 
In  1866  he  began  the  study  of  law  with 
Coler  &  Smith,  the  junior  member  of  the 
firm  being  judge  of  this  circuit  for  eighteen 
years.  Mr.  Gulick  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  by  the  supreme  court  in  April,  1867, 
and  the  following  year  engaged  in  practice 
in  Champaign.  He  then  went  to  Vandalia, 
where  he  remained  two  years  and  while 
there  was  examiner  and  assistant  county 
superintendent  of  schools.  As  he  was  about 
to  leave  that  place,  in  1870,  he  was  ten- 
dered the  nomination  for  prosecuting  attor- 
ney by  his  party,  which  at  that  time  was 
equivalent  to  an  election,  as  the  party  was 
largely  in  the  majority,  but  having  already 
made  arrangements  to  return  to  Champaign, 
he  declined  the  honor.  Here  he  has  since 
engaged  in  private  practice,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  a  short  time  spent  in  farming, 
and  has  a  large  general  practice,  trying 
many  cases  before  the  supreme  and  appellate 
courts  and  meeting  with  most  excellent  suc- 
cess. He  has  been  connected  with  several 
of  the  most  important  land  cases  on  trial  in 
the  county.  He  is  thoroughly  versed  in 
the  law,  is  a  man  of  deep  research  and  care- 
ful investigation  and  his  skill  and  ability  are 
widely  recognized.  He  still  owns  a  fine 
farm  of  over  a  section  in  Newcomb  town- 
ship, and  while  superintending  the  operation 
of  the  same  he  made  his  home  in  Mahomet 
for  four  years  after  his  return  from  Vandalia. 
He  was  one  of  the  first  attorneys  to  locate 
there  and  took  an  active  part  in  booming 
the  town. 

In  1867  Mr.  Gulick  married  Miss  Louisa 
L.  Everett,  who  was  born  and  reared  in 
this  county,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Joseph  T. 
and  Jemima  (Piper)  Everett,  natives  of 


172 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Kentucky,  where  they  were  married  in  1841 
and  soon  after  removed  from  Lewis  county, 
that  state,  to  this  county,  and  for  a  time  the 
father  engaged  in  farming  in  Newcomb 
township,  but  later  followed  merchandising 
in  Champaign,  where  he  died  in  June,  1878. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gulick  were  born  six  chil- 
dren, namely:  Edward  E.,  a  graduate  of 
the  University  of  Illinois,  class  '92,  and 
later  pursued  a  theological  course  at  Shurt- 
liff  College,  and  was  graduated  from  that 
institution;  Joseph  Piper,  who  is  mentioned 
below;  Roscoe  E.,  an  attorney  of  Sheldon, 
Illinois;  Clyde  D. ,  who  is  now  attending 
the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  at 
Chicago;  Maggie  Grace,  a  member  of  the 
junior  class  of  the  University  of  Illinois;  and 
Wilbur,  the  youngest  member  of  the  high 
school  of  Champaign.  Three  of  the  sons 
are  graduates  of  the  University  of  Illinois, 
but  Roscoe  was  educated  at  Valparaiso, 
Indiana,  and  also  attended  lectures  at  the 
law  department  of  the  Wesleyan  University 
at  Bloomington,  Illinois.  The  family  have 
an  elegant  home  at  No.  209  West  Church 
street. 

Mr.  Gulick  is  a  supporter  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party,  and  takes  an  active  and  prom- 
inent part  in  local  politics,  having  served  as 
a  member  of  various  committees  and  as  a 
delegate  to  different  state  conventions.  He 
was  also  a  delegate  to  the  convention  which 
nominated  Judge  Smith  the  first  time  he  was 
elected.  During  his  residence  in  Mahomet, 
Mr.  Gulick  served  as  police  magistrate  for 
four  years.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Odd 
Fellows  Lodge  at  that  place,  and  was  made 
a  Mason  there  about  1888,  but  dimitted  to 
Champaign  in  1891,  and  is  now  a  member 
of  the  lodge  and  chapter  in  this  city,  and  of 
the  council  at  Urbana,  and  Urbana  Com- 
mandery,  No.  16,  K.  T.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs. 


Gulick  are  prominent  members  of  the  Bap- 
tist church  of  Champaign,  of  which  he  was 
deacon  for  eight  years,  and  was  trustee  when 
the  new  church  was  erected.  He  was  also 
elected  chairman  of  the  building  committee, 
but  resigned  that  position.  He  had  pre- 
viously served  as  chairman  of  the  building 
committee  when  the  parsonage  was  built. 
He  has  been  a  resident  of  Champaign  county 
for  over  forty  years,  and  as  a  public-spirited 
and  progressive  citizen  has  given  his  support 
to  all  measures  for  the  public  good.  His 
career  has  ever  been  such  as  to  warrant  the 
trust  and  confidence  of  his  fellow  citizens, 
and  he  is  held  in  high  regard  by  all  who 
know  him. 

Joseph  P.  Gulick,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  law  with  his  father  at  Champaign, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Gulick  &  Gulick, 
was  born  in  Vandalia,  Illinois,  December  20, 
1870,  and  began  his  education  in  the  coun- 
try schools.  He  attended  the  high  school 
at  Mahomet,  and  then  entered  the  Univer- 
sity of  Illinois,  where  he  pursued  the  literary 
course  and  was  graduated  in  1892.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  Philomathen  Literary  So- 
ciety and  took  the  second  prize  in  the  de- 
clamatory contest.  During  the  senior  year 
the  honors  are  excelsior  orator  and  excelsior 
president.  He  was  elected  orator,  and  de- 
livered the  oration  at  the  anniversary  of  the 
placing  of  the  excelsior  statue  in  the  hall,  it 
being  the  gift  of  Lorado  Taft.  After  his 
graduation  he  was  principal  of  the  Savoy 
schools  for  three  years,  during  which  time 
he  read  law  with  his  father,  and  in  1895  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  by  examination  before 
the  appellate  court  at  Mt.  Vernon.  He 
then  formed  a  partnership  with  his  father 
and  has  since  engaged  in  practice.  During 
his  first  year  he  took  a  case  to  the  appellate 
court  and  had  it  reversed  by  the  same  court 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


173 


that  admitted  him.  He  is  a  fine  orator  and 
in  his  lodge  work,  etc.,  is  called  upon  to  de- 
liver many  addreses.  He  was  made  a  'Ma- 
son in  1893,  at  Western  Star  Lodge,  No. 
240,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  which  he  has  been 
worshipful  master  since  December,  1897, 
being  twice  elected  to  that  office,  and  has 
represented  the  lodge  in  the  grand  lodge 
three  times,  first  when  senior  warden.  He 
is  captain  of  hosts  in  the  chapter,  also  a 
member  of  the  council,  and  is  at  present 
senior  warden  of  the  commandery.  It  was 
under  his  administration  that  the  Masonic 
Temple  was  purchased  at  a  cost  of  eighteen 
thousand  dollars.  At  present  he  is  chairman 
of  the  temple  committee,  and  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  Saxa  Ruba  Conclave,  No.  2,  Red 
Cross  of  Constantin.e,  another  Masonic  body. 


REV.  NATHAN  S.  MORRIS,  an  hon- 
ored and  highly  respected  citizen  of 
Urbana,  now  living  a  retired  life,  is  one  of 
the  men  who  make  old  age  seem  the  better 
portion  of  life.  For  many  years  he  labored 
untiringly  in  the  Master's  cause  as  a  minister 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  after 
a  long  career  of  usefulness  can  well  afford  to 
lay  all  cares  aside  and  spend  the  sunset  of 
life  in  ease  and  quiet  in  his  pleasant  home 
at  No.  501  West  High  street. 

Mr.  Morris  was  born  near  Cadiz,  Harri- 
son county,  Ohio,  December  6,  1830,  a  son 
of  John  and  Maria  (Burson)  Morris,  also 
natives  of  that  state.  The  father,  who  was 
a  turner  and  machinist  by  trade,  died 
at  an  early  age,  and  in  1835,  the  mother, 
with  their  only  child — our  subject — moved 
to  Kalamazoo  county,  Michigan,  where  he 
was  reared  as  a  farmer  boy.  He  was 
educated  in  the  common  schools  of  his  day, 


and  in  1851  commenced  teaching  school, 
which  profession  he  followed  for  six  or  seven 
terms  before  entering  the  ministry.  His 
advantages  for  obtaining  a  good  scholastic 
training  were  limited,  but  by  perseverance 
and  close  application  he  obtained  a  liberal 
education,  and  his  labors  in  life  have  been 
productive  of  great  good. 

Returning  to  his  native  state,  he  joined 
the  Central  Ohio  Conference  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church,  and  began  preach- 
ing in  1854,  at  Wapakoneta,  Auglaize 
county.  In  1855,  he  had  charge  of  Arcanum 
circuit,  Dark  county,  and  in  1856  of  Quincy 
circuit,  Logan  county,  and  of  Zanesville 
circuit,  in  1850.  While  there  he  often 
passed  the  spot  where  Simon  Kenton,  the 
great  Indian  hunter,  ran  the  gauntlet,  and 
the  cabin  where  that  warrior  lived.  Mr. 
Morris'  next  circuit  was  Fort  Recovery — 
the  battle  ground  where  St.  Claire  was 
defeated.  The  small  stream  running  through 
this  is  said  to  have  been  red  with  the  blood 
of  those  slain.  Our  subject's  last  charge  in 
Ohio  was  at  Mt.  Victory,  Hardin  county. 

Coming  to  Illinois  in  1860,  Mr.  Morris 
organized  the  Bruillets  Creek  circuit,  in 
Edgar  county,  where  the  flourishing  town 
of  Chrisman  now  stands.  In  the  fall  of 
1863  he  was  appointed  to  the  Urbana  cir- 
cuit, then  known  as  the  Champaign  circuit 
and  remained  here  two  years.  In  1865  he 
was  appointed  to  Blue  Grass  (now  Potomac), 
Illinois,  where  the  following  year  was 
passed.  His  next  charge  was  Bloomfield 
circuit,  Edgar  county,  in  1866,  near  where  he 
first  started  in  the  state,  and  from  there  he 
went,  in  1867,  to  Oakland,  Coles  county, 
where  he  remained  two  years.  The  following 
two  years  were  passed  in  charge  of  Myers- 
ville  circuit,  followed  by  a  year  at  Catlin, 
near  Danville,  and  a  year  at  Savoy  in 


174 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Champaign  county.  Two  years  at  De  Witt, 
De  Witt  county,  closed  his  itinerancy  in 
1877,  when  he  took  a  superannuated  relation 
owing  to  failing  health.  He  has  since  filled 
appointments  for  others,  but  has  accepted 
no  regular  charge.  His  work  in  the  minis- 
try was  very  effective  and  he  was  the  means 
of  bringing  many  souls  to  Christ.  Formerly 
he  was  a  member  of  both  the  Masonic  and 
Odd  Fellows  societies,  but  at  present  is  not 
connected  with  any  secret  organization. 

On  the  5th  of  April,  1857,  Mr.  Morris 
married  Miss  Matilda  A.  Patton,  who  was 
born  September  29,  1839,  at  Quincy,  Logan 
county,  Ohio.  She  is  a  lady  of  many  excel- 
lent traits  of  character,  and  has  ever  been 
an  encouragement  and  inspiration  to  her 
husband  in  his  work  for  the  betterment  of 
mankind.  She  is  a  faithful  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  as  a  mother 
has  been  keenly  devoted  to  the  best  inter- 
ests of  her  home  and  children,  rearing  them 
wisely  and  giving  them  the  benefits  of  a  good 
education.  Her  parents  were  Felix  and 
Sarah  Patton,  natives  of  Ohio.  Her  father 
was  engaged  in  farming  near  Quincy,  Logan 
county,  that  state,  until  1859,  when  he 
came  to  Illinois,  locating  first  in  Edgar 
county.  He  lived  at  several  different  places 
in  this  state,  spending  five  or  six  years  in 
Urbana,  where  his  wife  died  at  the  age  of 
sixty-two  years.  His  death  occurred  in 
Sanford,  Indiana,  in  1881,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-four.  Both  he  and  his  wife  were 
born  in  1807.  They  were  devout  members 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and 
were  worthy  of  the  high  regard  in  which 
thev  were  universally  held.  '  Mrs.  Morris  is 
the  only  one  of  their,  eight  children  now 
living. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morris  were  born  three 
children:  (i)  Charles  Luther,  born  in  Fort 


Recovery,  February  n,  1859,  died  on  Mt. 
Victory  circuit,  February  26,  1860.  (2) 
Alice  is  the  wife  of  Rev.  D.  G.  Dubois,  of 
the  Illinois  conference,  now  stationed  at 
Griggsville,  was  born  at  Blue  Grass,  March 
29,  1866.  He  is  a  graduate  of  the  State 
University  at  Bloomington,  Indiana,  and  of 
the  Garrett  Biblical  Institute  at  Evanston, 
Illinois.  He  has  finished  successful  pastor- 
ates at  Monticello,  St.  Joseph,  Ludlow, 
Fithian,  Rankin  and  Fisher,  in  all  of  which 
Mrs.  DuBois  has  been  a  very  efficient  helper 
both  in  church  and  pastoral  work.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Dubois  have  two  children,  Lucile 
and  Lenore.  (3)  Mrs.  Flora  M.  Sims,  who, 
with  her  child  (Charles  B.  Sims,  Jr.),  is  liv- 
ing with  her  parents  in  Urbana,  born  at  Oak- 
land, Coles  county,  March  9,  1868,  is  an 
artist  of  rare  ability.  She  has  made  a 
specialty  of  animal  painting  and  in  this  line 
has  been  remarkably  successful.  She  spent 
three  years  in  the  art  department  of  the 
University,  and  to  this  has  added  a  careful 
and  painstaking  study  of  horses  and  other 
domestic  animals.  The  animal  pictures  are 
for  the  most  part  in  oil,  which  is  her  favor- 
ite medium,  and  they  display,  besides  the 
necessary  touch  in  choosing  and  laying  on 
the  colors,  a  remarkable  eye  for  detail  and 
technique.  Her  pictures  have  received  the 
highest  praise  from  competent  critics,  and 
she  has  received  many  orders  for  work.' 
She  also  possesses  considerable  ability  as 
a  sculptor,  and  has  made  a  life-size  bust  of 
her  little  boy,  which  is  a  fine  piece  of  work. 
She  paints  from  nature  with  ease  and  ac- 
curacy. She  is  a  woman  of  noble  qualities, 
of  pleasing  presence  and  deservedly  popular, 
and  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  choir  of  Urbana,  which  is  probably 
the  best  choir  to  be  found  in  any  city  of  ten 
thousand  inhabitants  in  the  state. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


175 


JOHN  E.  YEATS,  a  prominent  and  suc- 
cessful florist  of  Champaign,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  business  on  the  corner  of  Spring- 
field avenue  and  South  Third  street,  was 
born  in  Sadorus,  this  county,  November  2, 
1870,  a  son  of  Andrew  J.  and  Mary  (Peat) 
Yeats.  The  father  was  born  December  15, 
1837,  and  came  to  Sadorus  sometime  in  the 
'403,  when  this  region  was  all  wild  and  un- 
improved, and  the  present  flourishing  city 
of  Champaign  was  unmarked  by  a  single 
habitation.  Here  the  grandfather,  Zetho- 
myer  Yeats,  owned  a  half-section  of  land, 
to  the  improvement  and  cultivation  of  which 
he  devoted  his  energies  for  many  years,  and 
upon  that  place  he  died  when  nearly  ninety 
years  of  age.  Our  subject's  father  also  pur- 
chased a  tract  of  wild  land  and  engaged  in 
farming  in  early  life.  He  married  Miss 
Mary  Peat,  ot  Sadorus,  who  was  born  in 
England,  and  came  to  this  country  when 
twelve  years  old,  with  her  father,  David 
Peat,  also  a  pioneer  land  owner  of  Sadorus. 

Some  years  ago  Mr.  Peat  went  to  Barber 
county,  Kansas,  where  he  was  killed  by  a 
fall,  but  his  widow  is  still  living  and  now 
makes  her  home  in  Champaign.  The  father 
of  our  subject  was  quite  a  prominent  Demo- 
crat and  influential  citizen  of  Sadorus,  and 
held  the  office  of  constable  at  that  place  for 
some  years.  In  1873  he  came  to  Cham- 
paign, where  he  was  a  member  of  the  police 
force  for  a  time,  and  is  now  engaged  in  the 
grocery  business.  He  and  his  wife  have  a 
family  of  seven  children,  all  of  whom  are 
still  living  and  are  now  married. 

John  E.  Yeats,  of  this  review,  was  prin- 
cipally educated  in  the  common  and  high 
schools  of  Champaign,  and  after  leaving 
school  spent  six  years  in  the  employ  of  dif- 
ferent florists,  during  which  time  he  thor- 
oughly mastered  the  business.  In  1893  he 


purchased  the  corner  lot  now  occupied  by 
him,  and  erected  thereon  three  sma'l  green- 
houses. At  first  he  gave  his  attention  almost 
entirely  to  the  raising  of  flowers  for  the  local 
trade,  and  meeting  with  success  in  the 
undertaking  he  has  enlarged  his  plant  until 
he  now  has  twelve  thousand  feet  under 
glass,  it  being  the  largest  in  this  section  of 
the  state.  Over  one  mile  of  pipe  is  used  in 
heating  his  place  and  two  base-burning  boil- 
ers, and  all  of  the  latest  improvements 
needed  in  the  business  are  there  found.  He 
has  invented  an  automatic  attachment  that 
will  ring  as  soon  as  heat  begins  to  leave  the 
pipes.  This  he  has  patented  and  has  been 
successful  in  selling  it  to  many  of  the  flor- 
ists of  different  large  cities.  He  now  ships 
the  most  of  his  cut  flowers  to  Chicagt), 
where,  owing  to  their  superiority,  they  find 
a  ready  sale  at  the  highest  market  price. 
He  has  raised  carnations  that  were  three 
and  a  half  inches  across.  He  has  given 
several  flower  shows  in  Champaign,  and  de- 
votes much  time  to  the  study  of  floriculture 
that  he  may  improve  on  his  own  and  others' 
methods.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Society  of  American  Florists,  and  attended 
its  conventions  in  Omaha  in  1898,  Detroit 
in  1899,  and  New  York  in  1900.  He  is  ar- 
tistic in  his  tastes,  and  has  decorated  the 
halls  for  the  majority  of  important  enter- 
tainments at  the  university.  He  now  owns 
about  a  quarter  of  a  block  of  ground,  which 
he  has  converted  into  a  beautiful  place,  and 
besides  his  greenhouses  he  has  erected  a 
pleasant  residence  thereon  for  his  own  use. 
On  the  5th  of  October,  1892,  Mr.  Yeats 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Sarah  J. 
Marshall,  of  Springfield,  Illinois,  who  was 
born  in  Missouri,  but  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated in  Springfield.  Her  father,  J.  J. 
Marshall,  was  born  in  New  York,  and  when 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


a  young  man  came  to  this  state,  locating 
near  Springfield,  where  he  married  Martha 
Lord.  Subsequently  he  lived  for  a  few 
years  in  Jefferson  City,  Missouri,  and  then 
returned  to  Springfield,  where  he  engaged 
in  buying  and  shipping  stock,  in  which  busi- 
ness he  has  been  interested  since  twelve 
years  old.  He  is  still  a  resident  of  that 
city  and  is  one  of  its  highly  respected  citi- 
zens, but  his  first  wife,  the  mother  of  Mrs. 
Yeats,  died  in  1875,  when  her  daughter 
was  only  four  years  old.  In  1879  he  mar- 
ried Martha  Jackson,  who  is  still  living. 
Our  subject  and  his  wife  had  two  children: 
Camelia  Rose,  deceased,  and  J.  Marshall. 
They  are  members  of  the  Baptist  church, 
and  he  was  formerly  a  Democrat  in  politics, 
but  not  favoring  the  free  coinage  of  silver, 
he  now  votes  independent  of  party  lines. 
He  has  been  solicited  to  run  for  alderman, 
but  prefers  to  give  his  undivided  attention 
to  his  business  interests. 


HON.  MILTON  W.  MATHEVVS,  de- 
ceased, was  for  many  years  one  of  the 
most  influential  and  highly  esteemed  citizens 
of  Champaign  county,  one  whose  influence 
was  felt  not  alone  in  the  county  of  his 
adoption,  but  throughout  the  entire  state. 
He  was  a  native  of  the  state,  born  in 
Marshall,  Clark  county,  March  i,  1846,  and 
was  a  son  of  John  R.,  and  Mary  (McNeil) 
Mathews,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of 
Coshocton  county,  Ohio.  Both  are  now 
deceased,  the  latter  dying  August  12,  1854, 
and  the  former  October  12,  1884.  John  R. 
Mathews  was  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War, 
enlisting  first  as  a  private  in  Company  F, 
36th  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  from  which 
he  was  discharged  for  disability  after  one 


year's  service,  and  laterserving  in  an  Indiana 
Battery. 

The  boyhood  and  youth  of  our  subject 
were  spent  in  his  native  county  and  in  Wayne 
county,  Indiana,  removing  with  his  father 
to  the  latter  county  in  1859.  Like  many  of 
the  best  man  of  his  country  he  was  reared 
on  a  farm,  attending  to  farm  duties  during 
the  summer  months,  and  in  the  winter  secur- 
ing such  knowledge  as  could  be  obtained  in 
the  country  schools.  He  later  took  an 
academic  course,  completing  his  studies  at 
the  Dublin  Academy,  under  the  tutorship 
of  Professor  John  Cooper.  In  April,  1865,  he 
followed  his  father  to  Champaign  county, 
Illinois,  and  located  at  Philo,  but  soon  after- 
wards commenced  teaching  school  at  Yankee 
Ridge.  While  engaged  in  this  occupation 
he  began  reading  law,  and  in  the  spring  of 
1867,  he  moved  to  Urbana,  and,  under  the 
instruction  of  G.  W.  Gere,  continued  his 
studies.  In  August  of  that  year  he  passed  a 
successful  examination,  and  was  admitted 
to  the  bar. 

Shortly  after  his  admission  Mr.  Mathews 
formed  a  partnership  with  his  preceptor, 
which  relation  was  continued  for  two  years, 
after  which  he  continued  alone  in  practice, 
building  up  a  large  and  lucrative  business. 
In  1873  he  was  appointed  Master  in  Chan- 
cery, and  held  that  office  nine  years  in  suc- 
cession, rendering  to  the  court  and  bar  of 
the  county  the  utmost  satisfaction.  In  that 
office  he  was  often  called  upon  to  pass  upon 
legal  questions  of  the  most  intricate  char- 
acter, to  which  he  gave  careful  attention, 
his  conclusions  being  found  generally  cor- 
rect. In  1876,  he  was  nominated  by  the 
Republican  party  for  States  Attorney,  and 
though  opposed  by  the  combined  votes  of 
the  Democratic  and  independent  parties, 
was  elected  by  a  majority  of  six  hundred 


mK9  ^f 


TTON.  M.  W.  MATTHEWS. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


179 


and  fifteen  votes.  He  proved  himself  to  be 
a  most  trustworthy  representative  of  the 
people  in  the  courts,  and  was  veritably  a 
terror  to  evil-doers.  Ingenious  in  the  man- 
agement of  cases,  he  had  almost  an  intui- 
tive knowledge  of  the  ways  of  the  criminal 
class,  and  punctured  with  his  keen  thrusts 
the  many  pretences  of  clever  criminals,  set 
up  to  deceive  and  mislead  juries.  Never  in 
the  history  of  the  county  was  the  criminal 
business  in  the  courts  better  managed  than 
during  Mr.  Mathews'  two  terms  of  office, 
for  at  the  end  of  his  first  term  he  was  re- 
elected  for  another  term  of  four  years,  re- 
tiring from  the  position  in  1884. 

In  1888  Mr.  Mathews  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  State  Senate  by  a  majority 
greater  by  several  hundred  than  his  party 
had  ever  been  able  to  give  any  candidate 
since  1872.  In  that  body  he  at  once  took 
a  commanding  position,  being  recognized  as 
one  of  its  leaders.  Though  a  new  member 
of  the  body,  he  was  unamiously  elected  pro- 
tern  president  of  the  Senate.  His  services, 
as  a  member  of  the  election  committee  were 
of  great  advantage  to  the  party,  while  at 
the  same  time  he  was  just  to  his  opponents. 
No  man  in  that  body  had  a  keener  insight 
into  public  affairs,  or  could  secure  greater 
assistance  in  the  passage  of  public  measures. 
All  his  measures  found  supporters  and  he 
proved  a  faithful  and  efficient  representative 
of  his  district  and  especially  of  the  great  in- 
terests of  the  State  University.  To  his  la- 
bors and  influence,  the  University  in  largely 
indebted  for  the  liberal  appropriations  se- 
cured, and  the  magnificent  buildings  com- 
pleted. Early  in  his  term  as  Senator  he 
was  commissioned  to  the  honorary  office  of 
Colonel,  upon  the  staff  of  Governor  Fifer, 
whose  greatest  confidence  and  respect  he 
secured  and  retained.  By  many  of  the 


leading  Republican  newspapers  of  the  state, 
as  well  as  by  politicians  generally,  -he  was 
mentioned  for  the  office  of  Governor  of  the 
state,  and  had  he  lived  would  doubtless  have 
filled  that  honorable  position. 

In  1879  Mr.  Mathews  purchased  the  of- 
fice and  good  will  of  the  Champaign  County 
Herald,  with  which  paper  he  was  identified 
until  his  death.  For  some  years  he  was  the 
sole  editor  and  proprietor,  but  later  he  as- 
sociated with  him  in  its  editorial  manage- 
ment, L.  A.  McLean.  As  an  editorial 
writer  he  was  fearless  in  the  advocacy  of 
what  he  considered  right,  and  the  principles 
of  the  republican  party  being  dear  to  his 
heart,  he  advocated  them  in  the  strongest 
terms,  and  in  due  time  the  Herald  was  re- 
cognized as  one  of  the  ablest  champions  in 
the  state  of  the  men  and  measures  of  the 
party.  Early  in  his  editorial  life  they  re- 
cognized his  power  by  electing  him  twice  in 
succession  as  president  of  the  Illinois  State 
Editorial  Association  and  as  often  their  re- 
presentative to  the  National  Association. 

On  the  2ist  of  October,  1869,  Mr. 
Mathews  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Julia  R.  Foote,  of  Urbana,  but  a  native  of 
Ohio,  and  daughter  of  William  J.  and  Lucy 
M.  (Alcott)  Foote,  natives  respectively  of 
New  York  and  Connecticut.  William  J. 
Foote  was  born  in  Menden,  Monroe  county, 
New  York,  September  10,  1817.  He  was 
of  a  long  lived  family.  His  paternal  grand- 
father, Charles  Foot  (whose  ancestors 
came  from  Colchester,  England,  and  found- 
ed the  town  of  Colchester,  Connecticut),  was 
a  soldier  in  the  revolutionary  war,  and  died 
at  the  age  of  eighty-nine  years.  The  father 
of  William  J.,  also  named  Charles,  lived  for 
one  hundred  and  two  years  and  seven 
months,  and  died  in  1883.  He  voted  at 
the  presidential  elections  from.  Thomas  Jef- 


i8o 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ferson  to  Garfield,  and  remembered  all  the 
elections,  including  that  of  Washington,  the 
first  time  in  1789. 

In  his  native  state  William  J.  Foote 
learned  the  business  of  brickmaking  and  in 
1855,  when  he  came  to  Urbana,  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  brick,  in  which  he  con- 
tinued until  1871.  He  made  the  brick  for 
the  courthouse,  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  in  Urbana,  and  for  about  all  the 
brick  buildings  both  in  Urbana  and  Cham- 
paign, that  were  erected  prior  to  1871.  In 
politics  he  was  originally  a  Whig,  and  later 
a  Republican,  voting  an  unscratched  ticket 
ever  since  that  party  was  born  until  the  time 
of  his  death.  Lucy  M.  (Alcott)  Foote  was 
the  youngest  daughter  of  Medad  Alcott, 
whose  ancestors  for  five  generations  are 
traced  back  to  Thomas  Alcott,  who  came 
over  with  Governor  Winthrop  in  1630.  His 
father,  John  Alcott.  was  Lord  Chancelor  of 
England,  under  King  Henry  VII.  Mrs. 
Foote  was  a  double  cousin  of  A.  Bronson 
Alcott,  the  Concord  Philosopher.  She  died 
in  October,  1899,  at  the  age  of  eighty-two 
years.  Mr.  Foote  died  July  2,  1888,  at  the 
age  of  seventy  years. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mathews  two  children 
were  born:  Mae  and  Clyde  Milton.  The 
former  is  the  wife  of  W.  A.  Nicolaus,  of  New 
York,  who  is  a  traveling  salesman,  repre- 
senting a  New  York  firm.  The  latter  is  a 
student  in  the  law  department  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Illinois.  Mrs.  Mathews,  with  her 
son,  resides  in  the  family  residence  in  Elm 
street,  Urbana,  which  has  been  her  home 
for  some  years. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Mathews  was  a  member 
of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
Knights  of  Pythias,  Independent  Order  of 
Mutual  Aid  and  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America.  For  six  or  eight  years  he  was  one 


of  the  trustees  of  the  Independent  Order  of 
Mutual  Aid  in  Illinois,  and  was  highly  in- 
strumental in  placing  the  order  on  a  secure 
foundation.  He  was  also  chairman  of  the 
board  of  trustees  of  the  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America  for  a  time,  and  was  of  great  as- 
sistance in  the  establishment  of  that  order 
on  a  permanent  basis.  Though  never  a 
member  of  any  church,  he  was  a  firm  be- 
liever in  Christianity  and  its  effect  upon 
society,  and  had  no  sympathy  nor  patience 
with  the  modern  doctrines  of  rationalism 
which  offers  to  supplant  what  he  believed 
to  be  revealed  religion,  with  the  uncertain 
and  unfounded  philosophy  of  the  sneering 
cynic.  He  believed  in  God,  his  church 
and  his  providence  over  the  affairs  of 
men. 

As  a  citizen  Mr.  Mathews  was  always  en- 
terprising and  an  earnest  advocate  of  every- 
thing having  a  tendency  to  advance  the  ma- 
terial interests  of  his  adopted  city  and  coun- 
ty. He  was  instrumental  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Building  and  Loan  Association 
of  Urbana,  and  for  some  years  served  as  its 
president.  A  stock  holder  and  director  in 
the  First  National  Bank  of  Urbana,  by  his 
wise  counsel,  he  assisted  in  giving  that  in- 
stitution a  recognized  standing  in  the  com- 
munity for  conservative  management.  He 
also  became  the  owner  of  considerable  val- 
uable real  estate  in  Urbana,  including -the 
Herald  block. 

On  Tuesday,  May  10,  1892,  Mr.  Mathews 
passed  to  his  reward.  For  months  he 
struggled  for  life  and  his  friends  and  admirers 
hoped  against  hope  for  the  extension  of  that 
life  which  had  in  it  so  much  of  blessing  for 
his  family,  delight  for  himself  and  hope  for 
his  country.  His  funeral,  which  was  held 
on  Saturday,  May  14,  was  under  the  auspices 
of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


181 


and  lodges  of  that  order  were  present  from 
all  the  surrounding  towns.  There  were 
also  lodges  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  from 
the  surrounding  towns,  and  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America  had  also  its  represen- 
tatives. All  of  these  orders  united  with  the 
orders  in  Urbana  in  the  services.  The 
board  of  supervisors,  the  bar  of  the  county, 
the  faculty  and  battalion  of  the  University 
of  Illinois,  and  the  city  councils  of  Urbana 
and  Champaign  formed  part  of  the  proces- 
sion. A  special  train  from  Springfield 
brought  Governor  Fifer  and  his  staff,  the 
state  officers,  and  many  prominent  citizens 
of  that  city.  The  services  were  held  in  the 
military  building  of  the  University,  which, 
although  having  a  capacity  to  seat  five 
thousand  people,  was  soon  filled,  and  hun- 
dreds turned  away,  not  being  able  to  gain 
admittance.  Resolutions  of  respect  were 
passed  by  the  city  councils  of  Champaign 
and  Urbana,  and  expressions  of  sympathy 
were  sent  to  the  bereaved  family  from  vari- 
ous parts  of  the  state  and  nation.  No  man 
in  Champaign  county  will  be  more  greatly 
missed  than^Milton  W.  Mathews.  His  elo- 
quent, persuasive  lips  are  sealed  in  death, 
never  again  to  sway  multitudes  and  influ- 
ence campaigns.  On  the  stump,  from 
early  manhood,  he  was  always  a  power. 
Political  managers  recognized  this  and  drew 
largely  upon  him  for  his  services  both  in 
this  and  other  states.  In  his  efforts  he  won 
for  himself  the  plaudits  of  discriminating 
hearers.  As  lawyer,  senator,  political 
writer,  and  as  an  advocate  upon  the  .hust- 
ings, he  was  always  popular.  Jovial  in  man- 
ner and  disposition,  much  of  his  popularity 
and  success  in  life  was  no  doubt  due  to  that 
trait  in  his  character.  Ambitious  young 
men  may  well  aspire  to  his  attainments, 
while  but  few  can  ever  reach  them. 


WA.  MULLIN,  deputy  postmaster  of 
Urbana,  has  for  several  years  been 
prominently  identified  with  the  public  af- 
fairs of  that  city,  and  has  most  creditably 
and  satisfactorily  filled  several  important 
official  positions.  He  is  a  progressive  man, 
pre-eminently  public-spirited,  and  all  that 
pertains  to  the  public  welfare  receives  his 
hearty  endorsement. 

Mr.  Mullin  was  born  in  Bedford,  Penn- 
sylvania, September'  14,  1851,  and  is  a  son 
of  J.  M.  and  Eliza  (Hazlett)  Mullin,  also 
natives  of  that  state,  the  former  born  in 
Carlisle,  May  22,  1828,  the  latter  in  Bed- 
ford, September  6,  1828.  In  1854  they  be- 
came residents  of  this  county.  Sampson 
Mullin,  the  paternal  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  proprietor  of  a  paper  mill  in  Car- 
lisle. The  father  followed  the  blacksmith's 
trade  in  early  life,  but  is  now  conducting  a 
general  store  in  Seymour  and  also  deals  in 
grain  and  coal.  He  filled  the  office  of  jus- 
tice of  the  peace  in  Pesotum  township  for 
twelve  years,  and  was  town  clerk  for  four 
years.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  active  and 
faithful  members  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal church  at  Seymour,  with  which  he  has 
been  officially  connected  for  many  years. 
For  more  than  half  a  century  they  have 
traveled  life's  journey  together,  sharing  its 
joys  and  sorrows,  its  adversity  and  pros- 
perity, and  they  merit  and  receive  the  con- 
fidence and  respect  of  all  who  know  them. 

Of  the  six  children  born  to  this  worthy 
couple,  our  subject  is  the  eldest;  Marietta  is 
the  wife  of  E.  S.  Golden,  of  Urbana,  and 
they  have  three  children,  Archibald  S., 
George  A.  and  Cecil  L. ;  Jacob  M.,  a  resi- 
dent of  Seymour,  married  Emma  Vanmeter, 
and  they  have  two  children,  Glenn  and 
Carl;  Lida  is  the  wife  of  W.  T.  Harvey, 
of  Urbana,  and  they  have  two  children,  May 


182 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


and  Clyde;  Charles  N.,  a  resident  of  Sey- 
mour, married  Ella  Allison,  who  died  De- 
cember 22,  1899,  at  the  age  of  thirty-four 
years,  leaving  three  children,  Inez,  Lloyd 
and  Gladys;  and  Emma  is  the  wife  of  Doug- 
las Osborne,  of  Urbana,  and  they  have  two 
children,  Lela  and  Dean. 

W.  A.  Mullin  was  reared  on  the  home 
farm  in  Pesotum  township,  this  county,  and 
was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  the 
neighborhood.  He  began  life  for  himself 
as  a  farmer  and  continued  to  follow  that 
occupation  for  many  years.  He  was  mar- 
ried, March  8,  1877,  to  Miss  Rosella  A. 
Johnson,  a  native  of  Ohio  and  a  daughter  of 
Charles  and  Elizabeth  Johnson.  The  mother 
died  in  1861,  but  the  father  is  still  living 
and  a  resident  of  Pesotum  township,  having 
come  to  this  county  from  Lebanon,  Ohio, 
in  1855.  He  owns  a  well-improved  and 
valuable  farm  of  three  hundred  acres  in  that 
township,  but  has  now  retired  from  active 
labor.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  to  which  Mrs.  Mullin's 
mother  also  belonged.  There  were  four 
children  born  to  them,  namely:  Rosella 
A.,  wife  of  our  subject;  Mary  A.,  wife  of 
Frank  Shepherd,  of  Urbana,  by  whom  she 
has  three  children,  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Will- 
iam Becker,  Roy  and  Clyde;  James  D.,  a 
liveryman  of  Deland,  Illinois,  who  married 
Ida  Starkey,  and  has  four  children,  David, 
Charles,  James  and  May;  Caroline,  who 
married  S.  A.  Crawford,  a  farmer  of  Pesotum 
township,  and  died  at  the  age  of  thirty- 
eight  years,  leaving  five  children,  Stella, 
Lemuel,  Daisy,  Edwin  and  Clark.  For 
his  second  wife  the  father  married  Sarah 
Corns,  and  they  have  one  son,  Charles  B., 
of  Pesotum,  who  married  Ida  Perkins  and 
has  four  children,  Charles,  Earl,  Eddie  and 
Daisy.  Our  subject  and  his  wife  have  three 


children:  Charles  M.,  a  boilermaker  in  the 
employ  of  the  Big  Four  Railroad;  William 
G.  and  Frank  W. 

On  leaving  the  farm  in  1882,  Mr.  Mullin 
removed  to  Urbana,  where  he  was  engaged 
in  the  furniture  and  stove  business  under 
the  name  of  W.  A.  Mullin  until  1897,  when 
he  was  appointed  assistant  postmaster  un- 
der W.  W.  Lindley,  and  has  since  devoted 
his  time  .and  attention  to  the  duties  of  that 
office.  His  fellow  citizens,  recognizing  his 
worth  and  ability,  have  called  upon  him  to 
serve  in  several  responsible  positions,  the 
duties  of  which  he  has  most  capably  dis- 
charged. He  represented  his  ward  in  the 
city  council  for  six  years,  from  1886  to  1892; 
was  city  treasurer  from  1893  to  1895;  ar>d 
assistant  supervisor  of  Urbana  township 
from  1894  to  1898.  Politically  he  is  an 
ardent  Republican,  does  all  in  his  power  to 
advance  the  interests  of  his  party  and  secure 
its  success;  and  was  secretary  of  the  county 
central  committee  from  1892  to  1898.  He 
is  a  prominent  Mason,  a  member  of  Urbana 
Lodge,  No.  157,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Urbana  Chap- 
ter, No.  80,  R.  A.  M.,  of  which  he  is  scribe; 
and  Urbana  Commandery,  No.  16,  K.  T. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Modern  Wood- 
men of  America. 


WILLIAM  WARNES,  a  retired  farmer 
and  highly  respected  citizen  of  Ur- 
bana, residing  at  No.  208  West  High  street, 
was  born  about  seventy  years  ago  near 
Wells,  England,  one  hundred  and  forty 
miles  northeast  of  London.  His  parents, 
Robert  and  Sarah  Ann  Warnes,  spent  their 
entire  lives  in  that  locality,  where  '  the 
father  was  employed  as  a  shepherd,  that 
country  being  well  adapted  for  sheep  rais- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


183, 


ing.  Our  subject  is  the  oldest  of  their 
children,  and  the  others  are  as  follows: 
Robert  died  in  England;  Fannie  died  at  the 
age  of  seven  months;  Mary  is  now  a  widow 
with  three  children  and  resides  near  her 
parents'  old  home  in  England;  Fannie  died 
leaving  a  husband  and  six  children;  Sarah 
is  also  deceased;  Lizzie,  Eliza,  Margaret 
and  Hannah  are  all  married,  have  families 
and  reside  in  England;  and  John  came  .to 
this  country  in  1866,  and  is  now  engaged  in 
farming  in  Raymond  township,  Champaign 
county. 

Our  subject  was  reared  upon  a  farm  in 
his  native  land,  and  in  1849  came  to  Amer- 
ica on  a  sailing  vessel,  which,  at  that   time, 
was  nearly  seven  weeks  in  making  the  voy- 
age and  had  eleven  hundred  on  board,  in- 
cluding crew  and  passengers.      Mr.  Warnes 
was  one  of  a  party  of  four  young  men  who 
were  full  of  spirits  and  had  a  very  jolly  time 
during  the  voyage.     The  vessel  owners  fur- 
nished them  with   tea,  coffee,    rice,    biscuit 
and  molasses,  but  it  was  with  great  difficulty 
that  they  could  drink  the  coffee   during  the 
rough  weather  they  encountered,  being  un- 
able   to    steady    their  cups.      During    one  • 
severe  storm  the   hatches  were  closed  and 
all  were  kept  below  for  one   day  and  night 
to  prevent  the  water  from  coming  in.      It 
was  with  great  rejoicing  that  they  first  saw 
land  after   so  long  and   tedious  a  voyage. 
They  landed    at  the    north  pier  in   Castle 
Garden,    New  York,   and  Mr.    Warnes  and 
his  friend,    Joseph   Sanders,    went    up    the 
Hudson  and  through  the  canal  to  Buffalo, 
New  York,  from  there  went  to   Milwaukee, 
where  they  took   a  propeller  for   Chicago. 
There  our  subject  engaged  in  working  for  a 
Mr.  Stone  near  where  the  Kinzie  street   de- 
pot is   now  located,  and   received  fourteen 
dollars    per    week    and    board.      He   saved 


some  money  at  that  time,  and  spent  the 
winter  in  Putnam  county,  Illinois,  cutting 
cord  wood  for  steamboats,  and  made  his 
board,  but  not  much  more.  It  was  a  hard 
winter,  with  much  mud,  ice  and  snow,  and 
the  log  house,  in  which  eleven  men  slept, 
proved  but  poor  shelter  from  the  elements. 
Each  took  five  acres  of  land  to  clear,  and' 
received  only  five  shillings  per  cord  for  hard 
wood  and  fifty  cents  per  cord  for  soft.  The 
following  summer  Mr.  Warnes  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  brick  near  Joliet,  but 
lost  all  that  he  had  made.  Returning  to 
Chicago,  he  worked  in  a  dairy  and  looked 
after  one  hundred  and  fifty  cows  for  a  time. 

On  the  5th  of  July,  1854.  Mr.  Warnes 
was  married  in  that  city  to  Miss  Studd  Rose, 
also  a  native  of  England,  and  a  daughter  of 
Robert  and  Mary  Rose,  in  whose  family  were 
eight  children.  Mrs.  Warnes  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1853,  and  had  one  sister, 
Mrs.  John  Racey  Bowman,  who  also  came 
to  this  country  and  lived  in  Chicago,  but  is 
now  deceased.  Of  the  two  children  born  to 
our  subject  and  his  wife,  both  died  in  infancy 
unnamed. 

Mr.  Warnes  continued  to  engage  in 
farming  near  Chicago  during  the  war  and 
until  1867,  when  he  came  to  Champaign 
county.  He  well  remembers  when  water 
was  peddled  around  from  house  to  house  in 
Chicago,  the  people  paying  ten  cents  for  so 
many  bucketsful.  In  those  early  days  beef 
brought  only  a  cent  or  a  cent  and  a  half  per 
pound,  pork  three  cents,  corn  ten  cents  per 
bushel,  eggs  four  cents  per  dozen,  and  cows 
were  sold  for  ten  dollars.  When  Mr. 
Warnes  came  to  this  state  there  were  still 
many  Indians  here,  and  he  has  seen  them 
in  their  dances.  On  his  removal  to  this 
county  he  bought  two  hundred  and  forty  acres 
of  land,  and  is  now  the  owner  of  three  hun- 


1 84 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


dred  and  seventy  acres,  all  in  Raymond  town." 
ship,  this  county,  except  forty  acres  across 
the  line  in  Douglas  county.  This  farm  he 
now  rents  to  his  brother,  who  has  six  sons, 
while  he  is  living  retired  in  Urbana.  The 
success  that  he  has  achieved  in  -life  is  due  to 
his  own  industry,  perseverance  and  good 
management,  for  when  he  landed  in  Chi- 
cago he  had  but  fifty  cents  remaining.  He 
has  steadily  prospered  and  is  now  enabled  to 
lay  aside  all  business  cares  and  spend  his 
declining  years  in  ease  and  quiet,  surrounded 
by  all  the  comforts  which  make  life  worth 
the  living.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are 
earnest  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church,  and  are  held  in  high  regard 
by  all  who  know  them  on  account  of  their 
sterling  worth. 


CHARLES  D.  THOMAS,  one  of  the  lead- 
ing young  attorneys  of  Champaign, 
Illinois,  is  a  native  of  this  county,  born  in 
Scott  township.  His  father,  Benjamin  F. 
Thomas,  was  born  in  Cattaraugus  county, 
New  York,  and  during  his  youth  removed  to 
Warren  county,  Ohio,  with  his  parents, 
Leander  and  Paulina  (Kilbourn)  Thomas, 
pioneers  of  that  county,  where  they  spent 
the  remainder  of  their  lives.  There  the 
father  of  our  subject  grew  to  manhood,  but 
in  1856,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  he 
came  to  Champaign  county,  Illinois,  and 
first  located  in  Scott  township,  where  he 
followed  farming.  While  there  he  married 
Mary  Cresap,  a  daughter  of  Daniel  Cresap, 
who  was  originally  from  Maryland,  though 
he  came  to  this  state  from  Ohio,  and  was 
the  owner  of  a  large  tract  of  land  in  Scott 
township.  After  his  marriage  the  father  of 
our  subject  purchased  a  quarter  section  of 


land  in  Colfax  township,  upon  which  he  con- 
tinued to  make  his  home  until  1881,  when 
he  went  to  California  and  engaged  in  farm- 
ing and  fruit  growing  in  that  state  for  two 
or  three  years.  On  his  return  to  Illinois  he 
bought  a  farm  in  Mahomet  township,  this 
county,  but  is  now  living  a  retired  life  in  the 
village  of  Mahomet,  being  quite  well-to-do. 
He  is  highly  respected  and  esteemed  by  all 
who  know  him,  and  while  a  resident  of  Col- 
fax  township  held  different  local  offices. 
His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  and  a  most  estimable  lady. 
In  their  family  are  three  sons:  Charles  D., 
our  subject;  William  A.,  and  Benjamin  F., 
Jr.,  who  carries  on  the  home  farm. 

Our  subject  began  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  Colfax  township,  and  dur- 
ing the  residence  of  the  family  in  California 
attended  school  there.  He  was  graduated 
from  the  high  school  of  Mahomet  in  1887, 
and  completed  his  education  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Michigan,  Ann  Arbor,  paying  his 
own  expenses  at  that  institution  by  teaching 
for  four  years.  He  was  principal  of  the 
schools  at  DeLandone  year,  and  at  Ivesdale, 
•  this  county,  for  the  same  length  of  time. 
In  the  fall  of  1894  he  began  reading  law 
with  Captain  Thomas  J.  Smith,  of  Cham- 
paign, and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  by  ex- 
amination at  Mt.  Vernon,  in  August,  1896. 
He  then  opened  an  office  of  his  own  and 
from  the  start  has  been  exceptionally  suc- 
cessful, having  built  up  an  excellent  practice 
and  an  enviable  reputation  in  his  chosen 
calling.  Since  attaining  his  majority  he  has 
always  affiliated  with  the  Republican  party, 
and  in  the  spring  of  1899  was  elected  city 
attorney  of  Champaign  on  that  ticket.  That 
office  he  is  now  filling  with  credit  to  himself 
and  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  people.  He  is 
also  a  director  of  the  Twin  City  Saving  and 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


185 


Loan  Association,  and  has  served  as  its 
attorney. 

Socially  Mr.  Thomas  is  a  member  of 
Mahomet  Lodge,  No.  220,  F.&A.M.;of  the 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks, 
of  which  he  is  Esteemed  Loyal  Knight;  and 
of  the  Sons  of  Veterans,  his  father  having 
been  a  soldier  of  the  Civil  war. 

At  the  beginning  of  our  recent  war  with 
Spain,  Mr.  Thomas  assisted  in  organizing  a 
provisional  company  in  Colonel  Bogardus' 
regiment,  and  was  commissioned  first  lieu- 
tenant. They  tendered  their  services  to  the 
government  and  made  several  strong  efforts 
to  enter  the  service  but  were  unable  to  do  so 
on  account  of  the  early  declaration  of  peace. 
What  Mr.  Thomas  has  accomplished  in  life 
is  due  entirely  to  his  own  energetic  efforts, 
as  he  paid  his  own  way  through  college  and 
while  studying  law,  and  the  thoroughness 
and  persistency  with  which  he  applied  him- 
self at  that  time  has  characterized  his  entire 
career,  and  has  been  supplemented  by  care- 
ful attention  to  details  and  by  honorable 
and  straightforward  effort,  that  has  gained 
him  a  most  excellent  and  enviable  reputation 
and  an  honored  position  among  his  profes- 
sional brethren. 


LEWIS  VINTON  MANSPEAKER,  one 
of  the  leading  business  men  of  Cham- 
paign, Illinois,  has  shown  in  his  successful 
career  that  he  has  the  ability  to  plan  wisely 
and  execute  with  energy,  a  combination 
which,  when  possessed  by  men  in  any  walk 
of  life,  never  fails  to  effect  notable  results. 
Since  1865,  when  he  entered  his  father's 
store  as  clerk,  he  has  been  identified  with 
the  grocery  trade  of  Champaign,  and  is  to- 
day one  of  the  most  prominent  business  men 
in  his  line  in  the  city. 


A  native  of  Pennsylvania,  Mr.  Mans- 
peaker  was  born  in  Bedford,  Bedford  county, 
November  27,  1852,  and  is  a  son  of  William 
W.and  Katherine  (Radebaugh)  Manspeaker, 
also  natives  of  that  county.  The  maternal 
grandfather,  Peter  Radebaugh,  a  drummer 
boy  in  the  war  of  1812,  was  one  of  the 
prominent  business  men  of  Bedford  county. 
Later  he  came  to  this  county,  and  located 
in  Urbana,  which  was  then  the  larger  town, 
establishing  a  dry  goods  business  there, 
which  he  carried  on  for  a  short  time.  On 
selling  out,  he  bought  a  half-section  of  land 
near  Homer,  made  many  improvement?  up- 
on the  same,  and  devoted  the  remainder  of 
his  life  to  agricultural  pursuits. 

In  early  life  the  father  of  our  subject 
engaged  in  clerking  in  a  dry  goods  store  in 
Bedford,  Pennsylvania,  and  later  as  a  baker 
and  caterer  did  the  principal  business  in  that 
line  in  that  city  for  some  time.  In  1861  he 
removed  with  his  family  to  Urbana,  Illinois, 
and  during  the  Civil  war  he  entered  the  ser- 
vice as  a  sutler  with  the  Twenty-fifth  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry,  with  which  regiment  he 
remained  until  hostilities  ceased.  He  saw 
many  hardships,  and  his  wife  and  six  small 
children  left  at  home  also  suffered  many  priva- 
tions. Our  subject,  being  the  oldest,  had  to 
work  hard  to  help  support  the  family,  and  well 
rernembers  workingall  day  for  ten  cents,  turn- 
ing a  corn  sheller  and  getting  a  ticket  good 
at  a  grocery  store.  On  his  father's  return 
home,  he  opened  a  grocery  and  bakery  on 
Market  street,  Champaign,  and  our  subject 
assisted  him,  although  he  was  so  small  he  had 
to  stand  on  boxes  behind  the  counter  in  order 
to  wait  on  the  customers.  The  father  suc- 
cessfully engaged  in  business  here  until  1875, 
and  then  went  to  Topeka,  Kansas,  of  which 
place  his  son,  W.  W. ,  was  a  prominent 
business  man,  and  where  he  spent  some 


1 86 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


time.  He  died  in  Beatrice.  Nebraska,  in 
1893.  The  wife  and  mother  had  previously 
departed  this  life  in  Champaign,  Illinois. 
Both  were  consistent  and  faithful  members 
of  the  First  Baptist  church  of  this  city. 
In  their  family  were  the  following  children: 
W.  W.,  a  leading  business  man  and  bank 
official  of  Topeka,  Kansas;  Lewis  V.,  our 
subject;  Lottie  V. ,wife  of  W.A.  Camp,  who 
is  now  engaged  in  merchandising  with  our 
subject's  younger  brother,  William  P.,  at 
Doniphan,  Nebraska;  Franklin  P.,  a  resi- 
dent of  Topeka,  Kansas;  and  two  deceased, 
Ellen  G.  and  Estella. 

Lewis  V.  Manspeaker,  whose  name  in- 
troduces this  sketch,  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools,  and  as  will  be  seen  early  ac- 
quired -an  excellent  knowledge  of  business 
methods.  He  continued  to  clerk  for  his 
father  until  1876,  when  he  and  his  brother- 
in-law,  W.  A.  Camp,  purchased  the  store, 
and  continued  to  carry  on  business  on-  Mar- 
ket street  for  two  years.  The  stock  of  goods 
was  removed  to  Nos.  35  and  37  Main  street, 
and  our  subject  purchased  his  partner's  in- 
terest and  has  since  been  alone  in  business, 
conducting  one  of  the  most  successful  gro- 
cery stores  in  the  city  and  giving  employ- 
ment to  from  six  to  eight  people.  He  occu- 
pies two  store  rooms  and  the  basement,  and 
carries  a  large  and  well  selected  stock'  of 
staple  and  fancy  groceries.  Besides  his 
business  property  he  owns  other  real  estate 
in  the  city,  and  a  pleasant  home  at  201 
West  University  avenue — one  of  the  finest 
locations  in  the  city. 

In  1876,  Mr.  Manspeaker  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Emma  Gruver,  of  La 
Fayette,  Indiana,  a  daughter  of  Abraham 
Gruver.  Their  children  are  Pearl,  who  ex- 
pects to  graduate  from  the  University  of 
Illinois  with  the  class  of  1900;  Lottie  May, 


Berta  H.,  Edith  G.,  Lewis  V.,  Jr.,  Welch, 
and  Caroline  E.  The  family  attend  and 
support  the  Episcopal  church,  and  Mr. 
Manspeaker  was  a  member  of  the  Independ- 
ent Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  is  a  member 
of  the  National  Union.  He  to-day  enjoys 
the  reward  of  his  painstaking  and  conscien- 
tious work.  By  his  energy,  perseverance 
and  fine  business  ability  he  has  been  en- 
abled to  secure  an  ample  fortune.  System- 
atic and  methodical,  his  sagacity,  keen  dis- 
crimination and  sound  judgment  have  made 
him  one  of  the  prosperous  business  men  of 
the  city,  and  he  merits  and  receives  the 
confidence  and  respect  of  all  who  know  him. 


EDWARD  C.  IRELAND,  a  well-known 
conductor  on  the  Springfield  division  of 
the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  residing  in 
Champaign,  was  born  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
May  20,  1860,  and  has  had  a  somewhat  ad- 
venturous and  very  interesting  career.  His 
mother  died  during  his  infancy,  and  his 
father,  William  Ireland,  when  he  was  a  small 
boy.  The  family  were  from  Kentucky,  but 
at  the  time  of  our  subject's  birth  the  father 
was  engaged  in  pork  packing  in  Cincinnati. 
In  1867  he  came  to  Watseka,  Illinois, 
where  he  owned  a  large  tract  of  prairie 
land,  and  he  tried  to  interest  the  men  of  that 
locality  in  tilling,  but  he  failed  in  this  and 
afterward  sold  his  property  and  purchased 
timber  land,  through  which  the  Chicago  & 
Eastern  Illinois  Railroad  passed.  He  sold 
the  timber  to  that  company.  Catching  cold, 
he  was  ill  for  several  years,  during  which 
time  his  property  was  exhausted,  and  at  his 
death  our  subject  was  left  penniless. 

After  his  father's  death   Edward  C.  Ire- 
land was  taken  back  to  Preble  county,  Ohio, 


E.  C.  IRELAND. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


189 


by  a  half  brother,  who  was  agent  for  the 
Little  Miami  and  Pan  Handle  Railroads.  He 
was  taken  on  trial  by  a  farmer  before  being 
bound  out,  but  not  liking  the  place  he  ran 
away  and  returned  to  Watseka,  Illinois, 
which  he  soon  found  was  quite  different 
when  he  was  without  a  home  to  go  to. 
Looking  around  for  work,  he  found  a  man 
cutting  timber  who  hired  him  at  the  rate  of 
thirty  cents  per  day.  This  man  became  in- 
terested in  him  and  wanted  to  adopt  him. 
Our  subject  remained  with  him  over  a  year, 
and  during  the  winter  walked  through  the 
timber  two  and  a  half  miles  to  school,  while 
he  did  the  chores  for  his  board  and  clothes, 
He  'slept  in  the  loft  of  a  new  log  cabin, 
where  the  snow  would  drift  through  the 
cracks,  and  even  on  the  main  floor  the  snow 
would  have  to  be  swept  away  in  the  morn- 
ing before  the  fire  was  built.  StilJ  Mr.  Ire- 
land was  healthy  and  hearty.  As  the  man 
with  whom  he  was  living  failed  to  keep  his 
agreement,  he  left  the  following  winter  and 
found  work  on  a  farm  at  fifteen  dollars  per 
month.  The  next  fall  he  went  to  Indian- 
apolis, where  the  husband  of  his  half  sister 
was  a  florist,  and  worked  for  him  for  a  year, 
during  which  time  he  saved  his  money  that 
he  might  be  able  to  attend  school  in  the 
winter,  but  finding  himself  a  large  boy 
among  small  children  his  pride  soon 
caused  him  to  leave  school.  He  then  took 
care  of  the  house  and  furnace  of  Mr.  Bruce, 
a  wealthy  man  of  that  city.  Later  he  started 
to  learn  a  trade  but  found  the  work  too  con- 
fining and  there  was  no  one  to  advise  him 
to  persevere  in  the  undertaking.  That  fall 
he  found  work  with  a  farmer  shucking  corn, 
and  then  returned  to  Indianapolis,  where  he 
drove  a  street  car  through  the  winter.  It 
was  difficult  for  a  boy  to  obtain  work,  but 

he  finally  found  employment  with    a   bridge 
10 


company  building  a  bridge  at  Broad  Ripple 
and  at  first  only  received  one  dollar  per  day, 
out  of  which  he  paid  two  dollars  and  a  half 
per  week  forboard.  Later  he  was  advanced 
to  two  dollars  and  a  half  per  day,  and  after 
the  first  winter  and  through  part  of  the  fol- 
lowing summer  he  had  charge  of  a  derrick 
used  in  the  construction  of  the  railroad 
bridge  across  the  Illinois  river  at  Havana. 
In  the  fall  he  entered  a  foundry  to  learn  the 
molder's  trade,  but  finding  the  employment 
unsuited  to  his  taste,  he  entered  the  employ 
of  Captain  Devore,  proprietor  of  the  Taylor 
House  at  Havana,  and  the  civil  engineer  of 
the  road  that  built  the  bridge  at  Havana. 
He  wished  our  subject  to  go  out  with  the 
crew  in  the  spring,  and  in  the  meantime 
gave  him  the  position  of  night  porter  in  the 
hotel  at  fifteen  dollars  per  month,  and  later 
advanced  him  to  day  clerk  at  twenty-five 
dollars,  board  and  washing.  A  few  months 
later,  finding  nothing  more  in  the  line  of 
promotion,  Mr.  Ireland  commenced  brak- 
ing on  the  Wabash  railroad  between  Havana 
and  Urbana,  and  shortly  afterward  was  ad- 
vanced to  baggageman  on  trains  running 
between  Havana  and  Danville.  After  the 
Wabash  went  into  the  hands  of  a  receiver, 
this  branch  was  operated  as  an  independent 
road  for  two  years  and  then  came  into  the 
possession  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
Company.  In  September,  1885,  Mr.  Ire- 
land was  promoted  to  freight  conductor,  and 
the  following  January  was  placed  in  charge 
of  a  mixed  train  running  between  Urbana 
and  Decatur,  which  position  he  filled  until 
September,  1898,  when  he  was  transferred 
as  passenger  conductor  on  a  train  running 
between  Champaign  and  Havana.  This  he 
still  holds,  and  is  one  of  the  most  popular 
conductors  on  the  road. 

Since  September,  1887,  Mr.  Ireland  has 


190 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


made  his  home  in  Champaign,  where  two 
years  later  he  purchased  a  lot  and  old  house 
standing  thereon,  but  in  1897  .erected  a 
beautiful  residence  at  No.  6 16  West  Church 
street,  where  he  now  resides.  He  was  mar- 
ried October  3.  1883,  to  Miss  Louisa  I. 
Beams,  of  Petersburg,  Illinois,  and  to  them 
were  born  three  children:  Mabel  Blanch, 
January  17,  1885,  died  in  infancy;  Etha 
May,  born  June  27,  1886;  and  Iva  Belle, 
who  was  born  August  2,  1888,  and  died  June 
12,  1893.  Politically  Mr.  Ireland  is  iden- 
tified with  the  Republican  party,  and  frater- 
nally affiliates  with  the  order  of  Railway 
Conductors,  of  which  he  has  been  a  mem- 
ber since  1889;  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and 
Uniform  Rank;  Western  Star  Lodge,  F.  & 
A.  M.;  and  Chapter,  R.  A.  M. 


JOHN  H.  SAVAGE,  a  prominent  and  in- 
fluential citizen  of  Urbana,  who  has 
served  as  deputy  county  treasurer  for  many 
years,  was  born  in  Cromwell,  Middlesex 
county,  Connecticut,  January  J3,  1852,  and 
is  a  son  of  Ralph  W.  and  Sarah  A.  (Strick- 
land) Savage,  also  natives  of  that  state, 
where  his  ancestors  have  made  their  home 
for  nearly  three  hundred  years.  Members 
of  the  family  aided  the  colonies  in  achieving 
their  independence  as  soldiers  of  the  Revo- 
lutionary war.  Our  subject's  paternal 
grandfather  was  Captain  Absolam  Savage, 
who  had  command  of  a  vessel  and  was  lost 
at  sea  when  our  subject's  father  was  twelve 
years  of  age.  The  latter  was  the  oldest  in  a 
family  of  four  children,  the  others  being 
Rev.  G.  S.  F.  Savage,  who  is  secretary  of 
the  Chicago  Theological  Seminary,  and  a 
noted  divine, although  now  quiteold;  Charles 
VC.  Savage,  a  resident  of  New  York,  who 


was  originally  a  printer  by  trade  and  a  con- 
temporary of  Greeley,  Dana  and  others;  and 
Mary  Ann,  who  married  Charles  Andres,  of 
Brooklyn,  New  York,  but  both  are  now  de- 
ceased. 

Ralph  W.  Savage,  father  of  our  subject, 
was  a  carpenter  and  builder  in  early  life,  but 
for  a  great  many  years  was  engaged  in  mer- 
chandising in  Cromwell,  Connecticut,  and 
was  quite  successful  in  business.  He  was 
a  pronounced  Abolitionist  and  later  a  Re- 
publican, favoring  the  vigorous  prosecution 
of  the  war,  but  he  was  never  a  politician  in 
the  sense  of  office  seeking.  He  was  quite  a 
prominent  member  and  officer  in  the  Con- 
gregational church,  to  which  his  wife  also 
belonged,  and  was  widely  and  favorably 
known  throughout  his  part  of  the  state. 
He  died  September  25,  1887,  aged  seventy- 
five  years,  his  wife,  a  few  years  before,  aged 
sixty  years. 

In  the  family  of  this  worthy  couple  were 
twelve  children,  namely:  Sarah  M.  has  de- 
voted her  life  to  school  teaching,  and  is 
well  known  as  one  of  the  most  thorough 
and  competent  teachers  in  the  Urbana  pub- 
lic schools,  with  which  she  has  been  con- 
nected for  many  years;  Emma  T.  is  still 
living  in  Cromwell,  Connecticut;  Ralph  W. 
is  engaged  in  the  real  estate  and  loan  busi- 
ness in  Grant,  Nebraska;  Elizabeth  S.  is  the 
wife  of  Edward  S.  Coe,  a  prominent  and 
wealthy  manufacturer  of  Cromwell,  Con- 
necticut, and  they  have  two  children,  Anna 
S.,  wife  of  Professor  William  Marshall,  of 
Yale  College,  and  Raymond;  Mary  A.  died 
at  the  age  of  five  years;  John  H.,  our  sub- 
ject, is  next  in  order  of  birth;  Frank  A.,  a 
contractor  of  Osceola,  Iowa,  married  Kate 
Crumby  and  they  have  four  children. 
George  P.,  a  large  land  owner  and  promi- 
nent Republican  of  Cromwell,  Connecticut, 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


191 


has  served  as  first  selectman  of  his  town  and 
as  a  member  of  the  state  Legislature;  Will- 
iam R.  is  engaged  in  mercantile  business  in 
Providence,  Rhode  Island;  Dr.  Watson  L., 
a  graduate  of  Amherst  College,  and  a  pro- 
fessor in  Columbia  University,  New  York 
City,  married  Ella  Whiting,  of  New  York; 
Lucy  H.  is  a  graduate  of  Cornell  University, 
and  is  now  successfully  engaged  in  teaching 
in  a  young  ladies  seminary  in  Northfield, 
Massachusetts;  and  Carrie  A.  is  the  wife  of 
George  S.  Butler,  of  Cromwell,  Connecticut. 

Reared  in  his  native  town,  John  H.  Sav- 
age, of  this  review,  acquired  his  education 
in  its  public  schools  and  was  graduated  from 
the  high  school.  He  began  his  business 
career  as  a  clerk  in  his  father's  store,  where 
he  remained  for  some  years,  and  before 
coming  west  engaged  in  merchandising  on 
his  own  account  for  a  year  or  two.  In  1873 
he  took  up  his  residence  in  Urbana,  Illinois, 
and  on  the  Qth  of  April,  1874,  entered  the 
county  treasurer's  office  as  clerk,  and  has 
been  connected  with  the  same  ever  since 
with  the  exception  of  six  months.  He  has 
been  president  of  the  Citizens  Building  and 
Loan  Association  nearly  ever  since  its  or- 
ganization, is  one  of  its  charter  members, 
and  has  been  a  director  from  the  start.  He 
is  also  guardian  for  seven  different  waros  in 
Champaign  county — a  fact  which  plainly  in- 
dicates the  confidence  and  trust  reposed  in 
him  by  his  fellow  citizens. 

On  the  2  ist  of  October,  1886,  Mr.  Sav- 
age was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Alida 
L.  Nash,  a  daughter  of  H.  J.  Nash,  now  of 
Urbana,  but  formerly  a  farmer  of  Philo 
township.  She  has  one  sister,  Estella  E., 
wife  of  David  C.  Busey,  of  Urbana.  To 
our  subject  and  his  wife  have  been  born  two 
children,  Sarah  A.  and  Ralph  N. 

Socially  Mr.  Savage  is  a  Knight  Templar 


Mason  and  a  member  of  the  Modern  Wood- 
men of  America.  As  a  Republican  he  takes 
an  active  interest  in  local  politics  and  has 
been  honored  with  several  important  official 
positions.  He  is  president  of  the  board  of 
trustees  of  the  schools  of  Urbana  township; 
has  been  city  collector  for  many  years;  and 
has  been  alderman  of  the  second  ward. 
He  is  also  treasurer  of  three  drainage  dis- 
tricts. For  five  years  he  was  lieutenant  of 
a  company  of  militia,  made  up  largely  in 
Champaign,  and  was  one  of  the  charter 
members  of  the  same.  In  business  affairs, 
he  is  prompt,  energetic  and  notably  reliable, 
and  has  filled  the  offices  to  which  he  has 
been  chosen  in  a  most  commendable  and 
satisfactory  manner.  Few  men  are  better 
known  throughout  the  county  or  are  held 
in  higher  regard  than  John  H.  Savage. 


M 


RS.  MARYB.  STRONG,  a  well-known 
Christian  Science  healer,  of  Cham- 
paign, is  a  native  of  Syracuse,  New  York, 
and  a  daughter  of  Gideon  and  Sally  (Mooney) 
Bogardus.  On  the'  paternal  side  she  traces 
her  ancestry  back  to  Rev.  E.  Bogardus,  the 
first  Dutch  Reformed  minister  in  the  Holland 
settlement  on  the  Hudson  river.  His  son 
Cornelius  was  the  father  of  Peter  Bogardus, 
Sr. ,  and  the  latter  was  the  father  of  Peter, 
Jr.,  who  was  Mrs.  Strong's  grandfather. 
Soon  after  the  Revolutionary  war  he  removed 
to  Syracuse,  where  he  owned  a  large  amount 
of  land,  and  the  house  he  erected  there  is 
still  standing.  Much  of  his  property  was 
inherited  by  Mrs.  Strong's  father,  who  never 
engaged  in  any  business.  The  mother  pos- 
sessed marvelous  power  in  the  way  of  heal- 
ing. She  brought  a  man  back  to  life,  who 
to  all  appearances  was  dead  and  had  been 


192 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


pronounced  so  by  six  doctors.  He  had 
died  suddenly  from  excitement,  but  she 
worked  over  him  from  night  until  morning, 
and  ordered  him  to  wake  up,  which  he  finally 
did.  The  Mooney  family  was  of  Scotch- 
Irish  and  English  extraction. 

Mrs.  Strong  was  educated  in  her  native 
city  and  in  early  womanhood  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Marcus  Strong,  a  successful 
teacher,  from  Rodman,  Jefferson  county, 
New  York.  His  father,  Henry  Strong,  was 
a  very  wealthy  man,  and  his  grandfather, 
Nathaniel  Strong,  was  a  prominent  member 
of  the  New  York  legislature  in  his  day. 
After  their  marriage,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Strong 
removed  to  Oswego,  New  York,  where  he 
engaged  in  business  as  a  contractor  and 
builder,  and  later  went  to  Girard,  Pennsyl- 
vania. While  building  a  church  at  Erie, 
Pennsylvania,  the  scaffold  upon  which  he 
was  standing  broke,  and  he  died  from  the 
effects  of  the  fall  after  four  years  of  suffering. 
He  left  three  children:  Sarah  B.,  now  a 
trained  nurse,  who  has  been  with  an  aged 
lady  in  Boston  for  some  years;  Frank  R.,  a 
resident  of  North  Dakota,  where  he  owns 
and  operates  a  large  tract  of  land,  and  also 
engages  in  school  teaching  during  the  winter 
months;  and  William  B.,  director  of  music 
in  the  Winthrope  Industrial  and  Normal 
School  at  Rock  Hill,  North  Carolina.  All 
have  been  given  excellent  educations,  the 
daughter  graduating  from  the  University  of 
Illinois,  the  older  son  in  Michigan,  the 
younger  in  Boston,  and  all  have  success- 
fully engaged  in  teaching. 

After  the  death  of  her  husband,  Mrs. 
Strong  returned  to  Syracuse,  New  York, 
where  she  resumed  teaching  school  and 
music.  She  also  took  charge  of  a  young 
woman  afflicted  with  spasms,  and  found 
that  she  could  cure,  or  rather  stop,  the  con- 


vulsions by  passing  her  hand  over  her. 
Her  school  being  large  and  her  voice  failing, 
she  decided  to  devote  more  time  to  the 
healing  art  and  experience  showed  that  she 
possessed  considerable  power  over  people. 
For  a  time  she  engaged  in  sewing,  but  one 
of  her  old  teachers  persuaded  her  to  aban- 
don that  work  and  go  to  Chicago  and  take 
up  the  study  of  medicine,  first  taking  an 
electric  course.  By  the  magnetism  in  her 
hands  she  had  already  cured  a  number  of 
persons.  She  made  a  careful  study  of  Dr. 
Henri's  and  Babbits'  books,  and  spent  some 
time  in  the  massage-rooms  of  the  former  in 
Central  Music  Hall,  Chicago.  Coming  to 
Champaign,  she  devoted  her  time  to  mas- 
sage and  magnetic  treatment  for  almost  a 
quarter  of  a  century,  and  was  the  first  prac- 
tical magnetic  healer  in  the  city.  She 
cured  many  cases  where  the  doctors  had 
previously  failed,  and  enjoyed  a  large  prac- 
tice. Until  recently  she  was  actively  en- 
gaged in  this  treatment,  but  finally  became 
convinced  that  Christian  Science  was  the 
true  healing  power,  and  for  the  past  eighteen 
months  has  devoted  her  time  to  the  study  of 
the  same,  so  that  she  is  now  almost  ready  to 
take  up  healing  along  that  line.  Her  daugh- 
ter is  also  preparing  herself  for  the  same 
work. 

Mrs.  Strong  believes  that  the  command 
"go  preach  the  gospel,  heal  the  sick, 
cleanse  the  lepers,  raise  the  dead,  cast  out 
devils  "  is  as  binding  on  the  followers  of 
Christ  now  as  nineteen  hundred  years  ago. 
Few  realize  what  spiritual  strength  and 
stamina  of  character  is  required  to  carry  on 
a  pioneer  work,  against  the  prejudices  and 
opposition  of  a  community.  Mrs.  Strong, 
however,  is  not  easily  intimidated,  and  will 
undoubtedly  meet  with  success  in  this  as  in 
all  her  other  undertakings,  for  she  is  a  lady 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


193 


of  great  strength  of  character  and  earnest 
purpose.  For  many  years  she  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Congregational  church,  but  has 
more  recently  sang  in  different  churches, 
including  the  Episcopal,  Baptist  and  Metho- 
dist Episcopal. 


JOHN  C.  KIRKPATRICK,  deceased, 
was  one  of  the  foremost  citizens  of 
Champaign  county  from  his  early  manhood 
until  his  death,  which  occurred  January  17, 
1899,  and  no  one  who  has  been  called  from 
our  midst  in  late  years  has  been  more  seri- 
ously mourned  by  the  general  community. 
For  many  years  he  made  his  home  in  the 
city  of  Champaign,  and  all  local  improve- 
ments were  championed  by  him,  his  in- 
fluence carrying  great  weight,  as  his  judg- 
ments were  proverbially  wise  and  far-see- 
ing. 

Mr.  Kirkpatrick  was  born  in  Pickaway 
county,  Ohio,  October  5,  1825,  and  was  a 
son  of  James  and  Jane  (Porter)  Kirkpatrick, 
also  natives  of  that  state.  His  paternal 
grandfather,  Benjamin  Kirkpatrick,  was  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  one  of  the  early 
pioneers  of  Ohio,  where  he  secured  a  tract 
of  timberland,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  wilder- 
ness he  established  a  home.  There  he 
reared  his  family  of  six  children.  In  1843 
the  father  of  our  subject  removed  with  his 
family  to  Tippecanoe  county,  Indiana,  where 
he  purchased  a  tract  of  land  and  was  exten- 
sively engaged  in  farming  and  stockraising. 
In  early  life  he  was  also  a  drover.  Polit- 
ically he  was  a  Henry  Clay  Whig,  and  he 
served  as  a  major  in  the  state  militia.  He 
died  in  St.  Joseph  township,  this  county, 
in  January,  1872,  having  long  survived  his 
wife,  who  passed  away  in  1848.  They  had 


ten  children, of  whom  four  died  in  early  life, 
the  others  being  Samuel,  Margaret  A.,  John 
C. ,  James  W.,  Maria  J.  and  Austin  W. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  in 
much  the  usual  manner    of  farmer  boys  of 
his  day,  early  acquiring  an  excellent  know- 
ledge of  agricultural  pursuits,  and  obtaining 
his  literary  education  in  the  pioneer  schools, 
the  nearest  of  which  was  located  in  the  tim- 
ber two  miles  from  his  father's  farm.    Leav- 
ing home  at  the  age  of  twenty-four  years  he 
came    to  Champaign  county,    Illinois,   and 
located  in  Urbana  township,   where  he  en- 
gaged in  breaking  prairie  and  farming.      In 
1850  he   purchased  two  hundred  acres    of 
land  two    miles    north    of    Champaign,  of 
which  he  took  possession  in   1855,  but  only 
resided  thereon  for  two  years,  at  the  end  of 
which    time  he  removed  to  the    city.      He 
built   the  first  frame   house  in  Champaign 
before  the  Illinois  Central    Railroad   tracks 
were   laid,    and    at   that   time   owned    one 
hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land  now  within 
the  city  limits.      He  added  to  his  land  pos- 
sessions from  time  to  time  until  at  the  time 
of  his  death  he  owned  over  thirteen  hun- 
dred acres  of  valuable  land,  including  three 
hundred    and    twenty  acres    in    St.   Joseph 
township  and  two  hundred  and  seventy  acres 
in  Stanton  township.      His  farms  were   all 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation    and  well 
stocked  with  fine  cattle  and  horses.      Upon 
his  place  in  St.   Joseph  township,   he  made 
his  home  for  twenty  years  and  then  returned 
to  Champaign,  his  city  residence   being  at 
the  corner  of  White  and  Third  streets.      He 
was  remarkably   successful   in   his    farming 
operations,  and  was  an  important  factor  in 
building  up  the  agricultural  and  rnanufactur- 
ing  interests  of  the  county.      At  one  time  he 
was    the  owner  of  a  department    store   in 
Urbana,  but  when  his  health  failed  he  turned 


194 


THE    BIOCzRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  business  over  to  his  sons.  The  last  ten 
years  of  his  life  were  spent  in  practical  re- 
tirement in  that  city.  He  left  a  large  and 
valuable  estate  to  his  family. 

On  the  9th  of  October,  1849,  Mr.  Kirk- 
patrick  was  united  m  marriage  to  Miss  Mary 
C.  Busey,  a  daughter  of  Colonel  and  Mrs. 
M.  W.  Busey,  and  to  them  were  born  eight 
children,  namely:  (i)  Marion  F. ,  who  lives 
near  Mayview,  Illinois,  first  married  to  Ase- 
nath  Sumner,  who  died  leaving  two  chil- 
dren, Gertie  M.,  now  the  wife  of  Ed  John- 
son; and  Charles  A.  For  his  second  wife 
he  married  Jennie  Spurgeon,  by  whom  he 
has  one  child,  Cerelda  M.  (2)  Albert  J., 
living  at  Blue  Mount  farm,  married  Alice  J. 
Barricklow  and  they  have  four  children: 
Myrtle  M.,  now  the  wife  of  William  Wool- 
ever,  of  Stanton  township,  by  whom  she  has 
two  children,  Clara  and  Leel;  John  Earl; 
and  Claude  and  Maude,  twins.  (3)  Elizabeth 
J.  is  the  wife  of  Jacob  Dilling,  of  St.  Joseph, 
and  they  have  three  children,  Mary  M., 
Clara  and  Lela.  (4)  Hattie  B.  is  the  wife 
of  Charles  Barricklow,  of  Frankfort,  In- 
diana, and  they  have  three  children,  John 
C.,  Ross  and  Elmer  J.  (5)  Samuel  A.,  a 
grocer  of  Urbana,  married  Ella  Day,  and 
they  have  four  children,  Glenn  B. ,  Mary  J., 
Hazel  E.  and  Mildred  B.  (6)  Dr.  Charles 
S.  married  Gertrude  Wilson,  and  died  in 
1890,  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  years,  leav- 
ing one  son,  John  W.  (7)  Jesse  resides  on 
the  old  homestead  in  St.  Joseph  township. 
He  married  Edith  Clark  and  has  one  child, 
Florence  M.  (8)  Fannie  L.  is  the  wife  of 
James  Dunseth,  an  attorney  of  Urbana,  and 
they  have  one  child,  Clara  F. 

In  early  life  Mr.  Kirkpatrick  was  a  Whig 
in  politics;  later  supported  the  Republican 
party;  and  during  the  last  eight  years  of  his 
life  voted  the  straight  Prohibition  ticket. 


He  and  his  wife  united  with  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  in  1852  during  a  meeting 
held  in  the  court  house  before  a  house  of 
worship  had  been  erected  for  the  congrega- 
tion, and  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  one 
of  the  oldest  and  most  influential  members, 
serving  as  a  church  officer  for  nearly  half  a 
century.  He  was  always  a  zealous  worker 
for  the  church  and  gave  liberally  toward  its 
support.  As  a  public-spirited  and  progres- 
sive citizen,  he  always  took  an  active  inter- 
est in  everything  calculated  to  advance  the 
interests  of  the  community,  and  assisted 
materially  in  building  up  the  county  so  that 
it  now  ranks  among  the  best  in  this  great 
commonwealth.  His  support  could  always 
be  relied  upon  for  any  worthy  enterprise, 
and  he  gave  one  thousand  dollars  to  the 
Burnham  hospital,  and  a  similar  amount 
toward  the  sum  to  be  raised  by  the  citizens 
of  Urbana  and  Champaign  for  the  Illinois 
University.  He  always  responded  to  all 
just  appeals  for  charity,  was  quiet  and  un- 
assuming in  manner,  upright  and  honorable 
in  all  his  dealings,  and  commanded  the  con- 
fidence and  respect  of  all  with  whom  he 
came  in  contact,  either  in  business  or  social 
life. 


REV.  WILLIAM  H.  STEDMAN.  Only 
the  history  of  the  good  and  great  comes 
down  to  us  through  the  ages.  The  true  re- 
ligion has  been  the  strongest  influence 
known  to  man  through  all  time,  while  the 
many  false  doctrines  that  have  sprung  up 
have  flourished  only  for  a  day  and  then  van- 
ished. More  potent  at  the  present  time 
than  at  any  period  in  the  world's  history 
are  the  work  and  influence  of  Christianity, 
and  among  those  who  are  devoting  their 


THE  BIOGRAHPICAL    RECORD. 


195 


lives  to  its  inculcation  among  men  is  Mr. 
Stedman,  who  has  been  the  honored  pastor 
of  the  First  Baptist  church  of  Champaign 
since  September,  1894.  He  is  one  of  the 
leading  ministers  of  that  denomination  in 
this  section  of  the  state,  and  his  life  is  a 
source  of  inspiration  and  encouragement  to 
all  who  know  him. 

Mr.  Stedman  was  born  near  Towanda, 
Bradford  county,  Pennsylvania,  August  12, 
1840,  and  is  a  son  of  Alfred  Bennett  Sted- 
man, who  was  born  in  Homer,  Cortland 
county,  New  York,  October  6,  1818,  and 
remained  there  until  eleven  years  of  age, 
when  his  parents  having  died  he  left  Homer 
and  went  to  live  with  a  farmer,  he  and  his 
brother,  aged  fifteen  years,  having  taken  a 
contract  to  clear  a  tract  of  timber  land. 
He  continued  to  work  upon  that  farm  until 
he  was  married  at  Towanda,  Pennsylvania, 
April  22,  1839,  to  Miss  Lucilla  Miller,  who 
was  born  in  Chatham,  New  Jersey,  Novem- 
ber i,  1815,  a  daughter  of  Hezekiah  Mil- 
ler. Mr.  Stedman  then  located  at  or  near 
Towanda,  where  he  engaged  in  farming 
until  the  subject  was  two  years  old  and  then 
removed  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he  was 
interested  in  what  was  then  known  as  fur 
blowing.  He  owned  the  machines  and  en- 
gaged in  business  there  on  his  own  account 
until  1855,  when  he  removed  to  Pike  county, 
Illinois,  and  settled  on  a  farm  eight  miles 
from  Barry.  He  finally  sold  his  farm  in 
1877,  and  on  account  of  his  wife's  health 
went  to  Minnesota,  where  he  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life,  dying  at  Morris,  that 
state,  November  9,  1891,  his  wife  on  the 
1 6th  of  August,  the  same  year. 

At  the  early  age  of  eight  years  our  sub- 
ject began  working  in  his  father's  factory  in 
Cincinnati  and  had  charge  of  one  of  the 
pieces  of  machinery  for  the  manufacture  of 


cotton  batting,  the  father  having  combined 
that  industry  with  his  fur  factory.  Working 
in  the  day  time  he  was  only  able  to  attend 
school  at  night,  and  on  coming  to  Illinois  at 
the  age  of  sixteen  years  had  only  received 
about  three  months'  schooling  during  the 
winter,  but  he  was  fond  of  books  and  ob- 
tained a  good  general  information  by  read- 
ing and  studying  at  night  without  an  instruc- 
tor. The  winter  he  was  nineteen  years  of 
age  he  attended  the  common  schools  of  St. 
Louis,  and  the  following  year  entered 
the  University  of  Chicago,  but  before  the 
school  year  was  completed  close  applica- 
tion to  study  and  overwork  brought  on  dys- 
pepsia, which  made  it  necessary  for  him  to 
return  home.  In  the  fall  of  1861  he  be- 
came a  student  at  Shurtliff  College,  and 
while  there  he  enlisted,  in  May,  1864,  in 
Company  D,  One  Hundred  Thirty-third 
Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry.  After  spending 
some  time  in  Springfield,  he  went  to  Rock 
Island  to  guard  prisoners,  and  while  there 
he  was  discharged,  as  the  one  hundred  days 
of  his  enlistment  had  expired  some  two 
months  previous  to  his  discharge.  The 
year  previous  he  was  in  the  Missouri  state 
service  for  thirty  days  during  Price's  raid, 
and  followed  him  until  he  crossed  the  Mis- 
souri river.  The  command  had  to  fight 
their  way  back. 

Mr.  Stedman  continued  his  studies  at 
Shurtliff  College,  and  was  graduated  in  June, 
1869,  with  the  degree  of  A.  B.,  the  degree 
of  A.  M.  being  afterward  conferred  upon 
him.  While  a  sophomore  he  was  asked  to 
supply  the  pulpit  of  the  Baptist  church,  at 
Louisiana,  Missouri,  and  during  the  time  he 
was  at  school  in  Alton,  he  added  fifty  to  the 
church,  among  these  being  Miss  Belle  Kim- 
berlin,  a  daughter  of  H.  Kimberlin,  of 
Louisiana,  Missouri.  She  attended  a  female 


196 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


seminary  at  Rural  Park,  Upper  Alton,  and 
completed  her  studies  there  at  the  same 
time  as  our  subject,  and  a  week  later,  on 
the  1 3th  of  June,  1869,  they  were  united  in 
marriage.  They  have  five  children:  Lucile, 
now  the  wife  of  Frederick  Cody,  of  Detroit, 
Michigan;  Alfred  B.,  of  Chicago;  Jeanette 
E.,  Angie  and  Harry,  at  home. 

While  pursuing  the  literary  course  at 
college,  Mr.  Stedmanalso  studied  theology, 
and  before  his  graduation  organized  a  church 
at  Shelbyville,  this  state,  of  which  he  was 
afterward  called  to  the  pastorate,  removing 
there  in  September,  1869.  The  following 
winter  he  was  ordained,  and  there  remained 
until  1872,  during  which  time  he  increased 
the  membership  from  eleven  to  one  hundred 
and  twenty,  and  erected  a  church  at  a  cost 
of  nine  thousand  dollars.  He  next  went  to 
Arcola,  Illinois,  as  pastor  of  the  First  Bap- 
tist church,  and  while  there  doubled  its 
membership,  but  the  house  being  crowded 
and  the  congregation  refusing  to  build 
another,  he  left  and  came  to  Urbana,  Feb- 
ruary 10,  1875,  as  pastor  of  the  First  Bap- 
tist church  there.  He  began  his  work  by 
making  out  a  list  of  all  the  active  or  availa- 
ble members  and  insisted  that  these  be  called 
the  church.  He  then  went  forward,  relying 
upon  God,  and  sixty  were  added  to  the 
church  the  first  year,  while  during  his  stay 
one  hundred  and  thirty  were  baptized  and 
one  hundred  and  ninety  added  to  the 
church.  He  built  an  addition  to  the  house 
of  worship  costing  eight  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars.  In  1882  he  was  called  to  the 
church  at  Mendota,  Illinois,  and  during  the 
seven  years  he  remained  at  that  place  two 
hundred  were  added  to  the  church.  From 
there  he  went  to  Detroit,  Michigan,  as  pas- 
tor of  the  Twelfth  Street  Baptist  church, 
and  under  his  pastorate  the  membership  was 


greatly  increased  and  they  purchased  the 
site  of  their  present  church  on  the  corner  of 
Grand  River  and  Thirteenth  street,  paying 
for  the  same  four  thousand  dollars.  While 
there  he  received  a  call  from  the  church  at 
Champaign,  and  finally  accepted  in  Septem- 
ber, 1894,  since  which  time  he  has  been  the 
regular  pastor  here.  The  membership  at 
that  time  was  two  hundred  and  seventy-five. 
Mr.  Stedman  came  here  with  the  intention 
of  building  a  parsonage  and  also  a  church, 
in  both  of  which  undertakings  he  has  been 
successful.  A  fine  parsonage  has  been 
erected  at  No.  607  West  Hill,  and  a  church 
at  a  cost  of  twenty-two  thousand  dollars, 
exclusive  of  the  site.  The  latter  was  ac- 
complished after  agitating  the  subject  for 
three  years,  two  years  being  spent  in  getting 
the  congregation  to  decide  to  build  and  a 
year  in  building. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Stedman  is  a  member 
of  Colonel  Nodine  Post,  G.  A.  R.  He  has 
labored  untiringly  in  the  work  of  his  church, 
and  his  efforts  have  been  crowned  with  suc- 
cess. He  is  a  man  of  thoughtful,  earnest 
purpose,  of  strong  intellectual  endowments, 
of  broad  charity  and  kindly  nature,  and  by 
all  denominations,  as  well  as  his  own  peo- 
ple, is  held  in  the  highest  regard. 


WILLIAM  PRICE,  deceased,  was  a 
well-known  business  man  of  Cham- 
paign, Illinois,  whose  sound  common  sense 
and  vigorous,  able  management  of  his  af- 
fairs were  important  factors  in  his  success, 
and  with  his  undoubted  integrity  of  char- 
acter gave  him  an  honorable  position  among 
his  followmen.  A  native  of  England,  he 
was  born  in  Oswestry,  December  3,  1830, 
and  was  a  son  of  Edward  and  Mary  Price, 


WILLIAM  PRICE. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


199 


who  spent  their  entire  lives  in  that  country. 
The  father  was  a  land  owner  and  quite  a 
successful  man. 

Our  subject,  who  was  the  eldest  in  a  fam- 
ily of  four  children,  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  his  native  land,  and  when 
about  fourteen  years  of  age  began  an  ap- 
prenticehsip  to  the  painter's  trade,  which 
he  soon  mastered.  In  1852  he  sailed  from 
Liverpool  for  the  United  States,  and  on 
landing  in  New  York,  proceeded  at  once  to 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he'  worked  at  his 
trade  for  a  short  time.  Subsequently  he 
was  similarly  employed  at  Muncie,  Indiana, 
for  a  short  time,  and  then,  after  spending 
several  months  in  the  west,  he  came  to 
Champaign,  Illinois,  where  he  continued  to 
make  his  home  throughout  the  remainder 
of  his  life. 

On  the  3rd  of  May,  1857,  Mr.  Price  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Artymesia 
Whitney,  of  Muncie,  Indiana,  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  Thomas  and  Hannah  (Preston)  Whit- 
ney, natives  of  Massachusetts  and  Pennsyl- 
vania, respectively.  At  a  very  early  day 
the  father  removed  to  Indiana,  and  took  up 
land  near  Muncie,  where  he  passed  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits  and  met  with  well-deserved  success, 
being  a  large  land  owner.  In  his  family 
were  eight  children,  namely:  Lafayette, 
Mordecai,  Nancy,  Phineas,  Artymesia,  Wil- 
liam, David  and  Franklin,  of  whom  only 
Mordecai,  Nancy,  and  Mrs.  Price  are  now 
living.  William,  David  and  Franklin  were 
all  killed  in  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  David 
being  starved  to  death  in  Andersonville. 
The  father  of  his  family  died  July  4,  1881, 
the  mother,  in  the  fall  of  1870. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Price  were  born  the 
following  children:  Thomas  E.  married 
Lena  Dauber,  arid  died  at  the  age  of  thirty- 


two  years,  leaving  two  children;  John  F., 
who  married  Sarah  McConnell,  has  one 
child,  and  has  succeeded  his  father  in  the 
paint  and  paper  business  in  Champaign; 
David  W.  is  working  for  his  brother,  mar- 
ried Margaret  McGargle,  and  has  three  chil- 
dren; Mary  H.  is  the  wife  of  Matthew  B. 
Williamson,  of  Champaign,  and  they  have 
one  child;  Nellie  G.  is  at  home  with  her 
mother;  Elizabeth  N.  is  with  her  brother 
in  the  store  and  resides  at  home;  one 
child  died  in  infancy;  and  Minnie  B., 
Annie  G.,  Cora  M.  and  Maude  are  all  at 
home. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Price  worked  at 
his  trade  for  about  ten  years,  and  then  built 
a  store  on  Main  street  and  embarked  in  the 
paper  and  paint  business.  He  enlarged  his 
stock  from  time  to  time  to  meet  the  grow- 
ing demands  of  his  trade  until  he  had  one  of 
the  most  complete  exclusive  paint  and  paper 
stores  in  Illinois.  He  also  took  contracts 
for  work  in  his  line,  and  had  a  large  corps 
of  men  in  his  employ.  While  still  in  the 
prime  of  life  he  was  stricken  with  paralysis, 
and  died  May  22,  1885,  being  laid  to  rest  in 
Mt.  Hope  cemetery  with  Masonic  honors. 
He  was  a  member  of  Western  Star  Lodge, 
No.  240,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  and  was  a  Democrat 
in  politics,  but  never  an  aspirant  for  office, 
preferring  to  give  his  undivided  attention  to 
his  business  interests.  He  faithfully  per- 
formed his  duties  of  citizenship,  however, 
and  in  all  the  relations  of  life  was  found 
true  to  every  trust  reposed  in  him.  He 
therefore  merited  and  received  the  confi- 
dence and  respect  of  all  with  whom  he 
came  in  contact  either  in  business  or  social 
life.  His  estimable  wife  is  an  active  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
and  of  the  Missionary  and  Ladies  Aid  So 
cieties. 


20O 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


WI.  SAFFELL.  Among  the  leading 
business  men  of  Urbana  none  are 
more  deserving  of  representation  in  this  vol- 
ume than  this  gentleman,  a  member  of  the 
well-known  firm  of  W.  I.  Saffell  &  Com- 
pany, dealers  in  hardware,  stoves,  bicycles, 
carpets  and  general  house  furnishing  goods. 
Keen  discrimination,  unflagging  industry 
and  resolute  purpose  are  numbered  among 
his  salient  characteristics,  and  thus  he  has 
won  the  prosperity  which  is  the  merited  re- 
ward of  honest  efforts. 

Mr.  Saffell  was  born  in  Columbiana 
county,  Ohio,  April  29,  1850,  and  is  a  son 
of  Benjamin  and  Lydia  P.  Saffell,  both  na- 
tives of  Pennsylvania.  The  father,  who 
was  engaged  in  the  wagon  and  buggy  busi- 
ness, died  in  New  Garden,  Ohio,  in  Decem- 
ber, 1849,  at  the  age  of  twenty-five  years. 
The  mother  afterward  married  again,  her 
second  husband  being  Richard  Diamond, 
but  by  that  union  had  no  children.  Our 
subject  is  the  youngest  of  those  born  of  the 
first  marriage.  Lydia,  the  oldest,  died  at 
the  age  of  eighteen  years.  Silas  B.  is 
married,  and  is  now  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  boxes  at  Indianapolis,  Indiana. 
O.  C.,  director  of  the  Citizens  Bank  and 
manager  of  the  New  Castle  Canning  Com- 
pany, of  New  Castle,  Indiana,  married  Rilla 
Wright,  and  they  have  two  children,  May 
and  Lewis.  The  former  is  now  the  wife  of 
Frank  Waymand,  and  they  have  one  child, 
Frederick. 

Our  subject  was  reared  in  the  town  of 
Greensboro,  Indiana,  and  in  early  life  learned 
the  carpenter's  trade,  which  he  followed  in 
that  state  for  about  twelve  years,  and  for 
two  years  after  coming  to  Urbana,  Illinois, 
in  1871.  He  was  next  engaged  in  business 
here  as  a  dealer  in  farming  implements  and 
buggies,  and  subsequently  was  interested  in 


importing  horses  from  England,  Belgium, 
Germany  and  Scotland,  as  a  member  of  the 
Urbana  Importing  Company  arid  later  as 
salesman  for  the^irm,  who  bought  the  horses 
to  sell.  For  five  years  he  successfully  en- 
gaged in  that  business,  sometimes  selling 
the  horses  at  auction,  but  generally  at  pri- 
vate sales,  some  animals  bringing  as  high  as 
two  thousand  dollars.  On  quitting  that 
business  he  lived  retired  for  two  years  on 
account  of  his  health,  but  on  the  I3th  of 
March,  1895,  embarked  in  his  present  busi- 
ness under  the  firm  name  of  W.  I.  Saffell  & 
Co.  They  carry  a  large  and  well  selected 
stock  and  occupy  two  store  rooms  on  the 
ground  floor  and  also  the  rooms  above. 

In  1 88 1,  Mr.  Saffell  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Francis  Hood,  a  native 
of  Dublin,  Indiana,  and  a  daughter  of 
Charles  L.  and  Lariah  Hood,  who  were 
from  Wayne  county,  that  state.  One  child, 
Gladys,  has  been  born  of  this  union.  Mrs. 
Saffell  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church  and  is  a  most  estimable  lady. 
Our  subject  is  a  Knight  Templar  Mason,  a 
member  of  Urbana  Lodge,  No.  157,  F.  & 
A.  M.;  Urbana  Chapter,  No.  80,  R.  A.  M., 
and  Urbana  Commandery,  No.  16,  K.  T. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  but  has  never 
cared  for  the  honors  or  emoluments  of  pub- 
lic office,  though  owing  to  his  interest  in  ed- 
ucational affairs  has  served  as  a  member  of 
the  city  school  board. 

In  1888,  combining  business  and  pleas- 
ure, Mr.  and  Mrs.,  Saffell  went  to  Europe 
and  spent  a  most  enjoyable  time  in  visiting 
Ireland,  England,  France,  Belgium  and 
Holland.  On  their  return  they  sailed  from 
Antwerp,  Belgium,  for  London,  and  at  the 
latter  city  Mr.  Saffell  reloaded  his  stock  on 
the  steamer  Denmark,  which  should  have 
made  the  trip  in  ten  or  twelve  days,  but 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


2OI 


owing  to  continuous  storms  that  November 
the  vessel  was  twenty-eight  days  in  crossing 
the  Atlantic,  one  day  of  the  time  being 
taken  up  in  securing  fuel  at  Halifax,  Nova 
Scotia.  They  had  previously  used  all  boxes 
and  barrels  available,  and  the  captain,  who 
had  been  in  the  service  for  twelve  years, 
said  that  he  had  never  been  in  such  an 
emergency.  Great  anxiety  was  felt  on  the 
part  of  friends  of  those  on  board,  fearing  the 
vessel  was  lost.  Although  the  weather  was 
very  rough  Mr.  Saffell  was  never  sea  sick 
and  stood  the  trip  well.  He  had  twenty- 
four  head  of  horses  on  the  vessel. 


A  NDREW  J.  YEATS.  More  than  half 
i\  a  century  has  passed  since  this  gentle- 
man arrived  in  Champaign  county,  and  he 
is  justly  numbered  among  her  honored  pio- 
neers and  leading  citizens.  He  is  now  suc- 
cessfully engaged  in  the  grocery  business  in 
Champaign.  A  native  of  Indiana,  he  was 
born  in  Newtown,  Fountain  county,  Decem- 
ber 15,  1837,  a  son  of  Zepheniah  and 
Matilda  (Carr)  Yeats,  The  father  was  a 
native  of  Gallia  county,  Ohio,  and  a  son  of 
Samuel  Yeats,  a  pioneer  of  that  county,  who 
had  served  as  a  soldier  of  the  Revolutionary 
war  and  removed  from  Pennsylvania  to  Ohio 
to  take  up  his  land  warrant.  Later  he  went 
to  Indiana,  where  he  'died  in  1851,  at  the 
extreme  old  age  of  one  hundred  and  four 
years. 

Our  subject  grew  to  manhood  in  his 
native  county,  and  married  Matilda  Carr, 
daughter  of  Richard  Carr,  of  Maysville, 
Kentucky.  He  continued  his  residence 
there  until  after  the  birth  of  two  of  his  chil- 
dren, and  then  removed  to  Fountain  county, 
Indiana,  where  he  purchased  land.  His 


sons  operated  the  farm,  while  he  engaged  in 
shoemaking,  all  boots  and  shoes  being  made 
by  hand  at  that  time.  In  1849  he  came  to 
this  county  and  opened  up  a  farm  in  what 
is  now  Sadorus  township,  though  there  was 
no  township  organization  at  that  time  and 
the  country  was  but  sparsely  settled.  Within 
a  radius  of  seven  miles  his  only  neighbors 
were  Henry  and  William  Sadorus,  John 
Tenbrock,  John  Hamilton,  John  Cook,  Ben- 
jamin, Isaac  and  John  Miller,  Henry  Mather, 
William  Rock,  Isaac  Laughlin,  Walter 
Beavers  and  William  O'Briant.  These 
pioneers  would  go  all  the  way  to  Urbana  to 
vote  and  attend  church,  and  the  vYeats 
family  seldom  missed  a  Sunday  when  the 
roads  were  good.  At  first  there  were  no 
roads  and  they  were  guided  by  a  furrow 
along  the  ridgesT"  They  did  their  milling  in 
Periesville,  Indiana,  and  underwent  all  the 
hardships  and  privations  incident  to  pioneer 
life.  The  father  of  our  subject  first  secured 
a  tract  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  upon 
which  he  set  out  a  good  orchard  and  built  a 
good  house  and  barn,  to  his  original  farm 
added  an  eighty-acre  tract  of  prairie  land 
and  thirty  acres  of  timber,  making  in  all  two 
hundred  and  fifty  acres.  Originally  he  was 
a  Democrat  in  politics  and  later  a  Republi- 
can. He  was  elected  road  commissioner 
and  laid  out  many  of  the  roads  in  his  local- 
ity. Religiously  both  he  and  his  wife  were 
earnest  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church, 
and  were  highly  respected  and  esteemed  by 
all  who  knew  them.  He  died  in  1885,  at 
the  age  of  eighty-four  years,  and  she  passed 
away  in  1896,  at  the  age  of  eighty-nine 
years. 

Andrew  J.  Yeats,  of  this  review,  is  the 
fifth  in  order  of  birth  in  a  family  of  ten  chil- 
dren, and  was  educated  in  the  subscription 
schools  of  Newtown,  Indiana,  conducted  in 


202 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


a  log  school  house.  As  soon  as  large 
enough  to  be  of  any  assistance  he  com- 
menced to  aid  in  the  operation  of  the  home 
farm,  and  remained  under  the  parental  roof 
until  twenty-two  years  of  age. 

On  the  loth  of  March,  1857,  Mr.  Yeats 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary 
Peat,  who  was  born  in  Barrow  Bridge, 
Yorkshire,  England,  in  1839,  and  was  four- 
teen years  of  age  when  brought  to  the 
United  States  by  her  parents,  David  and 
Hannah  (Porter)  Yeats.  In  his  native  land 
the  father  was  overseer  of  some  hundreds  of 
men  engaged  in  manufacture  of  tile  and 
brick.  On  coming  to  this  country,  he  first 
located  in  Rochester,  New  York; later  spent 
two  years  in  Springfield,  Illinois,  and  from 
there  came  to  Sadorus,  this  county,  where 
he  purchased  a  farm  and  made  his  home  for 
some  years.  In  1881  he  went  to  Kansas, 
where  he  died  in  August,  1883.  His  widow 
now  makes  her  home  with  our  subject. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Yeats  have  seven  children, 
namely:  Alice,  now  the  wife  of  Issac  Field- 
ing, ex-postmaster  of  Champaign  and  editor 
of  the  Times;  Anna,  wife  of  Elmer  C.  Sabin, 
son  of  Mayor  Sabin;  George,  who  has  been 
a  mail  carrier  for  nine  years;  Maggie  is  the 
wife  of  William  Renner,  son  of  William  H. 
Renner,  whose  sketch  appears  elsewhere  in 
this  volume;  Letitia,  wife  of  Albert  Cliff,  of 
Champaign;  and  John,  who  married  Mrs. 
Sarah  Marshall,  of  Springfield,  Illinois,  and 
is  a  prominent  florist  of  Champaign. 

After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Yeats  bou  ht  a 
farm  in  Sadorus  township,  to  the  cultivation 
and  improvement  of  which  he  devoted  his 
energies  until  1872,  at  the  same  time  serv- 
ing as  constable  for  twenty  years.  Having 
lost  heavily  by  going  security  for  others,  he 
then  removed  to  Champaign  and  accepted 
a  position  in  a  cabinet  shop,  where  he 


worked  for  some  years.  Later  he  was  in- 
terested in  the  tubular  well  business  and  put 
down  tubular  wells  all  over  the  county, 
meeting  with  good  success  in  that  venture. 
Subsequently  he  was  a  member  of  the  police 
force  of  Champaign  for  two  years,  and  then 
spent  two  years  in  Barber  county,  Kansas, 
where  he  proved  up  a  claim  which  is  still  in 
the  family.  After  his  return  to  Champaign 
he  was  again  connected  with  the  police 
force  until  1892,  when  he  embarked  in  the 
grocery  business,  in  which  he  is  still  in- 
terested. Eighteen  years  ago  he  purchased 
property  at  the  corner  of  East  Church  and 
Fifth  streets,  and  upon  that  lot  is  now  en- 
gaged in  business.  He  is  independent  in 
politics,  and  attends  and  supports  the 
Episcopal  church.  He  is  widely  and 
favorably  known  throughout  the  county 
where  almost  his  entire  life  has  been  passed, 
and  his  friends  are  many. 


WILLIAM  WILLIAMSON  is  a  retired 
farmer  and  successful  real  estate 
dealer  of  Champaign,  whose  life  furnishes  a 
striking  example  of  the  wide  application  of 
sound  principles  and  safe  conservatism.  The 
story  of  his  success  is  short  and  simple,  con- 
taining no  exciting  chapters,  but  in  it  lies 
one  of  the  most  valuable  secrets  of  the  pros- 
perity which  it  records,  and  his  business  and 
private  life  are  pregnant  with  interest  and 
incentive,  no  matter  how  lacking  in  dramatic 
action,  the  record  of  a  noble  life,  consistent 
with  itself  and  its  possibilities  in  every  par- 
ticular. 

Mr.  Williamson  was  born  in  Butler 
county,  Ohio,  near  Middletown,  May  21, 
1835,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Huldah 
(Doty)  Williamson,  natives  of  New  Jersey 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


203 


and  Ohio,  respectively.  The  father  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation.  He  made  two  trips 
to  Ohio  from  his  native  state,  by  wagon, 
and  spent  his  last  days  in  Butler  county, 
where  his  death  occurred.  He  was  born  in 
1797,  and  died  in  1846.  His  wife,  who  was 
born  January  8,  1803,  died  at  the  home  of 
her  daughter  in  Webster  City.  Iowa,  May 
20,  1892,  but  her  remains  were  taken  back 
to  Middletown,  Butler  county,  Ohio,  for 
interment  in  the  cemetery  which  her  father 
had  donated  to  that  community.  At  the 
age  of  twelve  years,  he  joined  the  Presby- 
terian church,  and  remained  one  of  its  active 
members  until  our  subject  became  a  Baptist, 
when  she  united  with  that  denomination. 

Daniel  Doty,  the  maternal  grandfather 
of  our  subject,  was  a  native  of  New  Jersey, 
and  a  pioneer  of  Butler  county,  Ohio,  where 
he  purchased  a  tract  of  government  land, 
owning  and  cultivating  the  present  site  of 
Middletown.  He  was  the  first  collector  in 
that  district,  wkich  comprised  three  or  four 
counties,  and  would  often  ride  as  far  as  one 
hundred  miles  to  collect  a  dollar.  He  served 
nearly  all  through  the  war  of  1812,  but 
never  drew  a  pension.  In  early  days  he 
went  as  far  as  Cincinnati  to  buy  flour,  and 
he  and  his  sons  made  many  trips  to  New 
Orleans  to  sell  their  produce.  Religiously 
he  was  first  a  Presbyterian  and  later  a  New- 
light;  was  very  pious,  and  once  went  sixty 
miles  to  help  cut  a  road  in  order  to  move 
the  Baptist  preacher,  his  family  and  house- 
hold effects.  He  was  born  in  1765,  and 
died  May  8,  1848,  while  his  wife,  who  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Betsey  Crane,  died  May 
5,  1 863,  at  the  age  of  ninety-one  years.  All 
of  their  thirteen  children  reached  years  of 
maturity  with  the  exception  of  Noah,  who 
was  drowned  in  the  Miami  river  at  the  age 
of  twelve  years,  but  all  are  now  deceased. 


The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  one  of  a 
family  of  nine  children,  eight  of  whom  lived 
to  be  grown,  and  five  are  now  living,  name- 
ly: Eleanor,  wife  of  J.  R.  Letts,  of  Webster 
City,  Iowa;  William,  our  subject;  A.  Crane, 
who  married  Mary  A.  Anthony,  and  is  now 
a  physician  and  surgeon  of  Champaign; 
Sarah  Jane,  wife  of  James  Jacoby,  of  Den- 
nison,  Texas;  and  John  H.,  who  married 
Mila  Braden,  and  resides  in  Dayton,  Ohio. 

William  Williamson  was  principally  ed- 
ucated in  the  country-schools  of  Middletown, 
Ohio,  though  he  took  up  higher  studies  and 
prepared  to  enter  the  medical  profession, 
but  never  engaged  in  practice.  For  a  time 
he  was  interested  in  the  livery  business  and 
later  in  real  estate.  On  coming  west  in 
1869,  he  first  located  in  Macoupin  county, 
Illinois,  but  the  following  year  removed  to 
Edgar  county,  and  in  1865  to  Douglas  coun- 
ty. In  1882  he  came  to  Urbana,  and  in 
1887  took  up  his  residence  in  Champaign, 
where  he  has  since  made  his  home.  He 
has  improved  over  two  thousand  acres  of 
land  in  this  state,  and  still  owns  much  val- 
uable property  in  Champaign  and  Urbana, 
although  he  has  sold  much  of  the  land  he 
owned  near  the  Illinois  University.  His  own 
commodious  residence  is  located  at  No.  709 
South  Wright  street.  Upright  and  reliable 
in  all  things  he  has  the  entire  confidence 
and  respect  of  his  fellow  citizens,  and  has 
been  called  upon  to  settle  many  estates,  in- 
cluding that  of  his  mother  and  other  rela- 
tives. He  is  a  man  of  excellent  business 
and  executive  ability,  sound  judgment  and 
keen  discrimination.  In  politics  he  is  in- 
dependent, and  he  has  served  as  supervisor 
and  a  member  of  the  school  board,  being 
elected  to  the  latter  position  without  his 
knowledge  while  out  of  the  city.  Both  he 
and  his  wife  are  active  and  prominent 


204 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


members  of  the  Baptist  church,  of  which 
he  is  a  deacon,  and  in  which  he  has  filled 
all  the  offices  with  the  exception  of  a 
preacher.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
finance  committee  and  is  a  great  church 
worker. 

On  the  1 4th  of  February,  1865,  Mr. 
Williamson  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Anna  M.  Jacoby,  and  they  have  become  the 
parents  of  three  children,  namely:  Mary  is 
now  the  wife  of  P.  A.  Elder,  of  Lima,  Ohio, 
and  they  have  three  children,  William  A., 
Anna  A.  and  Huldah  A.  Orner  D.  assists  his 
father  in  the  operation  of  a  small  farm  of 
thirty-four  acres  of  land  near  the  corporate 
limits  of  Champaign.  Josephine  is  attend- 
ing the  University  of  Illinois, being  a  member 
of  the  class  of  1903. 

Henry  Jacoby,  the  paternal  grandfather 
of  Mrs.  Williamson,  was  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania and  a  pioneer  of  Butler  county, 
Ohio.  He  was  twice  married  and. had  fif- 
teen children,  including  Charles,  Polly, 
Sarah,  Leah,  Judith,  Nathan,  Jesse,  Henry, 
David  and  George.  The  father  of  this 
family  was  an  extensive  land  owner,  having 
enough  property  to  give  each  of  his  children 
large  farms. 

David  Jacoby,  Mrs.  Williamson's  father, 
was  born  in  Butler  county,  Ohio,  Novem- 
ber 1 6,  1818,  and  is  still  living,  an  honored 
resident  of  Arcola,  Illinois,  where  he  is 
serving  as  justice  of  the  peace  and  occasion- 
ally marries  a  couple.  With  his  family  he 
removed  from  Ohio  to  Douglas  county,  this 
state,  on  the  day  President  Lincoln  was 
first  inaugurated,  and  has  since  made  his 
home  there.  He  is  widely  and  favorably 
known  throughout  that  section  of  the  state; 
is  a  Jacksonian  Democrat;  and  is  a  well 
read  man.  In  the  early  '6os  he  favored  the 
vigorous  prosecution  of  the  war.  He  is  a 


member  of  the  Odd  Fellows  Society,  in 
which  he  has  passed  all  the  chairs,  and  is  a 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  to 
which  his  wife  also  belonged.  She,  who 
bore  the  maiden  name  of  Lydia  Catherine 
Teressa  Smyers,  died  August  5,  1890,  aged 
sixty-eight  years.  She  was  born  in  Penn- 
sylvania, and  when  eighteen  years  of  age 
removed  to  Butler  county,  Ohio,  with  her 
parents,  James  and  Catherine  Smyers,  also 
natives  of  the  Keystone  state.  Mr.  Smyers 
died  in  Carnden,  Ohio,  aged  seventy-three 
years,  his  wife  in  Richmond,  Indiana,  in 
1891,  aged  eighty-nine  years.  They  had  a 
family  of  seven  children,  namely:  Lydia  C. 
T.,  the  mother  of  Mrs.  Williamson;  Caro- 
line, deceased  wife  of  Joel  Smith;  Eliza  A., 
deceased  wife  of  Lewis  Barnet;  David  J. 
T.,  who  wedded  Mary  Place,  and  is  now 
deceased;  Hester  M.S.,  widow  of  Howard 
Young;  John  J.  F. ,  a  resident  of  Texas, 
who  first  married  Amelia  Jacoby  and  second 
Ann  Harney,  and  is  the  father  of  thirteen 
children;  and  Kittie  Ann,  who  married  Reu- 
ben Jacoby,  and  died  leaving  one  daughter, 
Ella,  now  the  wife  of  T.  C.  Carson,  who 
was  state  superintendent  of  schools  in  Ohio 
for  two  terms,  and  is  now  president  of  the 
National  Teachers  Association. 

Mrs.  Williamson  is  the  second  in  order 
of  birth  in  a  family  of  nine  children,  the 
others  being  as  follows:  James  M.  married 
Jennie  Williamson,  a  sister  of  our  subject, 
and  resides  in  Texas.  Josephine  is  the  wid- 
ow of  Charles  Miner  and  lives  in  New  York. 
George  C.  married  Carrie  Kelly  and  lives  in 
Middletown,  Ohio.  Charles  died  unmarried 
at  the  age  of  thirty  years.  Katherine  is  the 
wife  of  John  Shaffer,  a  railroad  contractor, 
who  has  just  returned  from  building  a  rail- 
road in  Central  America,  and  who  is  a 
brother  of  Mary  Shaffer,  for  many  years 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


205 


president  of  Wellesly  College.  Howard  V. 
married  Ida  Burkey  and  lives  in  Arcola,  Il- 
linois. Albert  H.  is  single  and  resides  in 
New  York  City.  Joseph  died  at  the  age  of 
two  years. 


FRANKLIN    GREGORY    CARNAHAN. 
One    of    the  rising  young  members  of 
the  Champaign  county  bar   is  this  gentle- 
man, belonging  to  the  well-known  law  firm 
of  Weaver  &  Carnahan,  of  Champaign. 

A  son  of  Rev.  David  F.  and  Sarah  A. 
(Dobbin)  Carnahan,  he  is  of  Scotch-Irish 
and  French  extraction.  His  great-great- 
grandfather, David  Carnahan.  born  about 
1740,  came  to  America  from  Ireland  about 
1760.  and  settled  in  Pennsylvania,  in  which 
state  his  descendants  are  numerous  and 
prominent.  The  maternal  great-grand- 
father of  our  subject  was  Leonard  Dobbin, 
who  took  up  his  residence  in  this  country 
about  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury. He  was  a  lineal  descendant  of  a 
French-Huguenot  family  by  the  name  of  De 
Aubigne  (which  name  was  corrupted  to 
Dobbin  in  the  course  of  time)  who,  forced 
to  flee  from  the  religious  persecutions  on 
the  Continent,  located  in  the  northern  part 
of  Ireland,  and  there  became  the  proprietors 
of  valuable  landed  estates.  Leonard  Dob- 
bin first  went  to  Rhode  Island,  but  later 
settled  in  Auburn,  New  York,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  contracting  for  public  works.  His 
son,  William  L.,  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  reared  in  Auburn,  and  became  a 
successful  merchant  at  Madison,  Indiana, 
and,  subsequently,  at  Columbus,  Indiana. 

The  birth  of  Rev.  David  F.  Carnahan 
occurred  in  what  now  is  Montour  county, 
Pennsylvania,  September  16,  1825.  Ambi- 
tious and  of  much  more  than  ordinary  ability 


and  spirit,  he  determined  to  have  a  thor- 
ough college  education,  and  by  diligence 
and  arduous  effort  he  succeeded  in  his  un- 
dertaking, paying  his  own  way  by  intervals 
of  teaching.  He  was  graduated  with  the 
degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts  in  the  class  of 
'52,  in  Buckwell  University.  He  had  stud- 
ied theology  in  the  meantime,  and  had  been 
ordained  to  preach  a  few  years  previously. 
For  a  short  time  he  was  pastor  of  the 
Bridgeport  (Pennsylvania)  Baptist  church, 
after  which  he  served  the  Calvary  Baptist 
church  in  Philadelphia  several  years,  and 
the  Zanesville  (Ohio)  church.  While  a  res- 
ident of  the  last-named  city,  he  assisted  in 
organizing  the  Seventy-eighth  Ohio  Volun- 
teer Infantry,  and  was  elected  major  of  the 
regiment.  At  the  battle  of  Pittsburg  Land- 
ing, he  was  acting-colonel  of  his  regiment, 
and  for  some  time  was  a  member  of  the 
staff  of  General  Ross  under  General  Lew 
Wallace.  Returning  from  the  war  he  took 
up  his  ministerial  work  again  by  becoming 
pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  at  Dayton, 
Ohio.  He  married  there  a  teacher,  Miss 
Dobbin,  a  graduate  of  the  institution  now 
known  as  the  Granville  Female  College, 
and  two  of  their  children  survive,  David  H. 
now  being  an  instructor  of  French  at  the 
Chicago  University.  In  the  ensuing  years, 
Rev.  Mr.  Carnahan  labored  at  his  calling  in 
Burlington,  Iowa;  Appleton,  Wisconsin; 
Aurora,  Springfield,  Streator,  Dixon  and 
Urbana,  Illinois,  and  other  points,  and  was 
one  of  the  best-known  ministers  of  his  de- 
nomination in  the  Middle  West.  For  two 
years  he  was  state  superintendent  of  mis- 
sions in  Ohio,  and  later,  he  held  the  same 
office  in  Illinois.  In  1886  he  entered  heart 
and  soul  into  the  work  of  the  Children's 
Home  Society,  and  to  his  labors  to  a  great 
extent  is  due  the  present  thriving  condition 


2O6 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


of  that  noble  organization.  For  several 
years  prior  to  his  death,  which  event  took 
place  September  15,  1894,  he  dwelt  in 
Champaign,  and  here  his  widow  still  makes 
her  home. 

Franklin  G.  Carnahan  was  born  in 
Springfield,  Illinois,  January  8,  1872.  He 
was  graduated  in  the  class  of  '92  in  the 
University  of  Illinois,  the  degree  of  Bachelor 
of  Arts  being  conferred  upon  him.  Though 
only  twenty  at  the  time  of  his  graduation, 
he  had  already  won  brilliant  honors  and  had 
given  full  promise  of  future  successes.  He 
.  was  identified  with  the  Adelphic  Literary 
Society,  and  was  actively  associated  with  all 
of  the  progressive  departments  of  collegiate 
work.  During  the  three  years  following  his 
graduation,  he  was  employed  by  J.  B.  &.  W. 
B.  McGinleyand  the  Champaign  and  Urbana 
Waterworks  Company,  and  at  the  same 
time  spent  his  leisure  in  the  study  of  law, 
under  the  supervision  of  Gere  &  Philbrick, 
attorneys.  Having  been  admitted  to  the 
bar  of  this  county,  in  November,  1896,,  he 
established  an  office  and  practiced  alone  for 
almost  a  year.  On  the  ist  of  September, 
1897,  the  present  firm  of  Weaver  and  Car- 
nahan was  formed,  and  to-day  a  large 
amount  of  the  local  legal  business  of  this 
city  is  handled  by  these  gentlemen.  Mr. 
Carnahan  not  only  is  an  able  and  rising 
lawyer,  but  is  also  recognized  as  one  of 
Champaign's  -most  progressive  citizens. 
Politically,  he  uses  his  franchise  in  favor  of 
the  Republican  party,  and  in  May,  1898, 
he  was  honored  by  the  appointment  to  the 
office  of  city  clerk,  to  fill  the  unexpired  term 
of  C.  J.  Strahle,  deceased.  He  discharged 
his  duties  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  those 
concerned,  and  placed  himself  on  record  as 
an  efficient  and  conscientious  official.  Fra- 
ternally, he  is  a  member  of  the  Benevolent 


and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  religiouly, 
he  is  a  Baptist.  In  various  ways  he  has 
manifested  his  interest  in  local  enterprises, 
and  at  present  he  is  a  member  of  the  board 
of  directors  of  the  Twin  City  Saving  &  Loan 
Association,  besides  being  legal  adviser  for 
the  company. 


JOHN  W.  LAWDER,  a  well  known  and 
respected  citizen  of  Champaign,  is  a 
worthy  representative  of  .one  of  the  sterling 
old  families  of  the  United  States.  His  an- 
cestors resided  in  Berwickshire,  Scotland, 
and  some  of  the  family  are  yet  living  there. 
The  great-grandfather  of  our  subject  came 
to  America  during  the  war  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, and,  though  he  held  rank  as  an  officer 
in  His  Majesty's  army,  he  became  convinced 
that  the  colonists  were  in  the  right,  assisted, 
doubtless,  to  that  conclusion  by  the  fact  that 
he  bestowed  his  affections  upon  a  pretty 
daughter  of  an  American  patriot,  and  the  re- 
sult was  that  he  deserted  the  forces  of  the 
mother  country  and  married  the  young  lady. 
Unfortunately,  he  was  disowned  by  his  fam- 
ily in  England,  but  he  and  his  descendants 
have  faithfully  proved  their  loyalty  to  the 
United  States  ever  since. 

The  son  of  this  officer,  the  next  in  the 
line  of  descent  to  our  subject,  was  Dr.  James 
Lawder,  of  Germantown,  Ohio.  He  was 
known  far  and  wide  as  a  physician  of  un- 
usual skill,  and,  during  the  great  cholera 
epidemic  in  the  early  part  of  the  '503,  he 
fell  a  victim  to  the  scourge,  owing  to  the 
untiring  zeal  with  which  he  strove  to  save 
his  patients.  Riding  night  and  day,  over  a 
large  territory,  directing  his  son,  Orange  F. , 
to  meet  him  at  certain  cross-roads  with  a 
fresh  horse,  he  would  continue  his  journeys 
to  the  bedside  of  the  suffering,  and  though 


J.  W.  LA\VDER. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


209 


he  succeeded  in  saving  many  a  useful  life  to 
the  community,  his  own  ultimately  paid  the 
penalty  of  the  severe  taxation. 

The  parents  of  J.  W.  are  Orange  Fred- 
erick and  Emma  Elizabeth  (Pitt)  Lawder, 
natives  of  Montgomery  and  Scioto  counties, 
respectively.  The  father  enlisted  at  the 
outbreak  of  the  Civil  war,  in  the  Thirty-fifth 
Ohio  Infantry,  and  participated  in  the  dread- 
ful battle  of  Bull  Run.  Later,  he  fought  in 
the  celebrated  battles  of  Pittsburg  Landing, 
Lookout  Mountain,  and  many  others,  dur- 
ing the  long  years  of  his  devoted  service  on 
behalf  of  his  country.  When  peace  had 
been  restored  to  our  borders,  he  resumed 
the  quiet  avocations  of  life,  and  for  several 
years  was  associated  with  his  wife's  father, 
Mr.  Pitt,  in  rafting  lumber  to  Cincinnati, 
clearing  land  and  other  enterprises.  Though 
death  claimed  him  while  he  was  in  his  prime, 
Mr.  Pitt  had  already  accumulated  much  val- 
uable property  in  Scioto  county.  O.  F. 
Lawder  later  turned  his  attention  to  con- 
tracting for  lumber  used  in  building  enter- 
prises, in  Montgomery  county,  and  gave  em- 
ployment to  several  men  and  teams  for  many 
years.  He  now  lives  retired  in  Springboro, 
Ohio,  where  he  is  highly  esteemed.  Politi- 
cally, he  is  an  ardent  Republican,  and  an  en- 
thusiastic member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic.  Both  he  and  his  estimable  wife 
are  identified  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  and  are  actively  interested  in  all 
worthy  movements.  Of  their  four  children, 
the  two  elder  ones,  James  and  Mary  Eliza- 
beth, died  in  infancy,  and  William  Powers 
is  the  proprietor  of  a  flourishing  blacksmith 
shop  in  Springboro,  Ohio. 

The  birth  of  John  Walter  Lawder  took 
place  February  18,  1869,  and  his  education 
was  acquired  in  the  common  and  high 

schools    of   Middletown   and    Germantovvn. 
11 


Having  determined  what  his  occupation 
should  be,  he  entered  the  employ  of  James 
Ajax,  a  merchant  tailor  of  Middletown, 
where  he  served  an  apprenticeship  of  two 
years.  Later,  he  worked  at  his  trade  as  a 
journeyman  in  several  Ohio  towns,  and  in 
1890  came  to  Champaign.  He  did  not  long 
remain  here  at  that  time,  however,  but 
spent  a  year  or  more  in  the  south  and  south- 
west. The  attractions  of  this  beautiful  little 
city  proved  a  magnet  to  draw  him  back  again, 
and  we  next  find  him  employed  by  T.  Cos- 
tello  until  the  fall  of  1893,  when  he  em- 
barked in  business  on  his  own  account. 
From  1 897  until  the  spring  of  1 899  he  was  as- 
ssociated  in  partnership  with  Arthur  Burke, 
who  then  withdrew  in  order  to  accept  his 
present  position  as  cashier  of  the  Citizens 
Bank.  Mr.  Lawder  then  entered  into  part- 
nership with  Samuel  Weingarten,  who  sold 
out  his  interest  to  our  subject,  February  2, 
1900.  Mr.  Lawder,  who  enjoys  the  confi- 
dence and  patronage  of  many  of  the  repre- 
sentative citizens  here,  and  who  has  ever 
conducted  his  affairs  with  system  and  marked 
ability,  has  made  a  genuine  success  in  his 
business  career,  and  merits  the  respect  which 
he  is  freely  accorded.  On  the  ist  of  May, 
1900,  he  moved  into  new  quarters,  more 
commodious  and  better  suited  to  the  high 
class  of  trade  which  he  enjoys.  The  new 
establishment  is  in  the  Walker  Opera 
House  Block,  a  central  situation.  He  em- 
ploys a  number  of  expert  workmen,  and 
strives  to  give  thorough  satisfaction  to  his 
patrons. 

In  his  political  standing,  Mr.  Lawder  is 
a  Republican,  and,  fraternally,  he  is  a 
Knight  of  Pythias,  belonging  to  Valient 
Lodge,  No.  130,  and  in  the  Benevolent 
Protective  Order  of  Elks  he  is  identified 
with  Champaign  Lodge,  No.  398. 


2IO 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


On  the  1 3th  of  May,  1895,  Mr.  Lawder 
married  Miss  Nettie  Parker,  a  native  of  this 
city,  and  daughter  of  George  Parker,  for- 
merly a  member  of  the  faculty  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Illinois,  bnt  now  living  retired. 
Mrs.  Nettie  Lawder  departed  this  life  in 
1896,  and  was  placed  to  rest  in  the  quiet 
cemetery  here.  The  marriage  of  Mr.  Law- 
der and  Caroline  Snyder  occurred  January 
26,  1898,  and  they  have  an  infant  son,  John 
Francis,  born  October  28,  1899.  Mrs. 
Lawder  is  a  daughter  of  Frank  Snyder,  of 
Urbana,  who  was  for  years  engaged  in  the 
newspaper  business  in  that  city,  and  at  pres- 
ent is  retired  from  active  labors. 


K.  SHEFFER,  a  well-known 
V_J  contractor  and  builder  of  Champaign, 
who  is  now  serving  his  second  term  as  town- 
ship clerk,  was  born  in  Williamsport,  War- 
ren county,  Indiana,  May  30,  1840,  a  son 
of  Nicholas  and  Matilda  (Davis)  Sheffer. 
The  father  was  born  in  Westmoreland 
county,  Pennsylvania,  of  old  Pennsylvania 
Dutch  stock,  "and  in  early  life  went  to  In- 
dianapolis, Indiana,  where  he  was  married 
about  1822,  his  being  the  first  marriage 
license  issued  after  the  county  was  organ- 
ized. Later  he  removed  to  Williamsport, 
becoming  one  of  the  pioneers  and  farmers  of 
that  locality.  He  was  also  one  of  the  prom- 
inent and  leading  citizens  of  Warren  county, 
took  an  active  part  in  local  politics,  and 
served  as  sheriff  of  the  county  for  two  terms. 
He  cast  his  ballot  with  the  Whig  party. 
He  was  born  in  1797  and  died  in  1852. 
The  wife  and  mother,  who  was  born  in  Ken- 
tucky, died  in  Danville,  Illinois,  July  5, 
1884.  In  their  family  were  six  children  who 
reached  years  of  maturity:  O.  H.  P.,  now 


a  resident  of  Colorado;  Vance,  of  Oregon; 
Frank,  of  California;  Mrs.  Cynthia  Benge, 
of  Oregon;  William,  of  Danville,  Illinois; 
George  K.,  our  subject;  Jacob,  now  county 
treasurer  of  Warren  county,  Indiana,  and  a 
resident  of  Williamsport. 

George  H.  Sheffer  is  indebted  to  the 
schools  of  Williamsport  for  his  literary  edu- 
cation. He  was  one  of  the  boys  in  blue 
during  the  Civil  war,  enlisting  September 
12,  1 86 r,  in  Company  K,  Thirty-third  In- 
diana Volunteer  Infantry,  which  was  as- 
signed to  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland.  He 
participated  in  all  of  the  engagements  in 
which  his  regiment  took  part  up  to  the  bat- 
tle of  Peach  Tree  Creek,  before  Atlanta, 
when  he  was  seriously  wounded.  Later  he 
re-enlisted  and  his  regiment  was  kept  intact 
through  all  the  battles  of  his  department. 
After  four  years  of  arduous  and  faithful 
service,  he  was  honorably  discharged  in 
1865. 

While  home  on  a  furlough  Mr.  Sheffer 
was  married,  April  17,  1864,  to  Miss  Martha 
Walker,  of  West  Lebanon,  and  they  have 
a  family  of  eight  children:  Jennie  C.,  Ina 
M.,  Minnie,  Ruth,  Roscoe,  Mabel,  George 
and  Myra.  Minnie  is  now  the  wife  of  Harry 
Eastman,  of  Champaign,  and  they  have  two 
children,  Herbert  and  Martha. 

After  the  war,  Mr.  Sheffer  returned  to 
Williamsport,  Indiana,  but  soon  removed  to 
Danville,  Illinois,  where  he  learned  the  car- 
penter's trade  and  afterward  worked  as  a 
journeyman  and  still  later  as  a  contractor 
and  builder,  erecting  many  residences  in 
that  city.  In  1886  he  came  to  Champaign, 
and  here  he  has  built  up  a  good  business  as 
a  contractor  and  builder. 

As  a  Republican,  Mr.  Sheffer  has  taken 
an  active  part  in  political  affairs,  and  he  has 
twice  been  elected  township  clerk,  which 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


211 


office  he  is  now  so  creditably  filling.  He  is 
also  a  member  of  the  township  board  of 
health.  He  is  a  prominent  and  influential 
member  of  Colonel  Nodine  Post,  No.  140, 
G.  A.  R.,  of  which  he  was  commander  in 
1899;  has  represented  his  post  at  the  en- 
campment at  Rockford;  and  has  always 
taken  an  active  part  in  Grand  Army  affairs. 


HARNESS  RENICK  BUCKLES,  prob- 
ably one  of  the  best  known  citizens  of 
Champaign,  is  now  living  a  retired  life  at  his 
pleasant  home,  No.  603  South  Randolph 
street.  For  many  years  he  was  actively 
identified  with  the  business  interests  of  the 
city,  but  has  now  laid  aside  all  business 
cares,  and  expects  to  spend  the  remainder 
of  his  life  in  ease  and  quiet,  enjoying  the 
fruits  of  former  toil. 

Mr.  Buckles  was  born  in  Darbyville, 
Pickaway  county,  Ohio,  August  29,  1844, 
and  is  a  son  of  Rev.  Abraham  and  Sarah 
(King)  Buckles,  natives  of  Rockbridge 
county,  Virginia.  His  paternal  grandfather 
was  William  Buckles,  who  was  a  member 
of  the  first  general  assembly  of  the  Ohio 
Legislature  when  that  august  body  met  in  a 
log  cabin.  During  his  youth  the  father  of 
our  subject  learned  the  tailor's  trade,  but 
the  greater  part  of  his  life  was  devoted  to  the 
work  of  the  ministry,  joining  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  conference  of  Ohio  at  an  early 
age.  For  several  years  he  rode  a  circuit, 
but  later  was  the  regular  pastor  of  the 
churches  at  Darbyville,  Mt.  Sterling,  Bloom- 
field,  Genoa,  Five  Points,  Harrisburg,  and 
other  places  in  central  Ohio,  throughout 
which  section  of  the  state  he  was  widely 
known  as  a  man  of  sterling  character  and 
worth.  He  never  had  any  ambition  to  fill 
office,  but  always  discharged  any  duty  that 


devolved  upon  him.  He  favored  the  vig- 
orous prosecution  of  the  war  and  sent  his 
only  son  to  fight  for  theold  flag  and  the  cause 
it  represented.  He  died  in  March,  1880,  aged 
seventy-five  years,  and  his  wife  departed 
this  life  in  March,  1881,  aged  seventy-five 
years,  both  dying  of  pneumonia.  She, 
too,  was  an  active  and  faithful  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
and  her  house  was  always  crowded  with 
visitors  during  its  meetings.  This  worthy 
couple  left  a  lasting  influence  for  good  in  the 
communities  where  they  resided,  and  their 
memory  will  long  be  cherished  by  their 
many  friends.  They  were  tireless,  resource- 
ful and  aggressive  workers  for  the  cause, 
which  was  sacred  to  their  hearts.  Of  the 
twelve  children  born  to  them,  five  died 
in  early  life  before  the  birth  of  our  subject. 
The  others  are  Amanda,  widow  of  John 
Renick  and  a  resident  of  Circleville,  Ohio; 
Minerva,  who  married  Dr.  R.  H.  Tipton,  of 
Darbyville,  Ohio, and  both  are  nowdeceased; 
Anna,  widow  of  \V.  H.  H.  Moore,  of  Dar- 
byville; Harness  Renick,  our  subject;  Vir- 
ginia, who  married  Marcus  Baer,  of  Circle- 
ville, Ohio,  and  died  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
eight  years;  Roaltha  E.,  who  was  the  sec- 
ond wife  of  Marcus  Baer  and  died  at  the 
age  of  twenty-four  years;  and  Miles  C.,  who 
died  in  early  childhood. 

Mr.  Buckles,  whose  name  introduces 
this  review,  was  reared  in  the  village  of 
Darbyville,  and  his  education  was  princi- 
pally obtained  in  the  schools  of  that  place. 
In  early  life  he  successfully  engaged  in 
school  teaching  for  several  terms.  On  the 
1 9th  of  July,  1862,  at  the  age  of  eighteen 
years,  he  enlisted  in  Company  A,  Forty- 
fifth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry  under  Colonel 
Benjamin  P.  Runkle,  of  West  Liberty, 
Ohio.  His  first  engagement  was  at  Dutton 


212 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Hill,  Kentucky,  and  was  followed  by  an  en- 
gagement at  Rocky  Gap,  near  Mills  Creek 
Ferry,  where  he  was  wounded  in  the  head, 
being  knocked  senseless.  While  off  duty 
for  a  short  time,  he  went  with  prisoners  to. 
Lexington,  Kentucky,  and  at  that  time  the 
doctor  probed  for  the  ball,  which  still  re- 
mained in  his  head  and  gave  him  much  an- 
noyance. Although  at  this  time  it  was  suc- 
cessfully removed,  he  still  suffers  from  the 
effects  of  the  wound.  He  participated  in 
the  siege  of  Knoxville,  the  Atlanta  cam- 
paign, and  the  battles  of  Franklin,  Nash- 
ville, and  Resaca,  where  Captain  Elias 
Scott  was  literally  shot  to  pieces.  He  was 
in  thirteen  battles,  besides  many  skirmishes. 
During  the  siege  of  Knoxville  the  regiment 
to  which  he  belonged  was  shut  in  by  Long- 
street  for  twenty-one  days,  but  was  finally 
relieved  by  General  Sherman.  Mr.  Buckles' 
last  battle  was  at  Nashville  under  "Pap" 
Thomas.  At  the  close  of  the  war,  when 
his  services  were  no  longer  needed,  he  was 
honorably  discharged  June  19,  1865,  and 
mustered  out  at  Nashville,  Tennessee. 

Returning  home,  Mr.  Buckles  rested  un- 
til winter  and  then  attended  a  commercial 
college  in  Columbus,  Ohio,  from  which  he 
was  graduated  in  the  spring  of  1866.  He 
then  rented  a  farm  in  Jackson  township, 
Pickaway  county,  Ohio,  which  he  operated 
in  connection  with  school  teaching  for  one 
year,  but  continued  to  follow  the  latter  pur- 
suit until  coming  west  in  1870.  After  a 
short  time  spent  in  Monticello,  Piatt  county, 
Illinois,  he  came  to  Champaign  in  May, 
1870,  and  joined  a  civil  engineering  corps 
building  a  new  railroad  from  that  city  to 
Decatur,  under  George  Finney,  chief  en- 
gineer. Mr.  Buckles  next  opened  a  plumb- 
ing and  gas  fitting  establishment  in  Cham- 
paign, and  successfully  engaged  in  business 


along  that   line   until   his  retirement    from 
business  in  1890. 

On  the  4th  of  August,  1870,  in  Monti- 
cello,  Illinois,  Mr.  Buckles  married  Miss 
Mary  Hull,  who  was  born  in  Piatt  county, 
February  1 5,  1846.  Her  father,  Dr.  Peter 
Kinkead  Hull,  was  born  in  Highlandcounty, 
Virginia,  August  10,  1811,  and  was  married 
March  31,  1839,  to  Mary  Huston,  who  was 
born  near  Adelphi,  Ross  county,  Ohio, 
March  13,  1819,  a  daughter  of  Hugh  and 
Rachel  Huston.  The  Doctor  graduated 
from  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  with 
the  degree  of  M.  D.,  and  first  located  in 
Circleville,  Ohio,  being  one  of  the  first  phy- 
sicisns  in  that  section  of  the  state.  In  1841 
he  moved  to  Monticello,  Piatt  county,  Illi- 
nois, but  after  the  death  of  his  wife,  which 
occurred  March  14,  1849,  he  returned  to 
Circleville,  where  he  engaged  in  practice 
some  years,  being  particularly  successful 
during  the  cholera  epidemic  in  1852-3.  In 
1858  we  again  find  him  a  resident  of  Monti- 
cello,  Illinois,  near  which  place  he  bought 
fifteen  hundred  acres  of  land.  He  made 
his  home  in  the  city,  however,  and  engaged 
in  practice  there  until  called  from  this  life, 
November  20,  1859.  He  was  regarded  as 
an  oracle  on  all  matters  pertaining  to  his 
profession,  and  was  in  everything  well  quali- 
fied to  be  a  successful  physician.  He  was 
not  only  a  thorough  student  of  his  profession, 
but  was  of  a  sympathetic,  kindly  disposition, 
and  seemed  to  bring  a  ray  of  sunshine  into 
the  sick  room  with  him.  He  stood  de- 
servedly highamong  his  professional  brethren, 
and  wherever  known  was  held  in  high  regard. 
He  was  an  ardent  lover  of  nature  and  out- 
door sports,  which  probably  contributed  no 
little  to  his  generosity  of  heart.  He  was  al- 
ways a  willing  listener  to  tales  of  distress, 
and  gave  liberally  to  those  in  need.  Those 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


213 


who  knew  him  best  speak  in  unqualified 
terms  of  his  ability  in  his  chosen  field  of 
labor  and  his  friendship  for  all  mankind. 
He  was  a  charter  member  of  the  Masonic 
Lodge  of  Monticello  and  was  serving  as 
worthy  master  at  the  time  of  his  death.  In 
his  family  were  four  children:  Renick  Hus- 
ton, a  farmer  by  occupation,  was  born  March 
15.  1840,  and  died  January  15,  1866,  being 
frozen  to  death  in  a  blizzard.  He  married 
Rebecca  Williams  and  died  leaving  one  child, 
Mary,  now  the  wife  of  Edward  Gimble,  of 
the  .state  of  Washington.  Rachel  Estella, 
the  second  child  of  Dr.  Hull,  is  the  wife  of 
J.  F.  Williams,  of  Fort  Worth,  Texas.  Mrs. 
Buckles  is  next  in  order  of  birth.  Hugh, 
the  youngest,  died  in  infancy. 

After  her  mother's  death,  Mrs.  Buckles 
went  to  Circleville,  Ohio,  and  remained 
there  until  her  father  was  also  called  away 
in  1859,  when  she  went  to  Virginia  to  make 
her  home  with  her  uncle,  Colonel  G.  W. 
Hull,  a  wealthy  planter,  who  was  a  delegate 
to  the  convention  in  Richmond,  in  April, 
1 86 1,  when  the  secession  of  Virginia  was 
decided  upon.  She  attended  school  in 
Staunton,  that  state,  until  after  the  battle  at 
McDowell,  where  her  uncle  lived.  On  the 
approach  of  the  Federal  troops,  he  was 
taken,  in  a  dying  condition,  to  the  home  of 
his  father-in-law,  Colonel  Swoope,  near 
Staunton,  while  the  uncle's  handsome  brick 
residence  was  used  by  the  LJnion  army  as  a 
hospital  after  the  battle.  Being  unable  to 
hear  from  the  north  Mrs.  Buckles  and  her 
sisters  took  advantage  of  the  return  of  some 
fugitive  rebel  sympathizers  to  take  passage 
in  the  wagon  that  carried  them  to  Highland 
county,  Virginia,  and  accompanied  by  a  Miss 
Wheat,  a  maiden  lady,  whose  home  was  in 
Washington,  D.  C.,  started  for  Parkersburg. 
They  traveled  one  hundred  and  twelve  miles 


through  mountain  forests,  being  stopped 
many  times  by  pickets  and  compelled  to 
show  their  passports  to  General  Averil  at 
Beverly.  They  also  had  to  take  the  oath 
of  allegiance  to  the  Federal  government. 
They  passed  through  many  places  made 
famous  in  history,  especially  in  the  Alle- 
ghany  mountains  where  battles  were  fought, 
including  Cheat  Mountain  and  Laurel  Hill. 
They  finally  reached  Circleville,  Ohio,  in 
safety,  with  very  depleted  pocket  books.  The 
Confederate  money  which  they  carried  with 
them  had  depreciated  in  value  to  such  an 
extent  that  in  Circleville  it  was  only  good  to 
look  at.  Mrs.  Buckles  was  graduated  from 
the  schools  of  that  city,  and  for  several 
terms  successfully  engaged  in  teaching  in 
Pickaway  county.  In  1869  she  returned  to 
Monticello,  Illinois,  where  she  was  married 
the  following  year  as  previously  stated,  and 
came  the  same  day  to  Champaign,  where 
she  has  since  made  her  home. 

Three  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Buckles,  namely:  Lettie  A.,  born 
February  20,  1872,  was  married,  February 
20,  1892,  to  J.  Frank  Wilson,  of  Cham- 
paign, and  died  February  14,  1896.  She 
was  a  consistent  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  and  had  many  friends  in 
thi's  community.  William  Piatt  is  an  engin- 
eer on  the  Illinois  Central  railroad,  residing 
at  home  with  his  parents,  and  Edgar  Hull  is 
a  druggist  of  Champaign,  also  at  home.  The 
parents  are  both  active  members  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church,  and  Mr.  Buckles  is  a 
charter  member  of  Colonel  Nodine  Post,  of 
Champaign.  In  politics  he  is  an  ardent  Re- 
publican. 

JOHN  A.  VOSS.     America  boasts  no  bet- 
ter or  more  loyal  citizens  than  many  of 
the  sons  of  Germany  who  have  cast  in  their 


214 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


lot  with  us,  supporting  our  institutions  and 
laws,  and  seeking  to  promote  the  prosperity 
of  the  republic  in  every  ma.nner.  Among 
the  thousands  of  the  German-American  cit- 
izens who  have  been  prominently  associated 
with  the  upbuilding  of  the  great  state  of 
Illinois,  John  A.  Voss,  of  Champaign,  de- 
serves special  mention,  and  his  history  must 
prove  an  inspiration  to  every  young  man 
ambitious  of  success. 

Born  in  Mecklenburg,  January  10,  1855, 
he  is  a  son  of  Fritz  and  Sophia  Voss.  After 
completing  his  education  in  the  common 
schools,  he  commenced  learning  the  busi- 
ness of  manufacturing  tile,  at  which  his 
father  was  skilled.  Continuing  to  work 
under  his  senior's  supervision  until  March 
29»  !873,  he  then  sailed  for  the  United 
States  and  reached  Boston  April  12.  He 
then  proceeded  to  New  York  and  Chicago, 
and  found  employment,  while  he  industri- 
ously strove  to  obtain  a  working  knowledge 
of  the  English  language.  In  the  autumn 
he  came  to  Champaign  county,  where,  for 
three  years,  he  worked  for  farmers.  At  last 
he  entered  into  partnership  with  Joseph  Neil 
and  began  manufacturing  tile,  at  Farmer 
City.  He  burned  the  first  lot  of  tile  ever 
made  in  DeWitt  and  Piatt  counties,  and 
only  had  a  horse-power  engine.  At  the  end 
of  a  year  he  sold  out  and  went  to  Mahomet, 
where  he  was  superintendent  for  James 
Dunning  for  two  years  in  his  factory,  at  the 
end  of  which  time  he  entered  into  partner- 
ship with  Capt.  A.  O.  Howell,  of  Urbana, 
and  carried  on  a  tile  factory  there  for  two 
years.  He  then  went  toThomasboro,  where 
he  erected  a  large,  well  equipped  plant,  with 
steam  heat  and  power,  and  a  side  track 
connection  with  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road. Employment  was  afforded  to  about 
a  dozen  men.  and  the  business  gradually  in- 


creased until  it  was  the  leading  industry  of 
the  place.  Mr.  Voss  paid  out  more  money 
in  wages  than  any  one  in  the  town,  and,  in 
addition  to  erecting  five  residences,  aided 
materially  in  the  building  of  three  churches, 
and  was  recognized  as  one  of  the  represent- 
ative citizens  of  the  town.  Later,  he  in- 
vested in  a  farm  of  four  hundred  acres,  two 
hundred  and  eighty  acres  in  Rantoul  town- 
ship, and  the  remainder  in  Somers  town- 
ship, paying  therefor  fifty  dollars  an  acre, 
besides  a  large  ditch  tax.  He  improved 
this  property,  and  Jived  in  Thomasboro 
until  November,  1893,  in  the  meantime 
building  a  beautiful  home  at  No.  405  South 
State  street.  This  residence  is  supplied 
with  hot  water  heat  and  is  modern  and  de- 
sirable in  every  respect.  For  a  number  of 
years  he  served  as  a  school  director,  and 
for  three  or  four  years  was  president  of  the 
board.  During  that  period  he  warmly 
championed  the  erection  of  a  new  school 
building,  and  was  a  member  of  the  com- 
mittee which  had  in  charge  the  building  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  This  fact 
shows  his  broad  and  liberal  views  and  speaks 
volumes  for  one  who  is  not  narrowly  sec- 
tarian, but  in  thorough  sympathy  with  every 
movement  which  he  believes  will  elevate 
the  people  and  make  them  happier  and  bet- 
ter citizens. 

When  Mr.  Voss  came  to  America,  he 
was  in  debt  about  one  hundred  dollars,  had 
no  knowledge  of  the  language  of  our  people, 
and  yet,  in  spite  of  everything,  he  suc- 
ceeded by  the  exercise  of  the  native  talents 
with  which  he  had  been  happily  endowed. 
In  his  struggles  to  gain  a  livelihood  he  has 
found  a  faithful  helpmate  in  his  wife,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Lena  Lingreen.  They 
were  married  February  24,  1882,  in  Cham- 
paign. They  have  six  living  children: 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


215 


Sophia,  Minnie,  Matilda,  George,  Bessie 
and  Anna,  to  all  of  whom  they  have  given 
good  educational  advantages.  Mr.  Voss  is 
a  gentleman  of  wide  information,  and  much 
of  his  time  is  spent  in  his  library,  where  he 
has  gathered  a  valuable  collection  of  books. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  order  of  Elks,  and, 
with  his  family,  is  identified  with  the  Luth- 
eran church  of  Champaign,  which  he  as- 
sisted in  building  and  liberally  supports. 


WILLIAM  DODSON,  who  is  spending 
the  closing  years  of  a  long  and  useful 
life  free  from  business  cares  at  his  pleasant 
home  at  No.  406  North  State  street,  Cham- 
paign, was  for  nearly  thirty  years  one  of  the 
leading  business  men  of  that  city,  his  time 
and  attention  being  devoted  to  the  grocery 
trade. 

Mr.  Dodson  was  born  in  Dayton,  Ohio, 
July  8,  1819,  a  son  of  William  and  Margaret 
(Wikel)  Dodson,  who  were  born,  reared  and 
married  in  Virginia,  and  in  1800  moved  to 
Ohio,  locating  in  Montgomery  county  about 
eight  miles  from  Dayton,  where  the  father 
engaged  in  farming.  In  early  life  he  had 
learned  the  blacksmith's  trade  and  also  fol- 
lowed teaming  in  his  native  state.  In  pol- 
itics he  was  a  stalwart  Democrat.  He  lived 
to  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-two  years  and 
had  the  use  of  all  his  faculties  to  the  last. 
His  wife  had  passed  away  some  years  be- 
fore, dying  in  1875.  They  were  pioneers  of 
Montgomery  county,  Ohio,  and  were  well 
and  favorably  known.  In  their  family  were 
seven  children,  namely:  Albert,  a  farmer, 
who  died  in  De  Witt  county,  Illinois;  John, 
who  lives  near  Urbana,  where  he  owns  a 
splendid  farm  of  two  hundred  acres;  Eliza- 
beth, who  married  Wilson  Collins,  of  Tip- 


pecanoe  county,  Indiana,  and  died  in  1897, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years;  William,  our 
subject;  Rebecca,  who  married  George 
Bowsher,  and  located  near  Lafayette,  In- 
diana, where  she  died  in  1899,  when  over 
fifty  years  of  age;  Jacob,  a  farmer  of  Kan- 
sas; and  Levi,  a  commission  merchant  of 
Iowa. 

Upon  the  home  farm  in  Ohio.  William 
Dodson  grew  to  manhood.  In  1835  he  be- 
came one  of  the  pioneers  of  Tippecanoe 
county,  Indiana,  and  owned  and  operated 
eighty  acres  of  land  on  Wild  Cat  Prairie, 
where  he  made  his  home  until  coming  to 
Champaign,  Illinois,  in  1864.  Here  he 
successfully  engaged  in  the  grocery  business 
until  1893,  when  he  retired,  having  acquired 
a  comfortable  competence  through  well- 
directed  labor,  perseverance  and  good  man- 
agement. He  owns  Considerable  property 
in  Champaign  and  has  done  much  to  ad- 
vance the  interests  of  the  city,  so  that  he  is 
now  numbered  among  its  useful  and  valued 
citizens,  as  well  as  one  of  the  honored  and 
highly  respected  men  of  the  community. 

Mr.  Dodson  has  been  twice  married,  his 
first  wife  being  Miss  Hannah  Young,  a  native 
of  Tippecanoe  county,  Indiana,  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  William  Young.  She  was  a  member 
of  the  Universalist  church,  and  a  most  esti- 
mable lady.  She  died  in  1859,  at  about 
the  age  of  forty  years,  and,  all  of  the  four 
children  born  to  them  are  deceased.  Joseph 
died  at  the  age  of  eleven  years;  John,  at  five 
years;  Elnora,  at  three  years;  and  one  in 
infancy. 

On  the  1 5th  of  December,  1866,  Mr. 
Dodson  married  Miss  Sophia  Kingsberry, 
who  was  born  in  New  York  State,  April  30, 
1834.  Her  parents,  Benjamin  and  Joanna 
(Jennings)  Kingsberry,  were  born,  reared 
and  married  in  Cherry  Valley,  New  York, 


2l6 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


and  in  1828  moved  to  Allegany  county,  that 
state,  where  they  continued  to  make  their 
home  throughout  life.  Throughout  his 
active  business  life  the  father  followed  the 
occupation  of  a  carpenter.  He  served  as  a 
private  in  the  Mexican  war,  and  in  compen- 
sation for  his  services  received  a  land  war- 
rant from  the  government.  He  died  at  the 
age  of  seventy-five  years,  and  his  wife,  who 
survived  him  for  some  time,  passed  away  at 
about  the  same  age.  They  had  nine  chil- 
dren: William,  a  carpenter,  who  died  in 
the  east;  Delia;  David,  also  a  carpenter; 
Hannah,  who  first  married  Thomas  Burns 
and  lived  in  Wisconsin,  but  is  now  the  wife 
of  a  Mr.  Goodenough,  of  Oklahoma;  Ben- 
jamin, a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war  and  a  car- 
penter of  New  York;  Alvin,  also  a  resident 
of  New  York  state;  Edward,  who  served  all 
through  the  war 'of  the  Rebellion  and  is  now 
deceased;  Julia,  widow  of  Wesley  Sayers, 
and  a  resident  of  New  York;  and  Sophia, 
wife  of  our  subject.  She  came  to  Cham- 
paign in  1860.  She  is  an  earnest  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


WILLIAM  MIEBACH,  a  member  of  the 
well-known  firm  of  Miebach  Broth- 
ers, prominent  hardware  dealers  of  Cham- 
paign, is  a  native  of  La  Salle  county,  Illi- 
nois, born  near  Lostant,  February  i,  1866. 
His  father,  William  Miebach,  Sr. ,  was  born 
in  Germany,  and  on  his  emigration  to  this 
country  located  in  La  Salle  county,  where 
he  engaged  in  farming  until  coming  to  this 
county  in  1874.  After  spending  one  year  at 
Tolono,  he  removed  to  Sadorus,  and  became 
one  of  the  most  extensive  and  prominent 
farmers  of  that  locality,  owning  about  six 


hundred  acres  of  land.  In  1886  he  estab- 
lished a  bottling  works  in  Champaign,  and 
did  a  large  and  prosperous  business,  being 
agent  for  the  Schlitz  Brewing  Company,  of 
Milwaukee,  in  both  Champaign  and  Urbana. 
Here  he  spent  the  last  days  of  his  life,  dy- 
ing in  1892. 

Our  subject  was  reared  on  the  home 
farm  and  obtained  his  literary  education  in 
the  common  schools  of  Sadorus.  In  1886 
he  accompanied  the  family  on  their  removal 
to  Champaign,  and  as  manager  had  charge 
of  the  bottling  works  started  by  his  father. 
Forming  a  partnership  with  two  of  his  broth- 
ers under  the  firm  name  of  Miebach  Broth- 
ers, they  succeeded  to  the  business  and  suc- 
cessfully carried  it  on  until  1893,  when  they 
sold  out  and  embarked  in  the  hardware 
trade  at  the  corner  of  University  avenue  and 
First  street.  Later  they  erected  the  large 
business  block  which  they  now  occupy,  it 
being  forty-four  feet  front  on  University 
avenue.  The  firm  use  all  of  the  basement 
and  the  ground  floor,  while  the  large  hall 
above  is  used  for  dancing  and  similar  pur- 
poses. They  carry  a  large  and  well  selected 
stock  of  stoves,  shelf  and  heavy  hardware, 
and  do  the  most  extensive  business  in  their 
line  in  the  county. 

In  1893,  Mr.  Miebach  married  Miss 
Elizabeth  Brown,  of  Champaign,  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  Brown,  and  to  them  have  been 
born  four  children,  namely:  Marion,  Will- 
iam, Catherine  and  Joseph.  The  parents 
are  members  of  St.  Mary's  Catholic  church, 
and  have  a  nice  home  in  East  Park.  As  a 
Republican,  Mr.  Miebach  takes  quite  an  act- 
ive and  prominent  part  in  local  politics,  and 
was  elected  alderman  from  the  first  ward, 
assuming  the  duties  of  that  office  in  January, 
1897,  and  serving  for  two  years.  In  busi- 
ness affairs  he  is  energetic,  prompt  and 


WILLIAM  MTEBACH. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


219 


notably  reliable  and  commands  the  confi- 
dence and  respect  of  all  with  whom  he 
comes  in  contact. 


REV.  EDGAR  C.  STARK,  for  some 
three  years  pastor  of  the  Church  of 
Christ,  of  Champaign,  has  been  actively  en- 
gaged in  ministerial  labors  for  twenty-six 
years,  and  has  been  greatly  blessed  and 
prospered  in  his  earnest  undertakings.  Pos- 
sessing a  good  education,  a  pleasing  address, 
and  heartfelt  interest  in  his  noble  calling, 
he  has  the  power  of  winning  people's  atten- 
tion and  co-operation,  and  frequently  is  the 
means  of  bringing  them  into  active  associa- 
tion with  Christian  work. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  William 
and  Mary  (McManus)  Stark;  the  former  was 
a  native  of  Botetourt  county,  Virginia,  and 
the  latter,  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  The  father, 
who  was  the  son  of  Thomas  Stark,  was 
reared  upon  a  farm  in  his  native  county, 
and  in  his  early  manhood  went  to  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  where  he  mastered  the  trade  of  a 
shoemaker,  and  was  thus  employed  for  a 
few  years.  He  married  a  lady  of  that  city, 
the  daughter  of  John  McManus,  formerly  of 
Philadelphia.  Later,  he  went  to  New 
Harmony,  and  thence  to  Carmi,  Illinois, 
where  he  dwelt  for  a  score  of  years,  giving 
his  time  to  his  former  calling,  then  more 
profitable  than  it  is  to-day.  In  the  mean- 
time, he  bought  government  land  in  the 
northern  part  of  White  county,  and  resided 
there  a  portion  of  each  year.  The  wife  and 
mother  died  in  1858,  leaving  four  children, 
and  the  father  now  makes  his  home  in  St. 
Louis.  He  sold  his  farm  during  the  Civil 
war,  but  retained  his  home  in  Carmi  for 
several  years. 


The  birth  of  Rev.  E.  C.  Stark  took  place 
in  New  Harmony,  Indiana,  January  30, 
1853.  His  elementary  education  was  gained 
in  the  common-schools  of  White  county, 
and  when  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age,  he 
obtained  a  certificate,  and  taught  school  for 
the  ensuing  thirteen  years,  in  Edwards 
county.  During  this  period  he  diligently 
devoted  much  of  his  leisure  time  to  studies 
and  research  along  the  lines  of  what  he  long 
believed  to  be  his  life-work — the  preaching 
of  the  gospel.  Indeed,  he  was  not  more 
than  twenty  years  old  when  he  delivered  his 
first  sermon,  and  from  that  time  on  he  oc- 
cupied the  pulpit  of  churches  on  numerous 
occasions.  When  he  was  in  his  thirty-sec- 
ond year,  he  became  district  evangelist  in 
the  New  River  district,  in  south  western 
Virginia,  and  during  the  four  years  of  his 
residence  there  he  lived  upon  a  farm 
which  he  bought  in  Montgomery  county, 
that  state.  His  chief  labors  were  along  the 
line  of  restoring  churches  and  infusing  new 
life  and  activity  into  congregations  which 
were  faint-hearted  and  failing,  and  in  this 
he  was  unusually  successful. 

In  1889,  Mr.  Stark  accepted  a  call  to 
the  Christian  church  at  Fisher,  Champaign 
county,  and  there  he  remained  until  the 
fall  of  1892.  The  membership  of  the  church 
was  increased,  and  the  prospects  for  its  fu- 
ture were  very  encouraging  when  he  re- 
signed the  pastorate.  His  next  charge  was 
at  Farmer  City,  where  he  continued  to 
preach  the  Word  until  February,  1 896, 
when  he  went  to  Delavan,  Illinois.  On 
New  Year's  Eve,  1896.  he  commenced  his 
work  in  Champaign,  which  has  been  mainly 
that  of  restoration.  Through  his  efforts, 
and  stimulated  by  his  zeal,  every  depart- 
ment of  the  church  organization  has  been 
revived  and  the  financial  condition  at  the 


22O 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


same  time  has  been  improved  to  a  gratify- 
ing degree.  Recently,  the  official  board  of 
the  church  passed  resolutions  testifying  to 
the  regard  in  which  their  pastor  is  held,  and 
showing  due  appreciation  for  hisdisinterested 
labors  of  love  here.  Fraternally,  he  is  con- 
nected with  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  Amer- 
ica, and  is  in  thorough  sympathy  with  the 
great  mass  of  workingmen  everywhere. 
Personally,  he  is  justly  popular  with  young 
and  old,  and  exercises  a  marked  influence 
for  good  upon  all  who  know  him. 

Upon  the  nth  of  August,  1872,  Mr. 
Stark  married  Mary  L.  Whyde,  daughter  of 
Nicholas  and  Margaret  (Starner)  Whyde, 
both  natives  of  Ohio.  The  father  of  Nicholas 
was  Henry  Whyde,  of  England,  where  many 
of  his  family  spell  the  name  Wide.  Mrs. 
Stark  was  born  in  Wabash  county,  Illinois, 
and  later  she  removed  with  her  parents  to 
Edwards  county,  where  she  formed  the  ac- 
cjuaintance  of  her  future  husband.  They 
have- six  children,  of  whom  Claude  at  pres- 
ent is  principal  of  the  schools  at  Foosland, 
Illinois.  He  has  been  a  student  in  the 
University  and  is  preparing  himself  for  yet 
higher  things.  Annetta  is  the  wife  of  Prof. 
William  E.  Knott,  principal  of  the  Gifford 
(Illinois)  schools,  and  they  have  one  child, 
Marjory.  Amy  E.  is  successfully  engaged 
in  teaching  in  Champaign  county,  and 
Blanche,  Ralph  and  Carl  C.  are  at  home. 
The  family  reside  in  a  pleasant  home  at  No. 
407  East  Stoughton  street,  which  was  built 
by  our  subject  in  1899. 


FRANC  H.   LANGE.     While  the  saying 
of  the  poet,  that  "all  things   come  to 
him  that  waits,"  may  not  be  fulfilled  in  nu- 
merous instances,    it   is  reasonably  certain 


that  some  degree  of  success  will  come, 
sooner  or  later,  to  him  who  works  and 
waits.  Thus  it  has  been  in  the  case  of  the 
subject  of  this  article,  and,  in  view  of  the 
fact  that  he  had  his  own  way  to  make,  a 
stranger  in  a  strange  land,  he  has  been  very 
prosperous. 

His  father,  Philip  Lange,  was  a  hero  of 
the  battle  of  Waterloo,  serving  in  the  Ger- 
man army.  He  was  a  native  of  Hanover, 
and  died  in  that  country  in  1858,  having 
survived  his  wife,  Mary  Ann,  some  ten 
years.  Both  were  members  of  the  United 
Lutheran  church.  Of  their  five  children, 
three  remained  in  Germany,  while  Franc 
H.  and  Joseph  came  to  the  New  World. 
The  latter,  formerly  a  farmer  of  Hensley 
township,  Champaign  county,  now  resides 
in  St.  Louis. 

The  birth  of  Franc  H.  Lange  took 
place  in  Hanover,  July  9,  1833,  and  in  that 
province  he  obtained  a  good  German  edu- 
cation. In  August,  1850,  he  sailed  from 
Bremen  to  New  York  city,  and  after  en- 
countering severe  storms,  the  ship  on  which 
he  was  a  passenger  arrived  at  her  destina- 
tion, just  eight  weeks  having  been  con- 
sumed on  the  trip.  His  slender  means 
were  exhausted  by  that  time,  and  he  was 
obliged  to  borrow  money  to  pay  his  way  to 
Cleveland,  where  he  was  fortunate  enough 
to  obtain  a  position  in  a  clothing  store. 
There  he  faithfully  performed  every  duty 
for  seven  years,  after  which  he  worked  in  a 
grocery  for  two  years. 

Mr.  Lange  was  economical  and  judicious 
in  the  expenditure  of  his  earnings,  and  in 
1859  he  came  to  Champaign  county  and 
rented  land  in  Hensley  township  for  four 
years.  He  then  purchased  eighty  acres, 
only  thirty-five  of  which  had  been  broken. 
At  first  not  more  than  two-thirds  of  the 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


221 


place  could  be  cultitivated,  but  by  placing 
tile  and  making  ditches,  the  land  was  all  re- 
claimed and  rendered  very  productive. 
Many  substantial  improvements  were  made 
upon  the  homestead  by  the  owner,  and  to- 
day it  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  farms  in 
the  country,  comprising,  as  it  does,  five 
hundred  acres,  situated  in  one  body.  It  is 
well  stocked  with  cattle,  and  in  the  raising 
of  live  stock  he  has  been  particularly  suc- 
cessful. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Lane  and  Elizabeth 
Leidendecker  took  place  May  5,  1860.  and 
on  the  2Oth  of  September,  1874,  the  devoted 
wife  and  mother  was  called  to  the  better 
land.  Henry,  her  eldest-born,  is  a  farmer 
of  Hensley  township,  and  to  himself  and 
wife,  formerly  Bertha  Wolfe,  two  daughters 
have  been  born,  named,  respectively,  Nora 
.and  Gertie.  Albert,  also  an  agriculturist, 
chose  Amanda  Faulker  for  his  wife,  and 
their  children  are  named:  Laura,  Gilbert  and 
Cora.  Amelia,  wife  of  William  Luehrmann, 
of  Altamont,  has  two  children,  Gussie  and 
Oscar.  Edward,  also  a  resident  of  Alta- 
mont, married  Alvina  Kopplin.  Mary  is  the 
wife  of  August  Luehrmann,  a  well  known 
business  man  of  St.  Louis,  and  their  three 
children  are:  Edna,  Irving  and  Eliner. 
Julia,  wife  of  Gustve  Kopplin,  of  Altamont, 
has  one  son,  Franc.  On  the  3rd  of  Janu- 
ary, 1879,  Mr.  Lange  married  Louisa 
Luehrmann.  daughter  of  John  H.  Luehr- 
mann-, of  St.  Louis,  and  their  union  has 
been  blessed  with  three  children,  George, 
now  a  successful  book-keeper;  Clara,  who 
died  when  in  her  eleventh  year,  and  Oscar, 
in  school.  Mrs.  Lange  was  the  widow  of 
Louis  Meyer,  by  whom  she  had  two  children: 
William,  of  Shumway,  Illinois,  and  Louis, 
manager  of  a  commission  house  in  St.  Louis 
The  father  of  Mrs.  Lange  was  born  in  Han- 


over, Germany,  in  1828,  and  in  his  early 
manhood  he  was  a  solider  in  the  army.  In 
1844  he  came  to  this  country  and  for  nine- 
teen years  made  his  home  in  St.  Louis, 
where  he  married  Katherine  Auftermark,  a 
native  of  Hanover.  In  1863.  he  removed 
to  the  town  of  Venedy,  Washington,  where 
he  conducted  a  ipercantile  business,  owned 
a  mill  in  partnership  with  another  man  and 
was  actively  connected  with  various  under- 
takings for  five  years.  Then,  going  to 
Lively  Grove,  he  served  as  the  postmaster 
there,  and,  at  the  end  of  five  years,  returned 
to  St.  Louis.  His -last  years  were  spent  in 
Blue  Point,  Illinois. 

In  1895,  Mr.  Lange  built  a  beautiful 
residence  at  No.  507  West  Springfield 
avenue,  Champaign,  and  now  lives  retired, 
enjoying  the  fruits  of  past  years  of  labor. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  are  active  members  of 
the  Lutheran  church,  the  former  being  a 
director,  and  when  the  new  church  building 
was  recently  constructed,  he  was  an  efficient 
worker  on  the  committee  having  the  matter 
in  charge.  He  has  been  a  zealous  supporter 
of  the  Republican  party,  and  no  one  in  his 
community  has  been  more  interested  in  the 
establishment  and  maintenance  of  excel- 
lent public  schools.  In  brief,  he  is  a  repre- 
sentative American — devoted  to  everything 
making  for  the  permanent  welfare  of  the 
country  with  which  he  cast  his  lot  just  half 
a  century  ago. 


JOHN  BRAGG,  a  retired  wagon  maker 
and  blacksmith  living  at  No.  103  Vine 
street,  Champaign,  was  born  in  the  city  of 
London,  England,  May  19,  1826,  and  is  a 
son  of  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  Bragg,  who, 
with  their  family,  emigrated  to  the  United 


222 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


States  when  our  subject  was  ten  years  old, 
landing  in  New  York.  In  that  city  the 
mother  died  in  1844,  at  the  age  of  sixty-two 
years,  but  the  father  long  survived  her,  dying 
in  Jersey  City,  New  Jersey,  in  1874,  at  the 
age  of  eighty-four  years.  In  London  he  fol- 
lowed the  carpenter's  trade,  and  continued 
to  work  at  that  occupation  in  this  country 
until  age  compelled  his  retirement.  Both 
he  and  his  wife  were  active  and  faithful 
members  of  the  Baptist  church,  of  which  he 
was  an  officer,  and,  an  honest,  upright  man 
and  earnest  Christian,  he  commanded  the 
confidence  and  respect  of  all  who  knew  him. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  young- 
est in  a  family  of  seven  children,  the  others 
being  as  follows:  (i)  George  was  in  the 
employ  of  the  English  government  for  over 
a  quarter  of  a  century,  being  clerk  of  works 
in  the  fortifications  at  Gibraltar  for  many 
years.  He  was  then  retired  on  a  pension 
large  enough  to  keep  him  comfortably  dur- 
ing the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  was  a 
faithful  man  in  Her  Majesty's  service,  and 
was  the  pride  of  the  family.  After  his  re- 
tirement from  governmental  duties,  he  en- 
gaged in  preaching  for  the  Baptist  church 
until  called  from  this  life  at  the  age  of 
eighty  years.  He  married  Anna  Golden 
and  had  several  children.  (2)  Emily  died 
at  the  age  of  eighteen  years.  (3)  Charlotte, 
born  in  1815,  married  James  Fielder,  of 
Jersey  City,  and  died  in  1843.  She  had 
two  children,  who  are  still  living  in  that  city, 
her  son,  George  B.  Fielder,  having  served 
for  many  years  as  county  clerk  of  Hudson 
county,  New  Jersey.  The  other  child  is 
Mrs.  Emily  Bliss.  (4)  Frederick  married 
Jane  Bassett,  and  they  are  living  in  Lawn 
Ridge,  Marshall  county,  Illinois.  Their 
children  are  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Van  Tassel; 
Arlington;  John;  George,  deceased;  Irving; 


Newton;  Mrs.  Hattie  Miller;  and  Emily.  (5) 
Edwin  was  a  shoemaker  of  Erie  county, 
Pennsylvania,  where  his  death  occurred. 
He  had  a  wife  and  several  children.  (6) 
Charles  was  a  carpenter  by  trade  and  was 
killed  by  falling  from  a  building  on  which  he 
was  at  work.  He  had  a  wife  and  children. 

John  Bragg  began  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  London,  and  after  coming 
to  America  commenced  learning  the  wagon- 
maker's  and  blacksmith's  trade.  He  at- 
tended school  on  Long  Island  for  a  time, 
and  as  a  boy  worked  in  the  carpenter  shop 
of  his  father  until  seventeen  years  of  age, 
when  he  started  out  in  life  for  himself.  He. 
continued  to  make  his  home  in  New  York 
City  until  1856,  working  for  the  Brewster 
Carriage  Company,  whose  work  was  dis- 
tributed all  over  the  United  States. 

In  the  meantime  Mr.  Bragg  was  married 
in  1852,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Bassett,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Michael  and  Hester  Bassett  and  a 
sister  of  his  brother  Frederick's  wife.  She 
died  in  1870,  at  the  age  of  thirty-eight  years, 
and  Mr.  Bragg  was  again  married,  in  De- 
cember, 1872,  his  second  union  being  with 
Miss  Mary  Harris,  a  daughter  of  Christopher 
C.  and  Margaret  (Hemphill)  Harris,  the 
former  a  native  of  Cincinnati,  Hamilton 
county,  Ohio,  the  latter  of  County  Antrim, 
Ireland.  The  father  was  born  February  4, 
1822,  and  is  the  youngest  and  only  survivor 
in  a  family  of  seven  children,  the  others 
being  William,  James,  Sarah,  wife  of 
Charles  Howard;  Mary,  wife  of  Isaac  Tittle; 
Louisa,  wife  of  Alfred  Orr;  and  Charlotte, 
wife  of  William  McVita.  Mr.  Harris  is  also 
a  blacksmith  by  trade  and  followed  that  oc- 
cupation for  many  years.  In  1850  he  re- 
moved from  Ohio  to  Scott  county,  Indiana, 
and  six  years  later  came  to  Champaign 
county,  Illinois,  locating  in  East  Bend 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


223 


township,  where  he  engaged  in  farming 
until  the  fall  of  1868,  when  he  took  up  his 
residence  in  Champaign,  then  called  West 
Urbana,  and  here  he  has  since  made 
his  home.  For  four  years  he  served 
as  township  clerk.  Since  the  age  of  thirteen 
he  has  been  an  active  and  consistent  mem- 
ber of  the  Congregational  church,  and  has 
filled  the  office  of  deacon  since  1865.  On 
the  25th  of  November,  1844,  he  married 
Margaret  Hemphill,  who  was  born  in  County 
Antrim,  Ireland,  January  i,  1822,  a  daugh- 
ter of  James  and  Jane  Hemphill.  Her 
father  died  in  that  country,  and  in  1862 
her  mother  came  to  the  United  States, 
where  she  died  ten  years  later,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-four.  They  had  four  children: 
James,  deceased;  Robert,  a  resident  of 
Peoria,  Illinois;  Mary  and  Margaret.  Mrs. 
Harris  died  September  15,  1899,  aged 
seventy-seven  years.  At  an  early  age  she 
united  with  the  Presbyterian  church  in  Ire- 
land, and  was  always  a  sincere  and  faithful 
Christian. 

Mrs.  Bragg  is  the  oldest  of  the  six  chil- 
dren of  the  Harris  family.  Lucy  A.  was  in- 
stantly killed  by  lightning  July  30,  1856,  at 
the  age  of  eight  years,  while  the  family  were 
living  in  Scott  county,  Indiana.  The  house 
was  struck,  but  strange  to  say  no  other 
member  of  the  family  was  injured.  Louise 
is  the  wife  of  Arthur  Barnes,  who.  is  clerking 
in  a  manufacturing  establishment  in  Cham- 
paign. Charlotte  M.  is  the  wife  of  Erwin 
Arnold,  of  Elgin,  Illinois,  and  they  have  two 
children,  Willett  and  Harry.  Minerva  is 
the  wife  of  W.  H.  Nicolet,  of  Chicago,  and 
they  have  one  child,  Bessie.  Margaret  is 
the  wife  of  John  L.  Pierce,  of  Omaha,  Ne- 
braska, and  they  have  three  sons,  Dwight, 
Roy  and  Paul.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bragg  have 
no  children  of  their  own,  but  have  an  adopt- 


ed daughter,  Mary  Isabella  Bragg,  a  very 
prominent  Sunday  school  worker,  who  is 
now  assistant  secretary  in  the  office  of  W. 
B.  Jacobs,  the  noted  Sunday  school  man  of 
Chicago. 

On  leaving  New  York  City,  in  1856,  Mr. 
Bragg  came  to  Champaign  county,  Illinois, 
and  first  located  on  a  farm  three  and  a  half 
miles  north  of  Champaign,  but  two  years 
later  removed  to  that  city,  where  he  has 
since  made  his  home.  He  had  the  first 
wagon  shop  that  was  conducted  here  longer 
than  three  months,  and  did  quite  a  large 
and  successful  business  for  those  early  days, 
employing  two  blacksmiths  and  one  painter. 
Being  a  man  of  industrious  habits  and  good 
business  ability,  he  succeeded  in  accumulat- 
ing a  comfortable  competence,  and  is  now 
able  to  lay  aside  all  business  cares  and  live 
a  retired  life,  though  when  disposed  he  still 
does  some  work  for  the  accommodation  of 
his  friends. 

Politically,  Mr.  Bragg  has  nearly  always 
affiliated  with  the  Republican  party  except 
a  few  times  when  he  voted  the  Prohibition 
ticket.  In  1851  he  united  with  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Odd  Fellows  in  New  York 
City,  and  on  coming  to  Champaign  brought 
with  him  a  card  of  recommendation  to  the 
lodge  here,  with  which  he  has  now  been  con- 
nected for  thirty  years.  He  has  passed 
'  through  all  the  chairs  and  has  represented 
the  lodge  in  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  state 
for  nine  years.  He  has  also  been  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  fraternity  since  1871,  and  of 
the  Congregational  church  since  1860.  His 
wife  is  also  a  member  of  that  church,  and  a 
teacher  in  the  Sabbath  school.  She  is  an 
officer  in  the  Woman's  Christian  Temperance 
Union,  having  served  as  president  of  the 
local  organization  and  treasurer  of  the  dis- 
trict society,  and  has  been  a  great  worker 


224 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


in  various  organizations  which  have  for  their 
object  the  betterment  of  mankind.  Both 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bragg  are  widely  and  favor- 
ably known,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  no 
couple  in  the  community  are  more  highly  re- 
spected and  esteemed. 


JOHN  QUAYLE,  now  living  retired  in 
Champaign,  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
this,state,  and  deserves  special  mention  in 
its  annals.  Nobly  and  conscientiously  did 
he  battle  with  the  privations  and  difficulties 
which  only  the  frontiersman  knows,  and 
faithfully  has  he  performed  his  duty  towards 
his  fellow-men  and  towards  his  large  family, 
now  reared  to  maturity  and  taking  honored 
places  in  society.  When  duty  and  inclina- 
tion conflicted,  he  did  not  hesitate  between 
them,  but  patiently  and  from  principle 
endeavored  to  do  what  he  believed  to  be 
right,  and  thus  is  entitled  to  the  high  esteen 
of  all. 

A  native  of  the  Isle  of  Man,  England, 
John  Quayle  was  born  June  25,  1833,  a  son 
of  James  and  Ann  (Harrison)  Quayle,  who 
passed  their  entire  lives  upon  a  farm  there. 
When  he  had  arrived  at  his  majority,  John 
Quayle  joined  five  young  men  bound  for  the 
United  States,  and  at  Rochester,  New  York, 
where  he  had  a  sister  living,  he  made  a 
pleasant  visit,  before  proceeding  westward. 
Going  then  to  Buffalo,  he  procured  a  team 
and  drove  to  Detroit,  and  thence  to  Chicago 
and  Peoria.  He  found  plenty  of  work  in 
that  county  and  the  following  spring  went  to 
Henry  county,  where  he  took  a  position  at 
herding  cattle  on  the  prairies.  Many  a  day 
passed  that  he  did  not  behold  the  face  of  a 
human  being,  but  at  night  the  wolves  made 
the  hours  hideous,  and  wild  game  of  various 


kinds  was  plentiful.  Returning  to  Peoria 
county,  he  worked  for  farmers  again,  and 
all  of  this  time  carefully  saved  his  earnings. 
When  he  saw  his  way  clear  to  the  establish- 
ment of  a  home,  he  returned  to  his  native  isl- 
and where  he  married  Jane  Skinner,  who  has 
proved  a  true  helpmate  to  him  in  every  re- 
spect. His  parents  were  by  this  time  well 
along  in  years,  and,  as  they  needed  him  to 
comfort  and  care  for  them,  he  remained  on 
the  old  homestead,  tenderly  seeing  that 
their  wants  were  supplied,  until  they  re- 
ceived the  summons  to  the  better  land. 

Though  the  care  of  his  parents  necessi- 
ta^ed  Mr.  Quayle's  remaining  at  his  birth- 
place for  a  number  of  years  after  he  had  de- 
termined to  cast  in  his  lot  with  the  pioneers 
of  Illinois,  he  considered  himself  an  Ameri- 
can and  longed  for  the  time  when  he  might 
really  set  about  the  development  of  a  good 
farm  in  the  great  Prairie  state.  When  he 
returned  to  the  United  States  for  the  second 
time,  he  had  a  wife  and  twelve  children  to 
provide  for,  and  practically  he  had  to  be- 
gin at  the  beginning,  financially.  It  was 
nine  years  ere  he  was  able  to  buy  a  farm  of 
his  own,  and,  in  the  meantime,  he  leased 
land  in  Scott  township,  Champaign  county, 
and  some  seasons  cultivated  several  hun- 
dred acres.  The  homestead  which  he  owns 
in  Champaign  township  comprises  one 
hundred  and  thirty-four  acres,  one-third  of 
which  was  under  water  much  of  the  year, 
at  the  time  of  his  purchase.  To-day  there 
is  not  an  acre  incapable  of  cultivation,  and, 
by  means  of  three  car-loads  of  tiles,  varying 
from  four  to  twelve  inches  in  diameter,  and 
ditches  placed  where  needed,  the  land  has 
been  properly  drained,  and  is  very  fertile 
and  productive.  The  thrifty  owner  has 
instituted  numerous  other  improvements, 
has  divided  the  farm  into  fields  of  equal  size, 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


225 


and  has  a  fine  hedge  around  the  entire  place. 
Five  or  six  yoke  of  cattle  were  required  to 
break  the  prairie  and  the  task  was  exceed- 
ingly difficult  at  best. 

But  many  years  of  persistent  labor 
brought  their  due  reward,  and  now,  as  the 
shadows  of  eventide  lengthen  in  his  pathway 
of  life,  Mr.  Quayle  is  in  the  possession  of 
ample  means.  Recently  he  built  a  beautiful 
modern  residence  at  No.  838  West  Church 
street,  and  is  nowdwelling  here.  He  has  seen 
his  twelve  children  grow  tomature  years, and 
many  of  them  occupying  homes  of  their  own, 
respected  members  of  the  several  communi- 
ties in  which  they  reside.  In  order  of  birth 
they  are  named  as  follows:  Mrs.  Jane 
Collier,  of  Chicago;  Thomas  and  William, 
farmers  of  this  county;  Katherine;  Edward; 
Robert ;Daniel;  Mrs.  Anna  Hartley,  of  Iowa; 
Mrs.  Lizzie  Flower;  Henry;  Arthur,  of 
Chicago;  and  Fannie.  The  parents  are 
members  of  the  Wesleyan  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  and  are  liberal  contributors 
to  the  maintenance  of  the  noble  work  of  the 
various  departments  of  that  denomination. 


CHARLES  GEHRKE.  The  biographer 
\-^  takes  special  pleasure  in  tracing  the 
history  of  men  who  have  won  success  in  hon- 
est industry  and  good  business  management, 
overcoming  adverse  circumstances,  and  prov- 
ing their  ability  to  cope  with  competition 
and  the  thousand  disadvantages  which  a  for- 
eigner must  contend  against.  The  subject 
of  this  memoir  is  a  loyal  citizen,  upholding 
all  the  laws  and  institutions  of  this,  the 
land  of  his  adoption,  and  he  takes  particular 
pains  to  inculcate  in  the  minds  of  his  chil- 
dren the  same  high  principles  of  patriotism 
by  which  he  is  governed. 


Like  his  father  and  grandfather  before 
him,  Charles  Gehrke  was  born  in  the  village 
of  Velpke,  Hanover,  Germany,  the  date  of 
his  nativity  being  June  18,  1852.  His  par- 
ents were  Henry  and  Elizabeth  (Shultz) 
Gehrke,  respected  citizens  and  members  of 
the  Lutheran  church.  The  father  was  a 
stone-mason,  and  made  a  good  living  for 
himself  and  family. 

After  completing  the  excellent  education 
which  the  schools  of  Germany  afford  its  chil- 
dren, he  was  apprenticed  to  the  baker's 
trade,  and  served  for  three  years,  becoming 
thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  business  in 
all  of  its  details.  He  then  worked  as  a  jour- 
neyman in  different  parts  of  the  German 
empire  until  the  time  when  he  was  obliged 
to  enter  the  army,  in  accordance  with  the 
military  regulations.  There  he  served  for 
three  years,  beginning  with  the  year  in  which 
the  Franco-German  war  was  finished.  ' 

On  the  25th  of  January,  1881,  Mr. 
Gehrke  married  Sophia  Bank,  of  Schoppen- 
stedt,  and,  after  a  few  years  of  wedded  life, 
they  decided  to  try  their  fortunes  in  the 
United  States.  In  all  of  his  undertakings, 
our  subject  has  found  a  faithful  helpmate  in 
his  wife,  and  together  they  have  borne  many 
sorrows  and  vicissitudes,  as  five  of  their  ten 
children  they  have  had  to  place  in  the  tomb. 
Robert,  who  has  mastered  the  baker's  trade, 
is  engaged  in  business  with  his  father,  and 
is  a  promising  youth.  Otto,  Alma,  Jennie,  and 
Amanda(who  is  studying  music)  are  at  home, 
the  three  youngest  being  pupils  in  the  local 
school.  Alma  has  developed  considerable 
musical  ability  and  is  being  given  special 
training  in  the  art  which  they  love. 

It  was  fifteen  years  ago  that  Mr.  Gehrke 
crossed  the  Atlantic  with  the  purpose  of 
founding  a  home  in  America.  Linding  in 
Baltimore,  he  proceeded  with  his  family  to 


226 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Champaign  county,  and,  as  he  was  unable 
to  speak  any  English,  he  was  glad  to  accept 
a  position  at  his  trade  with  those  who  were 
willing  to  employ  him.  At  the  .end  of  five 
years,  he  opened  a  small  bakery  at  No.  207 
East  Clark  street,  which  property  he  had 
purchased  with  his  carefully  accumulated 
earnings.  At  first,  he  built  only  a  good 
oven,  and  had  a  small  shop  in  the  rear  of 
his  premises,  but  at  the  end  of  two  years  he 
erected  a  substantial  store  fronting  the 
street.  Little  by  little  he  ingratiated  him- 
self into  the  favor  of  the  public,  and  now  is 
managing  a  very  remunerative  business,  buy- 
ing flour  by  the  car-load  lot,  keeping  two  or 
more  teams  busy  and  several  men  employed. 
In  1 899  he  engaged  in  shipping  bread  to  sev- 
eral adjoining  towns.  He  makes  a  specialty 
of  fine  baking  and  pastry,  supplying  parties 
and  banquets  and  taking  orders  for  whatever 
is  desired  by  his  patrons.  He  has  a  pleasant 
home  on  his  Lot,  which  is  sixty-six  feet  wide, 
and  some  time  ago  he  also  purchased  the 
property  next  to  his  own.  On  this  he  built 
a  good  residence,  which  he  rents. 

Every  one  having  dealings  with  Mr. 
Gehrke  speaks  in  high  terms  of  his  integrity 
and  energetic  methods  and  wishes  him  suc- 
cess. Fraternally  he  is  associated  with  the 
Druids  and  Modern  Woodmen  of  America 
and  with  the  Mutual  Aid  Society.  Relig- 
iously, he  is  a  member  of  the  German  Evan- 
gelical church,  and  liberally  assists  in  various 
philanthropic  movements,  calculated  to  bene- 
fit humanity  in  general. 


ZACHARIAH    EMIG,  of    Champaign,  is 
the  possessor  of   a   handsome  property 
which  now  enables  him   to  spend  his  years 
in  the  pleasurable  enjoyment  of  his  accumu- 


lations. The  record  of  his  life,  previous  to 
1893,  is  that  of  an  active,  enterprising, 
methodical  and  sagacious  business  man,  who 
has  bent  his  energies  to  the  honorable  ac- 
quirement of  a  comfortable  competence  for 
himself  and  family. 

Mr.  Emig  was  born  in  York,  Pennsyl- 
vania, March  28,  1828,  a  son  of  Daniel  and 
Elizabeth  (Fleager)  Emig,  who  spent  their 
entire  lives  in  that  place.  The  grandpar- 
ents, Michael  and  Sophia  (Dendelinger) 
Emig,  were  born  in  this  country  of  German 
ancestry,  and  he  was  a  farmer  by  occupation. 
The  family  name  is  shortened  from  the 
earlier  German  spelling  Emich.  The  fa- 
ther of  our  subject  followed  farming  through- 
out life  and  also  worked  at  the  millwright's 
trade,  building  mills  in  the  neighborhood  of 
his  home  for  many  years.  Both  he  and  his 
wife  were  members  of  the  Lutheran  church 
and  most  estimable  people. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  received  a 
good  education  in  the  Evangelical  school  of 
York,  and  on  starting  out  in  life  for  himself 
turned  his  attention  to  farming.  In  1852 
he  came  to  Illinois  on  horseback,  a  distance 
of  nearly  one  thousand  miles,  carrying  all 
his  worldly  possessions  in  his  saddle  bags. 
Roads  had  been  made,  but  the  settlements 
in  this  state  were  then  widely  scattered.  He 
located  at  Monticello,  Piatt  county,  and  for 
nine  years  he  operated  rented  land.  In 
1865  he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  railroad 
land,  entirely  unimproved,  and  at  once 
turned  his  attention  to  its  cultivation  and 
development.  He  built  a  house  and  fences, 
and  placed  acre  after  acre  under  the  plow. 
Later  he  purchased  another  eighty-acre 
tract  on  the  same  section,  and  tiled  and  im- 
proved the  whole  place,  making  it  one  of 
the  most  desirable  farms  of  its  size  in  the 
locality.  For  twenty-five  years  he  made 


ZACHARIAH  EM1G. 


THE  BIOGRAHPICAL    RECORD. 


229 


that  place  his  home,  and  was  extensively 
engaged  in  the  raising  of  stock  and  grain. 
He  raised  both  cattle  and  horses,  but  his 
specialty  was  heavy  work  horses  of  the  Per- 
cheron  breed.  In  his  undertaking  he  met 
with  well-deserved  success,  and  is  now  able 
to  lay  aside  all  business  cares  and  enjoy  the 
fruits  of  former  toil.  Leaving  the  farm  in 
November,  1893,  he  moved  to  Champaign, 
and  purchased  a  pleasant  home  at  No.  311 
East  Springfield  avenue,  where  he  now  re- 
sides. 

On  the  1 8th  of  February,  1857,  Mr. 
Emig  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Mary  Pifer,  of  Monticello,  also  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  a  daughter  of  Stephen  A. 
and  Elizabeth  (Eichinger)  Pifer,  who  came 
to  this  state  about  1850.  Of  the  eight  chil- 
dren born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Emig,  one  died 
at  the  age  of  three  years  and  a  half,  and 
the  others  are  Ellen,  now  the  wife  of 
William  Brittenham,  of  St.  Louis,  Missouri. 
Kate,  wife  of  Nelson  Reed,  who  lives  near 
Shelbyville,  Illinos;  Lizzie,  wife  of  William 
Ogden,  of  Mississippi;  Charles,  who  married 
Bertha  Smith  and  lives  on  his  father's  farm; 
Delia,  wife  of  Len  Judkins,  of  Effingham; 
Minnie  and  Francis,  both  at  home.  They 
also  have  seventeen  grandchildren,  five  of 
whom  are  now  grown. 

The  Republican  party  finds  in  Mr.  Emig 
an  ardent  supporter  of  its  princicles,  but  he 
has  never  been  an  aspirant  for  official  hon- 
ors. For  many  years  he  and  his  wife  were 
active  and  prominent  members  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church  of  Monticello,  and 
since  coming  to  Champaign  have  united 
with  the  congregation  here.  He  was  class 
leader  at  the  country  appointment  near  his 
home,  and  was  superintendent  of  the  Sun- 
day school.  He  is  a  worthy  representative  of 

that  class  of  citizens  who  lead  quiet,  industri- 
12 


ous,  honest  and  useful  lives,  and  constitute 
the  best  portion  of  a  community.  Wherever 
known  he  is  held  in  high  regard,  and  is 
certainly  deserving  of  honorable  mention  in 
the  history  of  his  adopted  county. 


AJ.  CLARK,  one  of  the  representative 
business  men  of  Urbana,  comes  from 
one  of  the  pioneer  families  of  Champaign 
county,  and  his  paternal  ancestors  were 
early  settlers  in  Virginia.  His  grandfather, 
Samuel  F.  Clark,  removed  to  Scioto  county, 
Ohio,  when  a  child,  and  there  grew  to  man- 
hood. For  a  wife  he  chose  Mary,  daughter 
of  Henry  Utt,  a  native  ol  Germany,  who 
had  located  in  the  Buckeye  state  at  an 
early  day,  and  in  payment  for  supplying  the 
first  surveyors  of  his  section  of  the  state 
with  provisions,  received  two  acres  of  land 
per  day,  until  he  had  three  hundred  and 
fifty  acres  near  the  present  town  of  Lucas- 
ville,  Ohio.  In  1826,  S.  F.  Clark  removed 
to  Tippecanoe  county,  Indiana,  and  there 
cleared  a  farm. 

The  father  of  the  subject  of  this  article, 
the  Hon.  Erastus  J.  Clark,  was  born  May 
2,  1831,  the  fourth  in  a  family  of  ten  chil- 
dren. He  was  reared  at  his  birthplace  in 
Tippecanoe  county,  then  almost  an  un- 
broken wilderness,  and  in  his  early  years  he 
often  saw  large  bands  of  Indians  who  were 
engaged  in  hunting  in  the  forest,  but  were 
not  unfriendly  to  the  white  men.  An  im- 
portant event  in  his  life  was  his  marriage, 
November  13,  1851,  to  Maria  Kirkpatrick, 
daughter  of  James  Kirkpatrick.  She  was 
born  in  Pickaway  county,  Ohio,  later  re- 
sided in  Tippecanoe  county,  Indiana,  and 
at  the  time  of  her  marriage  was  living  in 
Mahomet  township,  Champaign  county. 


230 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Mr.  Clark  continued  to  dwell  in  this  county 
for  many  years,  engaged  in  farming,  and 
then  went  to  Gray  county,  Kansas.  At  the 
time  of  his  death,  in  1898,  he  was  making 
his  home  at  Enid,  Oklahoma  Territory.  It 
is  a  remarkable  fact  that,  though  he  ran  for 
office  twenty-six  times,  such  was  his  popu- 
larity that  he  never  sustained  a  defeat. 
While  living'  in  this  county  he  served  as 
justice  of  the  peace  two  terms  and  in  Gray 
county,  Kansas,  was  recorder  of  deeds  four 
years.  He  also  was  honored  by  being 
chosen  to  represent  his  county  in  the  terri- 
torial legislature  of  Oklahoma,  and  at  the 
time  of  his  death  was  a  member  of  the 
Oklahoma  senate.  He  lived  to  be  nearly 
sixty-nine  years  of  age,  and  died,  regretted 
and  mourned  by  a  large  number  of  personal 
friends  and  general  business  and  political 
associates.  In  politics,  he  maintained  ab- 
solute independence  of  party,  making  a 
point,  however,  of  never  voting  for  any 
man  whose  sympathies  had  been  or  were 
with  the  South  in  the  war  of  the  Rebellion. 
When  Peter  Cooper  was  a  candidate  for 
office,  he  was  one  of  the  eighty-four  thou- 
sand independent  men  who  voted  for  that 
gentlemen.  Both  himself  and  wife  were 
faithful  members  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal church,  and  were  active  in  all  worthy 
movements.  She  is  living  in  Enid,  Okla- 
homa territory,  and  has  attained  her  sixty- 
ninth  year. 

The  third  of  four  children,  A.  J.  Clark 
was  born  April  21,  1862,  on  the  parental 
farm  in  this  county.  His  elder  sister,  Dora, 
is  the  wife  of  A.  J.  Burns,  a  farmer  of 
Cimarron,  Kansas,  and  Eva  M.,  wife  of  C. 
C.  Castle,  resides  upon  a  farm  near  Omo, 
Oklahoma  Territory.  Clinton  F.  is  a  pros- 
perous and  influential  citizen  of  Enid,  same 
territory.  He  is  extensively  engaged  in 


stock  raising,  and  at  present  is  deputy  to  the 
county  sheriff.  His  wife  was  Ada  Hungate 
in  her  girlhood. 

A.  J.  Clark  received  a  good  education  in 
the  district  schools  of  this  county,  and  in 
those  of  Urbana.  He  then  turned  his  at- 
tention to  agriculture  and  the  raising  of  live 
stock.  In  1894  he  went  to  Ford  county, 
Kansas,  where  he  was  a  member  of  the  firm 
of  Clark  &  Kern,  real  -estate  dealers,  until 
1896.  Then,  going  to  Oklahoma,  he  was 
occupied  in  agricultural  pursuits  for  two 
years,  at  the  end  of  which  period  he  re- 
turned to  Urbana.  Here  he  entered  into 
partnership  with  R.  T.  Robertson,  who 
withdrew  from  the  firm  within  a  year,  and 
towards  the  close  of  1899  the  present  ar- 
rangement with  Mr.  Coffin  was  made,  the 
style  being  Clark  &  Coffin.  They  not  only 
deal  in  real  estate,  but  also  in  live  stock,  es- 
pecially horses,  and  are  making  a  success  of 
their  enterprises. 

Soon  after  reaching  his  majority,  A.  J. 
Clark  married  Laura,  daughter  of  Owen  T. 
and  Mary  J.  Mallon,  formerly  of  Franklin 
county,  Ohio.  They  are  both  living,  as  are 
six  of  their  seven  children.  Allen,  an  Iowa 
farmer,  married  Anna  Actrum,  and  has  five 
children.  Charles,  a  farmer  of  this  county, 
married  Jennie  Lease,  and  had  four  chil- 
dren, two  of  whom  survive.  Sallie  is  the 
wife  of  W.  A.  Lewis,  a  conductor  on  the 
Illinois  Central.  Arthur  and  John,  unmar- 
ried, and  firemen  on  the  Big  Four  railroad, 
reside  in  Urbana.  Aaron,  deceased,  was  a 
farmer  of  this  county.  He  chose  Ada  Phil- 
lips for  a  wife,  and  they  had  three  daugh- 
ters. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clark  are  the  parents 
of  three  children,  namely:  Charlie  C., 
Claude  E.  and  Nellie  J. 

Fraternally,  Mr.  Clark  is  a  member  of 
the  Uniformed  Rank  of  the  Knights  of 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


231 


Pythias,  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America 
and  the  Court  of  Honor.  Politically,  he  is 
a  Democrat,  but  has  no  aspirations  to  pub- 
lic office.  He  owns  a  good  residence  at  No. 
2 1 1  West  Green  street,  and  in  addition  to 
this,  he  owns  valuable  farms  in  Illinois, 
Kansas  and  Oklahoma,  all  of  which  prop- 
erty he  leases  to  responsible  tenants. 


CHARLES  HEBEL,  one  of  the  young 
V_>  business  men  of  Champaign,  has  dem- 
onstrated within  the  past  few  years  what 
can  be  accomplished  by  pluck  and  persever- 
ance. Without  assistance  of  any  sort,  he 
has  steadily  forged  his  way  to  the  front, 
and  now  enjoys  the  well  earned  respect  of 
every  one  who  knows  him. 

One  of  the  native  sons  of  Champaign 
county,  Mr.  Hebel  was  born  in  Urbana, 
August  26,  1876.  His  father,  George  Hebel, 
now  a  resident  of  Boulder,  Jefferson 
county,  Montana,  is  a  baker  by  trade,  and 
during  his  residence  in  Champaign  did  much 
of  the  fine  work  in  his  line  for  the  leading 
people  of  this  locality.  It  was  in  1875  that 
he  located  here,  coming  from  our  neighbor 
state,  Indiana.  Later,  he  went  to.  Urbana, 
and  still  later,  to  the  northwest.  His  wife, 
the  mother  of  our  subject,  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Naomi  A.  Colvin,  She  was  born 
in  Indiana,  and  is  a  daughter  of  William 
Colvin,  one  of  the  early  settlers  in  Cham- 
paign. 

In  his  boyhood,  Charles  Hebel  attended 
the  common  schools  of  Champaign,  and 
gained  a  practical  business  education.  He 
then  began  learning  the  trade  of  a  paper- 
hanger  with  Samuel  Smith,  in  whose  employ 
he  continued  for  three  years.  During  this 
period,  when  he  had  so  earnestly  striven  to 


please  that  he  was  in  great  demand  with 
the  public,  he  concluded  to  embark  in  busi- 
ness upon  his  own  account,  and  carefully 
accumulated  what  he  could  save  from  his 
earnings,  as  capital  for  his  venture.  He 
was  only  twenty  years  old  when  he  started 
out  independently,  taking  orders  for  paper- 
hanging  and  decoration  of  rooms,  and  the 
next  year  he  opened  a  small  shop  at  203 
South  Wright  street.  At  first  he  had  only 
a  few,  but  well  chosen,  varieties  of  paper  in 
stock,  but,  little  by  little,  he  added  to  this, 
until  to-day  he  keeps  a  splendid  line  of 
goods,  representing  the  latest  ideas  in  wall 
decoration,  and  at  prices  suited  to  every 
purse.  He  is  now  established  in  large  and 
pleasant  quarters  at  No.  608  East  White 
street,  his  own  building.  His  trade,  which 
is  constantly  growing,  is  not  exclusively 
that  of  house  adornment,  for  he  has  executed 
many  contracts  of  fine  work  for  stores  and 
public  buildings,  like  that  of  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association.  He  has  it  as 
a  fixed  principle  that  all  work  undertaken 
by  him  shall  be  made  thoroughly  satisfactory 
to  his  patrons,  and  thus  his  reputation  has 
been  built  upon  a  sure  basis.  He  owns  a 
good  house  and  lot  in  addition  to  his  busi- 
ness block  on  South  Wright  street. 

When  a  mere  youth,  Mr.  Hebel  developed 
considerable  talent  as  an  entertainer,  and 
one  season,  comprising  some  forty  weeks,  he 
traveled  with  Gilbert  &  Owens  Comedy 
Company.  He  was  assigned  a  good  part 
and  played  it  with  marked  ability,  and, 
though  some  of  his  experiences  were  not 
particularly  pleasant,  and  led  to  his  de- 
termination to  seek  another  line  of  per- 
manent employment,  his  mind  was  neces- 
sarily broadened  and  his  store  of  general  in- 
formation greatly  increased,  for  he  met  all 
classes  of  people  and  journeyed  all  over  the 


232 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


central  states,  as  well  as  through  Kentucky 
and  Tennessee. 

On  the  29th  of  September,  1898,  Mr. 
Hebel  and  Miss  GoldieJ.  Carman,  daughter 
of  Benjamin  F.  Carman,  of  Urbana,  were 
united  in  marriage,  at  Paris,  Illinois.  They 
have  a  little  daughter,  Merribel  Margaret, 
the  pride  of  their  happy  home.  Mrs.  Hebel 
is  a  member  of  the  Christian  church  of  Ur- 
bana, and  Mr.  Hebel  is  an  attendant  upon 
the  services,  and  a  contributor  to  the  main- 
tenance of  religious  work.  Both  have  nu- 
merous friends,  here  and  elsewhere,  whom 
they  enjoy  entertaining  in  the  home  made 
attractive  by  their  united  labors.  Through 
his  energy  and  perseverance  he  has  gained 
the  confidence  and  encouragement  of  a 
number  of  business  men  of  the  Twin  Cities. 


/^>EORGE  E.  McCARTY,  who  is  well 
V_J  and  favorably  known,  particularly  in 
local  Democratic  circles  in  Champaign,  is  a 
native  of  this  flourishing  place,  his  birth 
having  occurred  here  when  the  city  was  in 
its  infancy,  September  27,  1858.  His  par- 
ents, Patrick  and  Mary  (Graham)  McCarty, 
were  born  in  Ireland,  and  were  married  in 
Champaign  on  Christmas  day,  1856.  The 
father  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  Company  for  thirty-six 
years,  and  was  highly  esteemed  by  those 
who  knew  him.  Both  he  and  his  estimable 
wife  were  pioneer  members  of  St.  Mary's 
Catholic  church  of  this  city,  and,  though 
they  have  finished  their  earthly  career,  they 
are  lovingly  remembered  by  a  multitude  of 
old-time  friends. 

When  he  had  completed  his  education, 
George  E.  McCarty  began  his  railroading 
life,  which  extended  over  a  period  of  many 


years.  He  was  at  first  employed  by  the 
Illinois  Central  and  was  in  the  round-house 
here  from  1875  to  1876,  after  which  he 
acted  in  the  capacity  of  fireman  on  the  road 
for  three  years.  Then  for  a  year  he  was 
with  the  VVabash,  running  between  Peru, 
Indiana,  and  Peoria,  Illinois,  and  later  he 
was  fireman  upon  the  line  between  Sedalia 
and  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  and  Pleasant 
Hill  and  Joplin.  Going  into  the  Lone  Star 
state,  he  obtained  a  position  with  the  Texas 
Pacific,  and,  after  proving  his  ability  as  -a 
fireman,  was  promoted,  at  the  end  of  a 
month's  service,  to  the  post  of  engineer. 
After  eighteen  months  spent  in  that  place, 
he  became  connected  with  the  Cotton  Belt 
Railroad,  as  fireman  upon  a  passenger  en- 
gine, his  run  being  between  Texarkana  and 
Waco,  Texas.  At  the  end  of  three  months 
he  was  transferred  to  a  position  as  engineer 
of  a  switch  engine,  at  Corsicana.  Not 
liking  that  department  of  business,  he  pro- 
ceeded to  Salt  Lake  City,  where  he  was  a 
member  of  the  city  paid  fire  department  for 
six  months.  He  then  accepted  a  position  as 
fireman  on  the  Union  Pacific,  his  run  being 
from  Ogden  to  Milford,  Utah,  and  this  place 
he  retained  for  three  years.  The  ensuing 
year  or  two  he  was  variously  employed  on 
Montana  railroads,  and  at  the  end  of  tfyat 
time  he  decided  to  try  a  distinct  change  of 
occupation.  Returning  to  his  birth  place, 
he  engaged  in  the  restaurant  business,  and 
for  seven  years  devoted  his  entire  attention 
to  the  enterprise,  of  which -he  made  a  suc- 
cess. 

For  a  long  time  Mr.  McCarty  has  been 
very  active  in  the  affairs  of  the  Democratic 
party  in  this  locality,  and  in  April,  1894,  he 
was  elected  alderman  from  his  ward.  Since 
then  he  has  been  honored  with  re-election 
twice,  and  has  fully  met  the  expectations 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


233 


of  his  friends.  He  claims  to  have  no 
deeper  interest  than  that  of  the  working- 
men,  and  has  endeavored  to  prove  this  in 
many  ways.  He  it  was  who  introduced  the 
ordinance  providing  for  nine  hours  per  day 
and  payment  of  a  dollar  and  a  half  a  day 
to  all  men  employed  by  the  city  on  improve- 
ments, and  he  was  the  only  one  in  the  coun- 
cil to  fight  the  peddler's  ordinance.  When 
the  Anti-trust  League  met  in  Chicago,  he 
was  sent  as  a  delegate  from  Champaign,  and 
upon  every  suitable  occasion  he  fearlessly 
proclaims  his  political  views.  Religiously, 
he  is  a  member  of  St.  Mary's  Catholic 
church. 


JAMES  BATTERSHELL,  whose  home 
is  at  No.  208  West  Oregon  street,  Ur- 
bana,  is  one  of  the  pioneers  of  this  section 
of  the  state,  and  was  for  many  years  one 
of  the  leading  agriculturists  of  Champaign 
county,  but  is  now  living  retired  from  active 
labor,  quietly  enjoying  the  income  which  he 
accumulated  in  former  years.  He  well  re- 
members when  this  region  was  almost  an 
unbroken  wilderness,  when  deer  and  wolves 
roamed  over  the  prairies,  and  game  of  all 
kinds  abounded.  In  the  work  of  develop- 
ment and  progress  he  has  borne  an  active 
part,  and  is  justly  numbered  among  the 
honored  pioneers  and  useful  citizens  of  the 
community. 

Mr.  Battershell  was 'born  in  Clark 
county,  Kentucky,  February  2,  1833,  a  son 
of  William  and  Elizabeth  (Wills)  Batter- 
shell,  also  natives  of  Kentucky.  The 
father,  who  was  a  farmer  by  occupation, 
brought  his  family  to  this  state  in  1839,  and 
first  located  in  Edgar  county,  where  he 
spent  nine  years.  He  then  returned  to 
Kentucky,  where  he  lived  until  1864,  and 


at  the  end  of  that  time  came  to  Champaign 
county,  and  settled  on  a  farm  north  of 
Blue  Mound,  where  he  made  his  home  un- 
til called  from  this  life  November  27,  1880, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-two  years.  He  was 
buried  on  his  farm  with  Masonic  honors, 
being  a  member  of  that  fraternity.  From 
boyhood  he  held  membership  in  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church,  and  from  the  age 
of  fourteen  years  his  wife  has  also  been  a 
consistent  and  faithful  member  of  the  same 
church.  On  the  2nd  of  April,  1900,  she 
will  be  eighty-five  years  of  age,  but  is  now 
in  feeble  health.  Of  her  it  might  be  truth- 
fully said  that  she  "has  fought  a  good 
fight,  finished  her  course  and  kept  the 
faith."  Her  father  was  Thornton  Wills, 
who  belonged  to  a  family  noted  for  the 
number  of  its  members  and  longevity.  He 
was  a  farmer  and  freeholder  of  Kentucky. 
He  died  during  the  Civil  war  and  the  ne- 
groes owned  by  him  were  distributed 
among  his  children,  stipulating  in  his  will 
that  none  should  be  sold  outside  the  family. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  lived  to  be  eighty-three 
years  of  age,  were  devout  and  earnest 
Christians,  and  very  influential  in  church 
matters.  Of  their  thirteen  children  six  are 
still  living,  namely:  Kittie,  wife  of  Arthur 
Everman;  Caroline,  wife  of  Richard  John- 
son; Simpson;  Rev.  Greenberry;  William, 
and  Elizabeth,  now  Mrs.  Battershell. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  oldest  in 
a  family  of  thirteen  children;  John  E.,  the 
next  in  order  of  birth,  died  in  boyhood; 
Sarah  is  the  wife  of  Jefferson  Toland,  of 
Urbana;  Mary  E.  is  the  wife  of  Gibson 
Everman,  of  Kentucky;  Sanford  A.  married 
LethaNaylor  and  lives  in  Montana;  Amanda 
is  the  widow  of  Charles  Case,  and  makes 
her  home  in  Kansas;  Simpson  married  Mary 
Berry,  sister  of  our  subject's  wife,  and  lives 


234 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


in  Henning,  Illinois;  Nancy  is  the  wife  of  R. 
Hudson,  a  teamster  of  Urbana;  Rosella  is 
the  wife  of  Samuel  Everman,  of  Kentucky; 
Catherine  is  the  wife  of  J.  P.  Bartles,  post- 
master of  Dewey,  Illinois;  Daniel  T.  mar- 
ried Margaret  Brookbanks  and  lives  in  Kan- 
sas; and  two  died  in  infancy. 

James  Battershell  was  six  years  of  age 
when  he  accompanied  his  parents  on  their 
removal  to  this  state,  and  amid  pioneer 
scenes  he  grew  to  manhood,  while  his  edu- 
cation was  obtained  in  the  district  schools. 
On  starting  out  in  life  for  himself  he  en- 
gaged in  farming,  to  which  pursuit  he  had 
been  reared,  and  has  followed  that  occupa- 
tion both  in  Champaign  and  Vermilion 
counties.  He  has  met  with  marked  success 
in  his  life-work,  and  is  now  the  owner  of 
one-half  section  of  land  under  a  high  state 
of  cultivation  and  well  improved  with  good 
and  substantial  buildings.  In  connection 
with  general  farming,  he  has  followed  stock 
raising  quite  extensively,  but  for  the  past 
three  years  has  rented  his  farm  and  lived  a 
retired  life  in  Urbana. 

In  Powell  county,  Kentucky,  Mr.  Bat- 
tershell was  married,  July  27,  1854,  to  Miss 
Rebecca  T.  Matzabaugher,  a  daughter  of 
David  and  Hannah  (Baker)  Matzabaugher, 
in  whose  family  were  six  children,  the  others 
being  Henrietta,  wife  of  Samuel  Rider,  a 
farmer  of  Indiana;  Lizzie,  wife  of  Joseph 
Birley,  a  farmer  of  Stanton  township,  this 
county;  Susie,  who  was  married  three  times, 
and  lives  in  Wisconsin;  Margaret,  wife  of 
Henderson  Scott,  a  carpenter  of  Rantoul 
township,  this  county;  and  Hannah,  widow 
of  Joseph  James.  Mrs.  Battershell  was 
born  February  16,  1839,  and  died  August 
4,  1883.  She  held  membership  in  the 
Christian  church  and  was  a  most  estimable 
lady. 


By  his  first  marriage  our  subject  had  ten 
children,  namely:  (i)  Elizabeth,  born  March 
2,  1856,  died  July  14,  1862.  (2)  William 
C.,  born  July  1 1,  1858,  died  August  7,  1872. 
(3)  Sarah  V.  is  the  wife  of  J.  H.  Johnson, 
of  Urbana,  and  they  have  seven  children, 
Hannah  T. ,  Jessie,  Norman,  Isabel,  Lot- 
tie M.,  Rolley  E.  and  Allie  M.  (4) 
Davis  S.,  who  operates  his  father's 
farm,  married  Laura  Atkinson,  and  they 
have  five  children,  Earl  V.,  Goldie,  Pearl, 
Jessie  and  an  infant.  (5)  John  W.  married 
Laura  B.  Berry,  and  follows  farming  in 
Crawford  county,  Illinois.  They  had  five 
children,  James  E. ;  Oscar,  deceased;  Jose- 
phine; Ransom,  and  Gladys.  (6)  Isabel  is 
the  wife  of  William  Kirkpatrick,  of  State 
Line,  Indiana,  and  they  have  three  children, 
Leroy,  Minnie  M.  and  an  infant.  (7)  George 
W.  married  Rilla  Divens  and  is  a  farmer  of 
State  Line.  (8)  Erne  J.  is  the  wife  of 
Charles  Thornsborough,  of  Jamesburg,  Ver- 
milion county,  and  they  have  four  children, 
Phoebe,  Nellie,  Banner  and  an  infant.  (9) 
Charles  E.  is  a  farmer  of  Jamesburg.  (10) 
Rebecca  T.  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Battershell  was  again  married,  Feb- 
ruary 12,  1884,  his  second  union  being  with 
Mrs.  Martha  (Berry)  Davis,  a  daughter  of 
William  P.  and  Nancy  (Hulce)  Berry,  of 
Clark  county,  Kentucky,  where  they  are 
still  living  at  the  ages  of  seventy-two  and 
seventy  years  respectively.  Their  children 
are  Mary,  wife  of  Simpson  Battershell,  a 
brother  of  our  subject;  Martha,  wife  of  our 
subject;  Barbara  Ann,  widow  of  James 
Anderson  and  a  resident  of  Potomac;  Sarah 
E.,  wife  of  Achilles  Ware,  a  farmer  of  Ver- 
milion county,  Illinois;  Candace,  wife  of 
William  Newman,  of  Missouri;  Josephine, 
wife  of  W.  T.  Roberts,  of  Vermilion  coun- 
ty; David  H.,  who  married  Lizzie  Lee, 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


'235 


and  lives  in  Clark  county,  Kentucky;  and 
Laura  Bell,  wife  of  John  Battershell,  a 
farmer  of  Crawford  county,  Illinois.  Mrs. 
Battershell  first  married  Jefferson  Davis, 
who  died  March  4,  1871,  at  the  age 
of  twenty-five  years,  leaving  one  child, 
Samuel  J.,  a  resident  of  Iowa,  who  mar- 
ried Minnie  Brown,  of  Ogden,  Illinois, 
and  has  two  children,  Eva  and  Paul.  Our 
subject  and  his  wife  are  both  active  mem- 
bers of  the  Disciples  church,  and  he  is  a 
supporter  of  the  Prohibition  party.  During 
his  long  residence  in  this  county  he  has 
championed  every  movement  designed  to 
promote  the  general  welfare,  has  supported 
every  enterprise  for  the  public  good,  and 
has  materially  aided  in  the  advancement  of 
all  social  and  moral  interests.  After  a  use- 
ful and  honorable  career  he  can  well  afford 
to  lay  aside  all  business  cares  and  live  in 
ease  and  retirement. 


JOHN  TIERNEY.  Few  citizens  of  Cham- 
paign are  better  known  or  more  thor- 
oughly respected  than  John  Tierney,  who 
has  made  his  home  here  for  nearly  three  dec- 
ades. He  was  born  in  County  Monahan, 
Ireland,  in  November,  1848,  a  son  of  Peter 
and  Anna  (Murphy)  Tierney,  who,  like  their 
ancestors  for  many  generations,  were  natives 
of  the  same  county  and  fanners  by  occupa- 
tion. When  John  Tierney  was  about  a  year 
old,  his  parents  came  to  the  United  States, 
but  left  him  in  the  care  of  a  relative  until 
such  a  time  as  they  had  founded  a  home  and 
had  made  some  provision  for  the  future. 
The  father  was  accidentally  killed  while  as- 
sisting in  the  removal  of  the  state  house 
stairs,  at  Springfield,  Illinois,  about  1854, 
and  the  mother  continued  to  make  her  home 
in  that  city  until  her  death. 


When  he  was  three  years  old,  our  sub- 
ject was  brought  to  the  United  States,  and 
in  the  public  schools  of  Springfield  he  ac- 
quired his  education.  When  he  was  old 
enough,  he  commenced  serving  an  ap- 
prenticesjhip  to  the  carpenter's  trade,  and 
continued  in  that  calling  in  Springfield  until 
1871,  when  he  took  up  his  permanent  abode 
in  Champaign.  Here  he  assisted  in  the 
building  of  a  mill  and  elevator  for  Richards 
Brothers,  and  was  employed  in  the  construc- 
tion of  the  main  building  of  the  university. 
Then  he  was  connected  with  the  carpenter 
shops  of  the  Big  Four  Railroad  for  a  period 
of  nine  years,  after  which  he  resumed  his 
work  for  the  university,  and  for  the  past  fif- 
teen years  has  been  regularly  employed 
there.  At  the  time  he  went  back  to  this  in- 
stitution, he  supposed  that  the  tasks  set  be- 
fore him  would  occupy  him  for  a  few  days 
only,  but  he  has  been  kept  busy,  with  re- 
pairing, when  nothing  else  more  important 
was  on  the  docket,  and  this  fact  speaks 
volumes  for  the  thoroughness  of  all  work 
performed  by  him,  showing  that  his  fidelity 
is  appreciated.  He  is  a  practical  cabinet 
maker,  and  often  has  turned  out  fine  speci- 
mens of  furniture,  book-cases,  tables,  desks 
and  cupboards,  used  in  the  various  depart- 
ments of  the  college. 

Several  years  ago,  Mr.  Tierney  pur- 
chased two  lots  at  the  corner  of  White  and 
Sixth  streets.  The  small  house  which  stood 
upon  this  property  he  replaced  in  1895  with 
a  beautiful  modern  residence,  and,  with  his 
family,  has  taken  great  pleasure  in  improv- 
ing the  place,  now  considered  one  of  the 
finest  homes  on  the  east  side  of  the  city. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias, 
being  past  chancellor  of  his  lodge  and  repre- 
sentative to  the  grand  lodge,  and  he  also 
belongs  to  the  Uniformed  Rank  of  this  order. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


Besides,  he  is  associated  with  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America,  the  Court  of  Honor 
and  the  Royal  Neighbors.  In  local  affairs 
he  is  independent  of  party,  but  in  national 
elections  he  votes  the  Democratic  ticket. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Tierney  and  Sarah 
Harding  took  place  February  5,  1874. 
Their  eldest-born,  John  H.,  a  graduate  of 
the  Champaign  schools,  is  now  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  cigars  here.  George  H. . 
Margaret,  Myrtle  M.  and  Jennie  B.  are  at 
home.  Mrs.  Tierney  is  a  daughter  of  James 
and  Margaret  (Crane)  Harding,  natives  of 
England  and  Ireland,  respectively.  They 
were  married  at  Hoboken,  New  Jersey,  and 
there  the  father  died.  The  widow  and  her 
daughter  came  to  this  city  in  1862,  and  here 
the  latter  was  educated.  She  is  identified 
with  the  Baptist  church  of  Urbana,  and  is 
deeply  interested  in  all  kinds  of  Christian 
and  benevolent  work. 


EDWARD  W.  BLAINE.  In  reviewing 
the  history  of  Champaign  county  it  is 
seen  that  the  Blaine  family  has  been  actively 
associated  with  its  upbuilding  and  improve- 
ment for  thirty-five  years,  and  that  no  more 
patriotic  citizens  have  dwelt  within  its  bor- 
ders. The  subject  of  this  article,  whose  life 
has  been  devoted  to  agricultural  pursuits 
since  he  cast  in  his  lot  with  us,  just  after  the 
close  of  the  great  Civil  war,  is  now  retired 
from  active  labor,  and  is  quietly  passing  his 
.declining  years  in  Champaign,  where  he  has 
a  pleasant  home. 

The  paternal  grandparents  of  E.  W. 
Blaine  came  westward  from  the  vicinity  oi 
Carlisle,  Pennsylvania,  to  what  afterwards 
was  known  as  Armstrong  county,  same  state, 
and,  having  cleared  a  large  homestead, 


gradually  amassed  a  competence.  The 
parents  .of  E..W.,  William  and  Elizabeth 
(Wiggins)  Blaine,  were  both  natives  of  the 
Keystone  state,  and  passed  through  all  of 
the  experiences  incident  to  pioneer  life. 
They  lived  upon  a  farm  in  the  midst  of  the 
forest,  which  gradually  was  leveled  by  the 
untiring  labors  of  the  father  and  his  sons, 
while  they  not  only  raised  their  own  flax 
and  wool,  but  spun  and  wove  it  into  cloth, 
thus  providing  for  the  needs  of  a  large  family. 
The  wife  and  mother  was  called  to  her  re- 
ward when  she  was  fifty-four  years  of  age, 
but  the  father  lived  to  the  advanced  age  of 
ninety.  He  accompanied  our  subject  to 
this  county  in  1865,  and,  buying  a  home- 
stead, continued  to  dwell  thereon  until  his 
life  came  to  a  close.  Eleven  of  his  twelve 
children  attained  maturity,  namely:  James, 
Eliza,  Edward  W.,  John,  Ellen,  Deborah, 
Jennie,  Nancy,  Isabella,  Margaret  and 
Hattie.  Of  these,  Ellen,  Nancy  and  John 
are  deceased. 

Edward  W.  Blaine  was  born  in  Arm- 
strong county,  September  21,  1825,  and,  as 
may  be  supposed,  his  educational  advan- 
tages, as  he  grew  up,  were  extremely  limited, 
being  confined  to  a  few  terms  at  subscrip- 
tion schools.  On  the  farm  he  learned  the 
lessons  of  husbandry  and  economy,  of  in- 
dustry and  fortitude,  that  have  been  potent 
factors  in  his  later  success.  Then,  for 
several  years,  he  engaged  in  the  heavy  work 
of  teaming  for  the  local  furnaces,  hauling 
ore  and  timber,  after  which  he  went  to  the 
oil  regions  in  Mercer  county,  and  found  em- 
ployment there  in  various  lines  until  1865, 
when  he  came  to  Champaign  county,  and 
invested  some  of  his  earnings  in  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  of  land,  situated  upon 
section  27.  The  property  was  uncultivated, 
and  with  resolute  energy  the  young  man  be- 


E.  W.  BLA1XE. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


239 


gan  to  improve  the  place,  which  in  time  was 
made  to  "bloom  and  blossom  as  the  rose.'1 
At  the  end  of  ten  years,  he  had  prospered  so 
greatly  that  he  purchased  sixty  acres  more, 
and  this,  also,  he  vastly  improved,  using 
excellent  judgment  in  the  raising  of  crops, 
and  materially  increasing  the  value  of  the 
homestead  by  judicious  expenditure.  The 
place  is  to-day  considered  one  of  the  best  in 
this  part  of  the  county,  and  it  annually  yields 
a  good  income  to  the  fortunate  owner. 
Though  frequently  urged  to  accept  public 
office,  Mr.  Blaine  had  no  desire  to  enter 
politics,  though  he  was  commissioner  of 
highways  two  terms,  and  for  sixteen  years 
acted  efficiently  as  a  member  of  the  school 
board.  His  ballot  was  always  devoted  to  the 
support  of  the  Republican  party.  The  mar- 
riage of  E.  W.  Blaine  and  Nancy  Adams,  a 
native  of  Armstrong  county,  and  daughter  of 
William  Adams,  was  solemnized  in  1859. 
Mr.  Adams  was  a  tanner  by  trade,  and 
owned  one  of  the  largest  tanneries  in  Arm- 
strong county.  Mrs.  Blaine,  who  was  mar- 
ried subsequent  to  her  father's  death,  was 
the  second  of  his  six  children.  The  two 
elder  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Blaine,  Ida 
and  William,  died  when  eight  and  six  years 
of  age,  respectively.  Shields  A.,  the  next 
*n  order  of  birth,  and  now  living  with  his 
father,  holds  the  responsible  position  of  tel- 
ler in  the  First  National  Bank  of  this  city, 
and  Walter,  who  is  a  prominent  physician 
of  Tuscola,  Illinois,  is  a  graduate  of  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania.  The  mother 
departed  this  life  in  1870.  The  second 
marriage  of  E.  W.  Blaine  took  place  in 
March,  1873,  when  Miss  Sarah  Wilson, 
daughter  of  James  Wilson,  of  Armstrong 
county,  became  his  bride.  Their  eldest- 
born,  Wilson,  now  carries  on  the  old  Cham- 
paign county  homestead.  Edith,  wife  of 


Harvey  English,  resides  in  Champaign  town- 
ship, this  county,  and  has  one  child,  Ruth. 
Edna  keeps  house  for  her  father,  since  the 
death  of  Mrs.  Blaine,  who  was  called  to  the 
better  land  on  the  28th  of  August,  1899,  and 
was  placed  to  rest  in  beautiful  Mount  Hope 
cemetery.  Both  she  and  our  subject  have 
long  been  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
church. 

In  the  winter  of  1899-1900,  Mr.  Blaine 
erected  an  attractive  modern  home  on  Uni- 
versity avenue,  Champaign,  and  here, 
cheered  and  cared  for  by  his  loving  sons 
and  daughters,  he  hopes  to  pass  his  remain- 
ing years  in  the  enjoyment  of  well  deserved 
prosperity. 


JAMES  McCANN,  a  prominent  manu- 
facturer of  Champaign,  is  especially  de- 
serving of  a  place  in  the  records  of  his 
county  and  country,  because  of  the  terrible 
sufferings  which  he  endured  in  order  that 
the  Union  might  be  preserved.  While  it  is 
true  that  the  liberal  humanitarianism  of  to- 
day benevolently  advocates  that  the  veil  of 
charity  be  thrown  over  the  past — over  the 
dreadful  Civil  war,  and  this  is  well,  for  no 
one  having  the  welfare  of  our  beloved  land 
sincerely  at  heart  desires  to  foster  sectional 
feeling — yet  the  lessons  to  be  drawn  from 
that  dark  page  in  the  nation's  history  cannot 
be  too  djeeply  felt,  and  justice  to  all  demands 
that  the  horrors  of  war,  especially  war  be- 
tween brothers  of  the  same  great  American 
family,  should  be  pointed  out  in  a  forcible 
manner  occasionally,  "lest  we  forget,"  and 
growing  proud  of  our  boasted  unity,  again 
fall  into  the  awful  strife  of  less  than  four 
decades  ago. 

James  McCann  was  born  in    Carlinford, 
Ireland,  November  25,  1842,  a  son  of  Mur- 


240 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


tagh  and  Alice  (Murphy)  McCann,  both  of 
whom  were  natives  of  the  county  of  Louth. 
In  1849,  they  removed  with  their  children 
to  the  United  States,  and  located  on  a  farm 
'  near  Glenville,  New  York.  There  the 
father  died  in  1869,  and  the  mother  de- 
parted this  life  in  1884.  Both  were  mem- 
bers of  the  Catholic  church,  and  enjoyed 
the  respect  of  all  who  knew  them. 

As  stated  above,  James  McCann  was  but 
ten  years  of  age  when  he  became  a  resident 
of  the  country  for  whose  sake  he  was 
destined  to  suffer  and  do  so  much.  He  was 
educated  in  the  schools  of  Glenville,  and 
learned  lessons  of  patriotism  which  have 
proved  the  basis  of  his  conduct  through 
life,  and  have  rendered  him  a  citizen  of 
whom  his  adopted  land  is  proud.  He  was 
not  yet  twenty  years  of  age,  when,  upon 
the  7th  of  August,  1862,  he  enlisted  as  a 
private  in  Company  A,  One  Hundred  and 
Thirty-fourth  New  York  Volunteer  Infantry. 
The  ensuing  fall  and  winter,  the  regiment 
was  drilled  for  future  service  at  Arlington 
Heights  and  at  Fairfax  Court-house,  later 
taking  part  in  some  minor  skirmishes  and 
military  maneuvers.  The  first  very  import- 
ant battle  in  which  Mr.  McCann  partici- 
pated was  that  of  Chancellorsville.  He 
and  his  comrades  were  ordered  to  carry  one 
hundred  and  sixty  rounds  of  ammunition 
and  eight  days'  rations,  besides  an  extra 
change  of  clothing,  for  otherwise,  the 
forces  had  only  a  few  army  mules  to  convey 
needful  supplies.  The  march  was  a  very 
severe  one  for  the  men,  who  were  on  short 
rations,  and  more  heavily  weighed 
down  with  luggage,  proportionately,  than 
the  mules.  The  battle  began  on  May  ist, 
and  Hobker,  addressing  his  command, 
stated  that  they  had  "  bagged  the  enemy," 
—that  "  for  the  first  time  in  the  history  of 


the  war  the  rebels  must  come  out  and  fight 
instead  of  attacking  them  in  their  breast- 
works." At  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
of  Saturday,  what  was  known  as  Barlow's 
Brigade  (the  only  English-speaking  brigade 
in  the  whole  army  corps),  which  included 
Mr.  McCann's  regiment,  was  sent  upon  a 
reconnoissance,  and  within  an  hour  cap- 
tured a  Confederate  regiment  which  had 
been  hemmed  in  between  a  Maine  regiment 
and  the  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-fourth 
New  York.  Barlow's  troops  continued 
their  march  southward  until  eight  o'clock, 
when  they  were  commanded  to  return,  but 
not  to  their  recently  occupied  camp,  for 
Stonewall  Jackson  had  taken  possession  of 
that,  in  the  meantime,  with  such  of  their 
supplies  as  they  had  left.  The  battle  raged 
furiously  on  the  next  day  (Sunday),  Bar- 
low's regiments  being  on  the  extreme  left  of 
the  forces.  During  the  battle  -of  Gettys- 
burg, Mr.  McCann  fought  hard  for  several 
hours  on  the  opening  day  of  that  decisive 
engagement,  but,  when  the  evening  shad- 
ows were  falling,  he  was  taken  prisoner, 
and,  with  his  comrades,  was  started  upon  a 
weary  three  hundred  miles  march  to  Stan- 
ton,  West  Virginia,  whence  he  was  trans- 
ferred by  train  to  Belle  Isle  Prison,  near 
Richmond.  The  poor  boys  were  stripped 
of  their  accoutrements,  knapsacks,  blankets, 
shoes  and  money,  and  were  left  with  merely 
their  shirts  and  trousers,  and  with  what 
despair  did  they  drag  themselves,  weak 
from  want  of  food  and  forced  marches 
through  the  fierce  July  heat  of  that  south- 
ern clime,  to  the  prison  at  Belle  Isle,  where 
they  arrived  on  the  24th  of  the  month.  At 
this  time  their  rations,  served  once  a  day, 
at  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  consisted  of 
a  small  piece  of  baker's  bread — a  piece  so 
tiny  that  it  could  be  squeezed  into  a  lump 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


241 


that  might  be  concealed  in  a  man's  hand — 
a  bit  of  meat  the  size  of  a  man's  thumb, 
and  a  small  cup  of  rice  soup.  The  prison- 
ers became  so  weak  and  ill  from  their  hard 
treatment  that  the  majority  lay  on  their 
backs  in  their  tents  from  one  meal  until  the 
next,  and,  dizzy  and  fainting,  dared  not 
move  suddenly,  and  could  hardly  totter  a 
few  yards  without  falling.  The  long  months 
of  torture  dragged  away,  and  on  February 
17,  1864,- two  thousand  of  the  prisoners 
were  told  to  prepare  to  be  exchanged. 
Hope  and  fear  struggled  in  their  hearts,  for 
they  had  learned  by  intolerable  experiences 
to  believe  little  of  what  their  harsh  jailers 
told  them. 

Passing  rapidly  over  the  story  of  the 
next  few  days,  when  the  poor  captives 
struggled,  against  almost  overwhelming 
physical  weakness,  to  march  to  the  cars, 
Mr.  McCann,  among  others,  being  kicked 
viciously  by  the  guard  as  he  passed  through 
the  doorway  of  the  prison,  where  they  prayed 
for  death  as  the  unwelcome  truth  was  forced 
upon  them  that  they  were  being  conveyed 
further  into  the  enemy's  stronghold,  away 
to  the  south — they  at  last  arrived  at  Ander- 
sonville — soon  to  be  known  as  one  of  the 
most  flourishing  suburbs  of  the  region  com- 
manded by  his  Satanic  majesty.  Fora  few 
months  the  prison  was  in  charge  of  an  officer 
who  possessed  some  of  the  attributes  of  a 
human  being,  but  on  the  ist  of  May  that 
new  incarnation  of  Mephistopheles,  the  in- 
famous Colonel  Wirtz,  was  placed  in  com- 
mand. The  "dead-line" — forty  feet  or  so 
from  the  stockade  walls,  was  instituted,  and 
any  one  who  inadvertantly  crossed  the 
boundary  was  shot  without  notice.  About 
the  ist  of  September  the  word  for  which 
he  and  his  comrades  hourly  watched  and 
prayed,  came  —  that  they  were  to  be  ex- 


changed. They  were  assured  that  this  was 
the  truth,  and  pen  can  not  portray  the  piti- 
ful struggles  of  the  poor,  starved  men  as 
they  tried  to  stagger  to  the  southern  gate  of 
the  pens,  and  thence  to  the  railroad  station 
— many  of  them  falling,  time  and  again,  and 
crawling  upon  hands  and  knees.  Taken  to 
Savannah,  two  thousand  of  them  were  con- 
fined in  very  limited  quarters,  or  pens,  for 
four  weeks,  and  then  conveyed  on  the  Gulf 
Railroad  ninety  miles  to  a  station  called 
Blackshare.  For  two  weeks  they  were  en- 
camped in  the  woods,  and  the  only  rations 
which  they  were  given  were  a  few  scraps  of 
bread,  which  the  inhabitants  of  that  region 
were  forced  to  provide,  and  then,  once  more, 
came  the  cheering  news  of  an  exchange. 
One  thousand  men  were  to  be  put  on  this 
list,  according  to  the  initial  of  their  sur- 
names. Imagine  the  despair  of  the  brave 
soldiers  whose  names,  unfortunately,  com- 
menced with  one  of  the  last  letters  of  the 
alphabet,  and  picture  the  feelings  of  Mr. 
McCann,  whose  suspense  was  as  bad  as  was 
that  of  those  whose  fate  was  absolutely  de- 
cided! Seemingly,  fortune  smiled  at  last 
upon  him,  for  his  name  was  called,  and,  aft- 
er an  address  had  been  made  to  the  happy 
men,  in  which  they  were  assured  that  this 
was  to  be  a  bona  fide  exchange,  and  that 
they  would  be  foolish,  for  that  reason,  to 
.  undertake  to  escape  in  the  open  country, 
even  though  there  were  not  sufficient  guards 
accompanying  them  to  prevent  this,  per- 
haps, as  they  (the  Confederate  officers)  were 
just  then  short  of  guards — the  Union  men 
started  back  to  Savannah,  and  while  being 
removed  from  the  cars  were  cursed  and 
kicked  by  the  officers,  until  they  arrived 
at  their  destination,  the  station  where  they 
supposed  they  were  to  take  the  train  for  the 
north.  On  the  way  to  Wilmington, 


242 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


whither  they  were  being  transferred,  Mr. 
McCann  became  very  ill,  partly  owing  to 
the  fact  that  he  was  convinced  by  a  few 
things  that  no  exchange  of  prisoners  was 
meditated.  Ft.  Fisher  was  being  bombarded 
when  they  reached  Wilmington,  and  from 
Thursday  morning  until  Sunday  evening 
the  prisoners  were  kept  moving  about,  from 
place  to  place,  with  guards.  Then  followed 
a  forced  march,  and,  after  going  five  miles, 
over  almost  impassable  roads,  our  subject 
was  forced  to  drop  out  by  the  wayside  from 
sheer  exhaustion.  The  land -was  swampy 
and  so  covered  with  water  that  he  could  not 
lie  down,  and,  as  he  rested  his  head  against 
a  tree,  and  watched  his  poor,  emaciated 
comrades  file  by  in  the  semi-darkness,  he 
cared  little  how  soon  death  should  release 
him.  The  guards  who  brought  up  the  rear 
carried  lighted  pine  knots,  and,  as  he  had 
not  been  able  to  drag  himself  more  than  a 
few  feet  from  the  highway,  they  discovered 
him,  and  by  all  manner  of  threats  tried  to 
compel  him  to  resume  his  journey.  Failing 
in  this,  they  coolly  proposed  shooting  him, 
and  when  it  was  seen  that  death  had  no 
terrors  for  the  almost  dead  man,  they  final- 
ly assisted  him  upon  a  horse  and,  with  some 
fifty  other  comrades,  he  was  carried  to  and 
from  the  train  which  bore  them  to  Goldsboro, 
on  stretchers.  When  lying  upon  the  ground, 
partially  conscious,  the  kind  sisters  of  char- 
ity ministered  to  him,  reviving  him  with  a 
draught  of  sweet  milk,  and  then  his  senses 
left  him,  and  he  remembers  little  of  the 
period  which  then  followed,  when  he  was  in 
the  hospital.  At  last, he  heard  voices  speak- 
ing about  a  proposed  exchange  of  prisoners, 
and  he  made  what  he  believed  was  his  dying 
request — that  he  might  be  one  of  the  favored 
ones,  that  he  might  be  allowed  to  die  be- 
neath the  flag  for  which  he  had  suffered 


years  of  martyrdom.  So  earnestly  did  he 
plead  that  he  obtained  the  boon  he  sought, 
and  was  included  in  the  exchange,  March  4, 
1865.  Sent  to  Wilmington,  he  had  a  re- 
lapse of  fever  there,  and  was  obliged  to  re- 
main in  the  hospital,  while  his  heart  was 
near  to  breaking  with  homesickness  and  the 
desire  to  set  foot  upon  northern  soil  again. 
Before  he  was  able  to  sit  up,  he  embarked 
on  a  steamer  bound  for  Annapolis,  and  there 
was  placed  in  the  hospital.  The  poor  fellow 
was  nothing  but  a  skeleton,  and  it  required 
long  and  patient  nursing  to  restore  him  to 
a  tithe  of  .his  former  strength.  One  of  his 
nurses  was-a  comrade  who  had  fought  beside 
him  on  that  dread  day  at  Gettysburg — that 
day  when  the  two  years  of  unimagined  hor- 
rors of  his  captivity  had  commenced.  Pass- 
ing rapidly  over  the  necessarily  long  period 
of  convalescence,  suffice  it. to  say  that  he  re- 
ceived his  honorable  discharge  from  the  ser- 
vice, July  3,  1865,  and  celebrated  the 
"glorious  Fourth"  in  true  thankfulness  of 
heart,  and  with  the  conviction  that  the  peace 
which  had  come  at  last  to  the  nation  had 
been  dearly  purchased. 

Returning  to  his  home  in  the  Empire 
state,  Mr.  McCann  commenced  learning  the 
trade  which  he  has  pursued  ever  since.  He 
was  employed  in  a  broom  factory  at  Sche- 
nectady  for  several  years,  and  thoroughly 
mastered  the  business,  also  paying  some  at- 
tention to  the  raising  of  broom  corn.  On 
the  22d  of  February,  1882,  he  came  to 
Champaign  county,  and  for  two  years  de- 
voted his  time  to  the  raising  of  the  product 
mentioned,  upon  Colonel  Arthur's  farm. 
During  the  winter  of  1885-6  he  embarked 
in  the  manufacturing  of  brooms  at  Cham- 
paign, taking  his  brother  Edward  into  part- 
nership with  him.  They  have  succeeded  in 
building  up  a  paying  business,  and,  as  they 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


245 


are  the  only  ones  engaged  in  this  line  in  the 
county,  they  command  a  large  share  of  the 
local  trade,  shipping  to  dealers  at  various 
points.  The  methods  of  the  firm  are  thor- 
oughly satisfactory  to  the  public,  and  a 
prosperous  future  is  before  the  brothers. 

Though  Mr.  McCann  desired  a  home 
long  before  he  saw  fit  to  establish  one,  he 
waited  until  he  felt  that  his  health  had  be- 
come fully  restored,  and  that  his  business 
prospects  justified  him  in  taking  the  step. 
He  was  married,  December  29,  1875,  to 
Miss  Elizabeth  A.  Seeley,  of  Schenectady. 
They  have  three  children,  Mary  Elizabeth, 
Jessie  Seeley  and  Arthur  James.  Mrs.  Mc- 
Cann is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
church. 

In  his  political  standing,  our  subject  is 
independent,  though  he  believes  in  the  pol- 
icy of  the  Republican  party,  on  the  whole, 
and  usually  votes  for  its  nominees.  He  has 
a  warm  place  in  his  large,  manly  heart  for 
the  boys  who  wore  the  blue,  and  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Colonel  Nodine  Post,  G.  A.  R.  Re- 
ligiously, he  adheres  to  the  faith  of  his  boy- 
hood, and  is  identified  with  St.  Marys 
church. 


TUELL  M.  BACON,  who  is  a  captain 
in  the  fire  department  at  Champaign, 
and  is  a  very  popular  citizen  of  that  place, 
is  a  native  of  Illinois,  his  birth  having  oc- 
curred near  Lodi,  Vermilion  county,  Jan- 
uary 25,  1858.  His  ancestors  were  early 
settlers  in  this  state,  and  did  much  toward 
the  development  of  its  resources  and  the 
establishment  of  those  institutions  and  forms 
of  government  which  have  been  notable 
factors  in  its  success. 

Rev.  Elijah    Bacon,  grandfather  of  our 
subject,  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Chris- 


man,  Edgar  county,  Illinois.  Having  bought 
a  tract  of  government  land  there  he  pro- 
ceeded to  improve  and  cultivate  the  desira- 
ble farm  which  he  made  of  the  property. 
Indians  were  numerous  and  wild  game  was 
very  abundant  when  he  took  up  his  abode  in 
those  prairies,  and,  needless  to  say,  he  and 
his  loved  ones  suffered  many  privations. 
He  was  a  faithful  minister  of  the  Methodist 
denomination,  and  traveled  far  and  wide  in 
the  early  days,  carrying  the  messages  of  the 
gospel  to  the  hardy  pioneers.  Having  been 
industrious  and  diligent  in  business,  he  died, 
leaving  a  goodly  estate,  but,  better  far  than 
that,  he  left  the  record  of  a  life  well  spent. 

Henry  M.  Bacon,  father  of  our  subject, 
was  born  in  Edgar  county,  in  1826,  and 
there  passed  his  boyhood.  He  learned  the 
blacksmith's  trade,  and  became  a  skilled 
wagonmaker  as  well.  He  married  Adeline 
Hartman,  of  Vermilion  county,  Illinois,  and 
established  a  home  in  that  county.  When 
his  country  was  in  peril  he  volunteered  his 
services,  and  bidding  farewell  to  his  wife 
and  two  little  ones,  went  forth  to  battle  for 
the  land  he  loved.  He  faithfully  performed 
every  duty  assigned  him,  and  took  part  in 
some  notable  military  campaigns,  but  finally 
was  laid  low  by  typhoid  fever,  and  died  in 
March,  1863,  at  Murfreesboro,  Tennessee. 
His  widow  bravely  took  up  the  double  duty 
which  destiny  had  allotted  to  her,  and  reared 
her  children  with  tender  love  and  regard  for 
their  future.  That  they  might  have  better 
opportunities,  she  removed  to  Champaign  in 
1867,  and  continued  to  dwell  here  until  she 
was  called  to  her  reward,  October  10,  1899. 
She  was  a  member  of  the  First  Baptist 
church,  and  the  influence  of  her  lovely  Chris- 
tian life  over  the  minds  of  every  one  who 
knew  her  cannot  be  over-estimated. 

When  his  father  went  to  the  front  dur- 


244 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ing  the  Civil  war,  our  subject  was  a  small 
boy,  too  young  to  fully  realize  what  it 
meant.  He  lived  in  the  little  town  of  New- 
port, Illinois,  until  1867,  and  was  educated 
in  its  schools  and  those  of  Champaign. 
When  starting  out  to  earn  his  own  liveli- 
hood, he  became  a  clerk  in  a  local  store, 
and  continued  in  similar  positions  until 
1886,  when,  in  partnership  with  his  brother 
G.  N.,  he  embarked  in  the  furniture,  and 
undertaking  business,  at  Oregon,  Illinois. 
They  succeeded  in  building  up  a  large  and 
remunerative  business,  but  in  October, 
1889,  our  subject  sold  his  interest  to  his 
brother,  and,  returning  to  Champaign,  soon 
became  associated  with  Louis  Mittendorf, 
in  the  same  line  of  business.  Their  fine 
rooms  on  Main  street  were  well  equipped 
with  all  grades  of  furniture,  suited  to  the 
trade,  and  Mr.  Bacon,  being  a  practical 
undertaker,  with  a  state  license  to  that 
effect,  was  kept  busy  in  that  department 
much  of  the  time.  In  1895  ne  s°ld  out  to 
Charles  A.  Kiler,  and  for  eighteen  months 
manufactured  a  kitchen  cabinet,  a  patented 
article.  This  enterprise  not  proving  suf- 
ficiently remunerative,  he  retired  from  the 
business,  and  in  January,  1898,  opened  a 
furniture  store  at  No.  1 5  Walnut  street, 
later  disposing  of  this,  also. 

In  politics  Mr.  Bacon  is  a  Republican, 
and  for  two  years  was  alderman  of  the  third 
ward,  having  been  elected  upon  the  citizens' 
ticket,  and  during  that  period  marked  im- 
provements in  the  lines  of  sewers  and  street 
paving  were  inaugurated.  When  the  local 
hose  carts  of  the  fire  department  here  were 
pulled  by  men,  he  identified  himself  with  a 
company  and  later  was  chosen  as  captain. 
In  short,  he  has  loyally  aided  in  many  of 
the  movements  and  enterprises  which  have 
materially  built  up  the  city  and  brought 


prosperity  within  its  borders.  Fraternally, 
he  stands  high  in  the  Odd  Fellows  society, 
being  past  grand  of  Lodge  No.  333,  and 
past  chief  patriarch  of  the  encampment,  as 
well  as  past  representative  to  the  grand  en- 
campment of  the  state.  He  also  has  been 
captain  of  the  Uniform  Rank  of  the  order 
and  is  past  sachem  in  the  order  of  Red 
Men.  At  one  time  he  was  appointed  to  act 
as  a  trustee  of  the  Odd  Fellows  property, 
and  in  many  ways  he  has  had  honor  and 
responsibility  thrust  upon  him.  Faithfully 
has  he  performed  every  duty,  both  as  a 
citizen,  a  brother  in  the  various  fraternities 
with  which  he  has  been  affiliated,  and  in 
the  home  circle,  where,  above  all,  he  finds 
his  truest  joy. 

Fifteen  years  ago,  in  this  city,  Mr. 
Bacon  married  Miss  Margaret  Early,  and 
their  union  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of 
three  children,  namely:  Paul,  Noah  and 
Eudora.  In  1895,  Mr.  Bacon  built  a  modern 
and  very  attractive  house  at  No.  308  South 
Randolph  street,  and  since  that  time  has 
made  substantial  improvements,  beautifying 
the  grounds  and  adding  to  its  desirability. 


ZT.  GENSEL.  This  gentleman  is  en- 
titled to  distinction  as  one  of  the  most 
progressive  and  enterprising  citizens  of  Ur- 
bana,  and  for  almost  ten  years  has  been 
identified  with  the  upbuilding  and  develop- 
ment of  the  Twin  cities.  Upon  the  busi- 
ness activity  of  a  community  depends  its 
prosperity,  and  the  men  who  are  now  recog- 
nized as  leading  citizens  are  those  who  are 
at  the  head  of  extensive  business  enterprises. 
Mr.  Gensel  is  a  man  of  broad  capabilities 
who  carries  forward  to  successful  comple- 
tion whatever  he  undertakes. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


245 


He  was  born  in  Pickaway  county,  Ohio, 
March  21,  1857,  and  he  is  a  son  of  Samuel 
and  Catherine  (Schoch)  Gensel,  also  natives 
of  that  county,  where  they  continued  to 
make  their  home  until  November  20,  1862, 
when  they  removed  to  Wells  county,  Indi- 
ana, and  took  up  their  residence  on  a  farm. 
The  mother  died  in  1895  at  tne  aSe  °f  fifty- 
two  years,  but  the  father  is  still  living  and 
makes  his  home  in  Urbana.  They  had  six 
children,  namely:  Margaret,  wife  of  A.  S. 
Connaught,  a  farmer  of  Stanton  township, 
this  county;  Z.  T. ,  our  subject;  Eveline, 
wife  of  John  Cobbum,  a  farmer  of  Wells 
county,  Indiana;  Clara,  wife  of  Theodore 
Taylor,  a  farmer  of  the  same  county;  Ella, 
wife  of  W.  F.  Survey,  a  cigar  manufacturer 
of  Champaign;  and  Charles  F.,  who  mar- 
ried Mattie  McFarland,  and  is  engaged  in 
the  grocery  business  at  corner  Main  and 
Market  streets. 

Mr.  Gensel,  of  this  review,  was  reared 
on  the  home  farm  and  continued  his  resi- 
dence in  Wells  county,  Indiana,  until  1891, 
when  he  came  to  Urbana,  Illinois,  and  en- 
gaged in  contracting  and  building.  He  also 
does  architectural  drawing  and  planning, 
and  has  erected  some  of  the  largest  build- 
ings in  the  county,  often  having  as  high  as 
seven  houses  under  construction  at  the  same 
time.  As  the  leading  contractor  and  build- 
er in  the  Twin  cities,  he  does  a  most  exten- 
sive business,  and  among  the  many  build- 
ings he  has  erected  in  the  county  is  the 
business  block  for  Mr.  Busey  at  Penfield. 
and  the  residences  of  Mrs.  M.  M.  Russell, 
B.  F.  Boggs  and  C.  F.  Hunt.  In  1898  he 
also  embarked  in  the  lumber  and  coal  busi- 
ness. He  carries  all  kinds  of  building  ma- 
terials and  has  the  exclusive  right  in  the  sale 
of  alabaster  cement  wall  plaster  in  Cham- 
paign and  Urbana.  It  is  acknowledged  to 


be  the  best  material  of  the  kind  ever  pro- 
duced and  is  a  comparatively  new  article  of 
commerce.  During  the  past  season  Mr. 
Gensel  sold  one  hundred  and  twenty  tons  of 
the  alabaster,  including  that  used  in  the 
construction  of  the  German  church  built  by 
F.  I.  Peterson. 

In  1881,  Mr.  Gensel  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Eliza  J.  Hanes,  a  daughter 
of  Joseph  and  Margaret  Hanes,  of  Wells 
county,  Indiana.  Her  father  died  from 
disease  at  Knoxville,  Tennessee,  while  a 
soldier  of  the  Civil  war,  but  her  mother  is 
still  living  and  continues  to  make  her  home 
in  Reiffsburg,  Wells  county,  Indiana.  Mrs. 
Gensel  has  one  brother,  Abraha-n  Hanes, 
who  married  Ella  Rose  and  follows  farming 
in  that  county.  Jennie  May,  the  only  child 
born  to  our  subject  and  his  wife,  died  in  in- 
fancy. Mr.  Gensel  has  found  in  his  wife  a 
sympathetic  companion,  who  takes  an  act- 
ive interest  in  his  affairs  and  does  all  in  her 
power  to  aid  him.  In  business  circles  he 
stands  deservedly  high,  and  as  a  citizen  he 
enjoys  the  confidence  and  respect  of  his 
fellow  men  to  a  marked  degree. 


JAMES  FITZGERALD,  one  of  the  wor- 
thy pioneers  of  Champaign  county,  is  a 
native  of  Ireland,  his  birth  having  occurred 
in  county  Carey  seventy  years  ago.  His 
father,  Thomas  Fitzgerald,  departed  this 
life  at  his  old  home  in  the  Emerald  Isle,  but 
the  mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Mar- 
garet Maher,  crossed  the  ocean  with  her 
sons,  and  became  a  resident  of  Boston, 
where  she  died  a  few  years  later. 

When  he  was  a  young  man  of  twenty, 
perhaps,  James  Fitzgerald  went  to  New 
York  and  found  employment,  and  subse- 


246 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


quently  worked  in  Vermont  and  New  Jer- 
sey. When  the  Illinois  Central  railway 
was  in  process  of  construction,  he  became 
associated  with  the  undertaking,  and  worked 
with  a  party  of  civil  engineers  on  the  line 
from  Chicago  to  Kankakee,  until  1854, 
when  he  was  sent  to  Champaign  to  assume 
charge  of  the  engine  house  at  this  point. 
There  were  but  three  houses  upon  the  site 
of  the  future  town,  and  no  streets  had  been 
made,  and  thus  he  has  witnessed  its  growth 
from  its  very  infancy.  With  F.  F.  Walker, 
he  justly  claims  the  honor  of  being  the  old- 
est resident  of  the  place,  now  one  of  the 
large  and  flourishing  towns  of  Illinois.  Dur- 
ing the  fourteen  years  of  his  service  for  the 
Illinois  Central  he  was  stationed  at  various 
places,  Mattoon  and  other  towns  along  the 
line,  and  had  he  so  desired,  he  might  have 
continued  with  the  company  for  many  years 
more.  However,  he  wished  to  become  in- 
dependent, and,  having  carefully  saved  his 
earnings,  he  invested  a  certain  amount  in 
eighty  acres  of  land  situated  in  Raymond 
township.  The  property,  which  was  un- 
broken prairie,  he  soon  reduced  to  cultiva- 
tion, making  desirable  improvements,  and 
subsequently  he  increased  the  dimensions 
of  his  farm  to  9ne  hundred  and  sixty  acres. 
By  a  judicious  expenditure  of  money,  in 
tiling  and  ditches,  he  greatly  added  to  the 
value  of  the  place,  and  for  several  years  he 
was  successfully  engaged  in  stock  raising. 
He  still  owns  the  homestead,  and  al-so  is  in 
possession  of  his  present  place  of  abode, 
No.  60 1  East  White  street,  Champaign. 

For  a  companion  and  helpmate,  Mr. 
Fitzgerald  chose  Margaret  Kime,  of  this 
vicinity.  She  is  a  native  of  Ireland,  but 
spent  most  of  her  girlhood  in  Ohio.  Of  the 
nine  living  children  of  our  subject  and  wife, 
Thomas,  John,  Jerry,  Patrick  and  William 


live  upon  the  farm  and  are  successfully  en- 
gaged in  agriculture.  Mary  is  the  wife  of  J. 
Gorman,  and  Maggie  is  the  wife  of  John 
Wiggins.  Honora  is  the  youngest  of  the 
family,  and  unmarried. 

James  Fitzgerald  and  wife  have  been 
identified  with  St.  Mary's  Catholic  church 
from  its  early  history,  and  attended  mass 
when  services  were  held  at  private  houses 
in  his  neighborhood.  He  was  present  when 
the  first  collection  was  taken  towards  the 
house  of  worship,  beneath  whose  roof  thou- 
sands of  communicants  have  since  as- 
sembled, and  from  that  day  to  the  present 
has  been  generous  in  his  contributions  to 
the  church.  He  deserves  great  credit  for 
the  success  which  he  has  achieved  by  hard 
and  persevering  labor,  and  every  one  who 
knows  him  has  a  tribute  of  praise  for  him, 
as  a  citizen,  neighbor  and  head  of  a  family. 


JAMES  M.  CRAIG.  The  deserved  re- 
ward of  a  well-spent  life  is  an  honored 
retirement  from  business,  in  which  to  enjoy 
the  fruits  of  former  toil.  To-day,  after  a 
useful  and  beneficial  career,  Mr.  Craig  is 
quietly  living  at  his  elegant  home  at  601 
West  Springfield  avenue,  Champaign,  sur- 
rodnded  by  the  comfort  that  earnest  labor 
has  brought  to  him. 

He  was  born  in  Franklin  township,  Arm- 
strong county,  Pennsylvania,  May  27,  1839, 
a  son  of  John  and  Eliza  (Huston)  Craig. 
The  Craig  family  came  to  this  country  from 
Scotland  in  1684,  to  escape  persecution,  and 
located  in  eastern  Pennsylvania.  Our  sub- 
ject's great-grandfather,  John  Craig,  and 
his  family  were  among  the  first  twelve  fam- 
ilies to  cross  the  mountains  and  settle  in 
Armstrong  county,  in  1792.  He  was  cap- 


JAMES  M.  CRAIG. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


249 


tain  in  the  militia  and  superintended  the 
building  of  the  block  house  there  as  a 
place  of  safety  in  time  of  Indian  troubles. 
At  that  time  some  of  the  men  were 
placed  on  guard  while  others  worked 
in  the  fields  to  prevent  an  attack  from 
the  red  men.  Mr.  Craig  was  probably 
a  soldier  of  the  Revolutionary  war.  He 
was  also  a  surveyor  and  did  a  great  deal  of 
surveying  in  western  Pennsylvania  during 
those  early  days  when  all  the  salt  and  flour 
used  by  the  settlers  was  packed  across  the 
mountains  on  horses.  He  located  at  what 
is  now  Freeport,  thirty-five  miles  up  the 
Allegheny  river  from  Pittsburg,  but  the  lat- 
ter city  had  not  yet  sprung  into  existence. 
Samuel  Craig,  our  subject's  grandfather,  was 
a  child  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  on 
their  removal  to  western  Pennsylvania  and 
in  the  midst  of  the  primitive  scenes  of  fron- 
tier life  he  grew  to  manhood.  He  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation  and  was  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  Presbyterian  church  in  that 
section.  He  wedded  Mary  Milligan,  a 
daughter  of  Samuel  Milligan,  who  located 
there  later.  Samuel  Craig  died  in  1865,  at 
the  age  of  eighty- five  years,  while  his  father, 
John  Craig,  lived  to  the  advanced  age  of 
ninety-seven  years.  The  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, who  also  bore  the  name  of  John  Craig, 
was  born  in  Franklin  township,  Armstrong 
county,  Pennsylvania,  March  30,  1809,  and 
was  there  reared  to  farm  life.  Although  he 
did  not  aspire  to  public  honors,  he  was 
often  called  to  fill  different  local  offices. 
He  owned  a  fine  farm  of  two  hundred  acres, 
upon  which  he  lived  until  seventy-four  years 
of  age,  and  then  removed  to  Worthington, 
Pennsylvania,  to  spend  his  last  days  in  re- 
tirement from  active  labor,  dying  there  in 
February,  1894.  His  wife  died  in  February, 

1900,  at  that  place.      She  was  born  in  Phil- 
is 


adelphia,  October  10,  1806,  and  was  five 
years  old  when  her  family  removed  to  Arm- 
strong county,  her  father  being  Samuel 
Huston,  a  farmer  and  pioneer  of  that  region. 
Both  parents  of  our  subject  were  faithful 
and  consistent  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
church,  and  the  father  served  as  elder  for 
forty  years. 

James  M.  Craig,  whose  name  introduces 
this  sketch,  received  a  good  practical  edu- 
cation in  the  common  schools  of  his  native 
county.  He  remained  at  home  until  six- 
teen years  of  age,  and  then  went  to  live 
with  his  grandfather,  while  he  rented  and 
successfully  operated  his  farm.  On  the 
7th  of  February,  1861,  he  married  Miss 
Margaret  A.  Blaine,  a  daughter  of  William 
Blaine,  and  a  sister  of  Mrs.  J.  G.  Clark. 
They  continued  to  reside  upon  his  grand- 
father's farm  for  four  years,  but  in  Decem- 
ber, 1864,  came  to  Champaign  county,  Illi- 
nois. 

The  first  year  spent  here,  Mr.  Craig 
rented  a  farm  south  of  Champaign,  and 
then  located  on  the  half-section  belonging 
to  his  brother-in-law,  J.  G.  Clark,  operat- 
ing it  on  a  salary  for  two  years,  at  the  end 
of  which  time  he  purchased  sixty  acres  on 
section  27,  Champaign  township.  At  that 
time  it  was  entirely  unimproved,  but  he 
erected  a  small  house  thereon,  and  to  its 
further  improvement  and  cultivation  de- 
voted his  energies  for  two  years.  He  then 
returned  to  Mr.  Clark's  farm,  and  in  part- 
nership with  that  gentleman  engaged  in 
raising  broom  corn  for  three  years.  The 
following  year  he  worked  in  an  elevator  in 
Champaign,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time, 
when  Mr.  Clark  rented  the  Arthur  farm  of 
two  sections,  he  located  thereon  and  oper- 
ated it  as  superintendent  on  a  salary  for 
seven  years.  On  resigning  his  position,  he 


250 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


purchased  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  on 
section  23,  Champaign  township,  and  moved 
to  that  place.  Subsequently  he  bought  one 
hundred  acres  on  section  27,  which  he  im- 
proved, and  later  bought  forty  acres  more 
on  the  same  section,  but  sold  his  first  pur- 
chase of  sixty  acres  which  he  owned  up  to 
this  time,  and  later  bought  a  quarter-sec- 
tion on  section  23,  adjoining  his  farm.  He 
has  since  sold  some  of  his  land  and  traded 
other  tracts,  but  still  owns  a  half  section  of 
land,  which  is  well  tilled  and  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation.  Upon  the  place  are 
two  sets  of  farm  buildings  and  many  mod- 
ern improvements,  including  a  fine  country 
home  and  large  barn.  This  desirable  farm 
is  pleasantly  located  only  three  miles  from 
Champaign,  and  is  now  a  very  valuable 
place.  Mr.  Craig  also  owns  a  farm  in  In- 
diana. For  many  years  he  was  success- 
fully engaged  in  mixed  farming  and  raised 
all  kinds  of  fine  stock  for  practical  pur- 
poses, but  in  1898  he  removed  to  the  city, 
where  at  that  time  he  owned  a  good  home, 
but  has  since  erected  a  beautiful  home, 
which  is  artistically  and  elegantly  finished 
and  furnished. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Craig  have  six  children 
living,  namely:  William,  an  attorney  of 
Champaign,  who  is  now  serving  as  state  in- 
spector of  loan  and  building  associations, 
Hattie  E.,  wife  of  Samuel  A.  Harrison, 
principal  of  a  school  in  Chicago;  John  C. ,  a 
merchant  of  Reimersburg,  Pennsylvania; 
Nellie,  wife  of  T.  P.  Chester,  of  Champaign 
township;  Roy  V.,  a  grocer  and  hardware 
merchant  of  Wingate,  Indiana;  and  Jennie 
A.,  at  home.  The  children  were  all  pro- 
vided with  good  school  privileges.  The 
parents  are  both  members  of  the  Congrega- 
tional church  and  are  highly  respected  by  all 
who  know  them.  Politically  Mr.  Craig  is  a 


Republican.  He  has  always  taken  a  deep 
and  commendable  interest  in  educational 
affairs,  served  as  school  director  for  twelve 
or  fifteen  years,  and  was  also  township 
trustee  of  schools.  He  is  now  a  director  of 
the  Pesoturn  Mutual  Insurance  Company, 
organized  by  the  farmers  and  chartered  un- 
der the  state  law.  He  is  enterprising  and 
progressive  and  is  an  earnest  supporter  of 
every  measure  for  the  public  good. 


BERNARD  HANNAN.  The  life  of  this 
sterling  citizen  of  Champaign  should 
prove  an  incentive  to  every  ambitious  young 
man  who  is  starting  out  to  fight  the  battles 
with  poverty  and  circumstances.  Almost 
anything  may  be  accomplished  with  sufficient 
pluck  and  energy,  and  to-day  the  subject  of 
this  article  is  in  the  possession  of  a  comfort- 
able fortune,  as  the  direct  result  of  years  of 
industry  and  well  directed  efforts. 

His  parents,  Andrew  and  Mary  (Glynn) 
Hannan,  resided  in  the  vicinity  of  Dublin, 
Ireland,  until  1847,  when  the  former  came 
to  the  United  States,  and  located  in  Hoosic 
Falls,  New  York,  where  the  family  joined 
him  within  a  year.  He  was  a  poor  man, 
and  worked  for  from  eight  to  thirteen  dol- 
lars a  month  and  board,  for  several  years, 
yet,  nevertheless,  managed  to  save  a  portion 
of  his  earnings.  About  1850,  the  family 
moved  to  Illinois,  by  way  of  the  great  lakes 
to  Chicago,  and  thence  to  Peru,  by 
the  Chicago  &  Michigan  canal.  The 
father  died  at  his  old  home  in  Peru,  in  1882, 
and  the  mother  survived  until  1890.  They 
were  pioneer  members  of  the  Catholic 
church  at  LaSalle,  where  they  attended 
mass  in  an  old  log  church  for  some  years. 
The  father  was  a  model  citizen,  and,  unlike 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


251 


the  majority  of  the  hardy  frontiersmen,  who 
were  obliged  to  contend  against  many  of  the 
privations  of  which  the  present  generation 
know  nothing,  he  never  consumed  a  drop  of 
liquor,  no  matter  how  terrible  a  storm  he 
may  have  passed  through  when  out  upon 
the  bleak  prairies. 

Bernard  Hannan  was  born  near  Dublin 
in  1845,  and  was  a  small  child  when  he 
came  to  this  country.  He  obtained  some- 
thing of  an  education  in  the  Peru  schools, 
and  for  several  years  after  completing  his 
studies  he  found  employment  on  boats  on 
the  Illinois  and  Mississippi  rivers,  going  only 
as  far  south  as  Memphis.  In  1870,  he  came 
to  Champaign  county,  where  he  operated  his 
father's  farm  for  a  few  years,  then  invested  . 
some  of  his  hard-won  earnings  in  a  farm  of 
eighty  acres.  This  property  was  not  espe- 
cially desirable  at  that  time,  for  the  prairie 
was  unbroken,  and  only  the  highest  parts 
could  be  cultivated  successfully,  as  the  low 
lands  were  covered  with  water  much  of  the 
time.  With  characteristic  energy  he  began 
making  improvements,  putting  in  tiling  and 
wide  ditches,  erecting  a  farm-house  and 
other  substantial  buildings,  and  planting  an 
orchard  and  setting  out  trees.  In  time  he 
added  to  his  original  tract  of  land,  until  his 
homestead  comprised  two  hundred  and  forty 
acres,  all  of  which  he  succeeded  in  render- 
ing productive,  by  the  proper  tiling  and  cul- 
tivation. As  an  instance  of  what  the  pioneer 
of  early  days  had  to  contend  against,  it  may 
be  said  that  sometimes,  when  the  roads 
were  well  nigh  impassable,  he  would  hitch 
four  horses  upon  the  two  hind  wheels  of  his 
wagon,  and  try  to  reach  Champaign,  sixteen 
miles  distant,  in  order  to  obtain  necessary 
provisions,  and  frequently  he  was  not  able 
to  make  the  round  trip  in  a  day.  For  a 
number  of  years  he  was  extensively  engaged 


in  the  raising  of  live  stock,  chiefly  hogs,  and 
from  this  source  alone  made  a  good  in- 
come. 

Mr.  Hannan  continued  to  dwell  upon 
that  farm  until  1892,  when  he  removed  to 
Champaign,  and,  building  a  beautiful  mod- 
ern residence,  at  the  corner  of  Springfield 
and  Fifth  avenue,  proceeded  to  enjoy  the 
fruits  of  his  former  years  of  toil.  He  later 
sold  his  homestead  for  twenty  thousand  dol- 
lars, or,  what  amounted  to  the  same  thing, 
took  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land 
in  the  same  neighborhood  and  ten  thousand 
dollars  in  exchange  for  his  old  farm.  Lately 
he  invested  in  a  farm  of  two  hundred  acres 
of  land  in  Douglas  county,  paying  sixteen 
thousand  dollars  for  the  property. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Hannan  and  Olive 
J.  Conner  took  place  at  Ivesdale,  Septem- 
ber 27,  1877.  Her  home  was  at  Monti- 
cello,  Illinois.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Ab- 
ner  and  Rachel  Conner,  the  former  a  native 
of  Townelton,  Virginia,  and  the  latter  of 
Pickaway  county,  Ohio.  He  is  now  deceased. 
They  came  to  this  state  in  1850  and  were 
honored  early  settlers  of  Monticello.  They 
were  the  parents  of  five  children,  of  whom 
Edward  was  a  member  of  the  class  of  1890 
of  the  University  of  Illinois.  Mary  is  at 
home.  Andrew  died  in  1891.  Alice  died 
November  28,  1898,  and  Joseph,  born  De- 
cember 31,  1889,  is  at  home.  On  the  isth 
of  June,  1892,  Mr.  Hannan  married  Mrs. 
Bridget  Barry,  widow  of  David  Barry,  and 
daughter  of  John  and  Kate  (Naughton) 
Graney,  of  county  Galway,  Ireland.  They 
lived  in  Hudson,  New  York,  where  Mrs. 
Hannan  was  born,  and  later  came  to  this 
state,  residing  in  Centralia  and  other  places. 
Mr.  Hannan  and  family  are  members  of  St. 
Mary's  Catholic  church,  and  formerly  were 
identified  with  the  congregation  at  Ivesdale, 


252 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


where  they  were  numbered  among  the  early 
members.  They  are  liberal  contributors  to 
religious  and  benevolent  enterprises  and  are 
ever  ready  to  lend  a  helping  hand  to  the 
poor  and  unfortunate. 


ANDREW  J.  LINDSTRUM,  superin- 
tendent of  the  almshouse  of  Champaign 
county,  has  proven  himself  to  be  just  the 
right  man  for  this  exceedingly  difficult  and 
responsible  position.  He  is  strictly  honorable 
and  upright  in  all  his  dealings  with  his  fellow- 
men,  and  possesses  wisdom  and  practical 
experience  far  beyond  his  years.  Keen  and 
energetic  and  far-sighted,  he  keeps  his  busi- 
ness affairs  well  in  hand,  and  is  giving 
general  satisfaction  to  all  concerned. 

Mr.  Lindstrum  is  a  native  of  Sweden, 
his  birth  having  occurred  in  the  city  of 
Stockholm,  April  10,  1868.  He  was  bereft 
of  his  father,  Gustav  Lindstrum,  when  he 
was  an  infant  of  some  six  months,  and  the 
responsibilities  of  life  were  much  sooner 
resting  upon  his  youthful  shoulders  as  a 
result.  The  father  was  a  young  man  of 
great  promise,  in  a  commercial  way,  and 
had  already  made  an  enviable  reputation  as 
an  iron  broker  in  Stockholm,  as  he  had 
built  up  a  large  and  paying  trade  in  that 
metal,  buying  and  selling  it  in  great  quanti- 
ties. His  widow,  whose  maiden  name  had 
been  Caroline  Indros,  subsequently  became 
the  wife  of  Axel  Lindstrum,  and  seven  chil- 
dren were  born  to  that  union,  all  surviving. 
In  1882  the  family  came  to  the  United 
States,  and  since  that  time  the  parents  and 
younger  children  have  dwelt  in  Paxton, 
Illinois. 

According  to  the  custom  prevailing  in  his 
native  land,  Andrew  J.  Lindstrum  was  set 


to  work  at  a  trade  as  soon  as  he  left  school. 
It  was  destined  that  he  should  be  a  ship 
carpenter,  and  he  commenced  the  mastery 
of  the  calling  only  to  be  interrupted  by  the 
family  immigrating  to  America  when  he  was 
fourteen  years  old.  He  remained  at  home 
in  Paxton  for  about  a  year,  and  then,  hav- 
ing gained  some  knowledge  of  the  English 
language,  he  started  out  to  make  his  own 
way  in  the  world  independently.  For  three 
years  he  found  employment  with  farmers, 
and  then,  becoming  more  ambitious  and 
adhering  to  the  usages  of  his  homeland,  he 
again  commenced  learning  a  trade,  this  time 
that  of  a  plumber.  At  the  expiration  of 
three  years  spent  in  that  occupation,  he  re- 
turned to  Champaign  county,  and  accepted 
a  place  on  the  farm  of  Robert  Morris. 

In  1894  Mr.  Lindstrum  became  assist- 
ant to  Mr.  Bengtson,  superintendent  of  the 
county  poor  farm,  and  during  the  ensuing 
three  years  was  so  thoroughly  trustworthy, 
capable  and  reliable  that  it  is  not  strange 
that  his  name  should  have  been  proposed 
for  the  office  of  superintendent  when  the 
question  of  candidates  for  the  place  came 
before  the  board  of  supervisors.  Not  the 
least  of  his  qualifications,  of  course,  was  his 
experience  and  knowledge  of  the  proper 
way  to  meet  the  various  practical  questions 
constantly  coming  to  the  manager  of  this 
institution,  and  the  wisdom  of  the  board's 
choice  has  been  amply  shown.  Four  years 
have  passed  away,  and  every  department  of 
the  almshouse  work  is  progressing  favor- 
ably. The  farm,  which  comprises  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  fine,  fertile 
land,  is  situated  about  one  mile  east  of  the 
court-house.  Both  hay  and  grain,  as  well 
as  other  crops,  are  raised  in  large  quantities, 
arid  at  the  present  time  there  are  fifteen 
head  of  cattle,  five  horses  and  about  one 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


253 


hundred  hogs  upon  the  place.  The  main 
building,  which  does  credit  to  the  county, 
is  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  dimensions, 
while  the  annex,  devoted  to  the  use  of  the 
feeble-minded  inmates,  is  an  "  L"  shaped 
structure,  each  side  of  the  "  L"  being  sixty- 
eight  by  thirty-eight  feet  in  size.  The 
average  number  of  inmates  of  the  infirmary 
is  sixty,  a  large  proportion  of  them  being 
feeble-minded  or  demented. 

In  the  manifold  and  perplexing  duties 
which  devolve  upon  Mr.  Lindstrum,  he  is 
greatly  aided  by  his  estimable  wife,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Christina  Bengtson.  She 
is  a  niece  of  the  late  superintendent  of  the 
almshouse,  and  her  marriage  to  our  subject 
took  place  April  15,  1894,  the'  ceremony 
being  performed  by  the  Rev.  J.  F.  Mills,  of 
the  First  Baptist  church  of  Urbana.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Lindstrum  are  members  of  the 
Lutheran  denomination. 

Fraternally,  o,ur  subject  is  a  member  of 
Urbana  Lodge,  No.  157,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and 
of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  Po- 
litically, he  is  a  stanch  believer  in  the 
platform  and  principles  of  the  Republican 
party,  and  loyally  upholds  the  laws  and 
government  of  the  land  of  his  adoption. 


JAMES  MUNHALL,  a  retired  business 
man  and  sterling  pioneer  of  Urbana,  is 
weil  entitled  to  representation  in  tr^  annals 
of  Champaign  county.  Born  in  Cumber- 
land county,  Pennsylvania,  September  20, 
1825,  he  is  a  son  of  James  and  Catherine 
(Solanders)  Munhall,  natives,  respectively, 
of  Pennsylvania  and  Germany.  In  1831  the 
worthy  couple  removed  to  Holmes  county, 
Ohio,  where  the  father  bought  a  tract  of 
government  land,  and  continued  to  dwell 
until  his  death,  when  in  his  eighty-second 


year.  Both  were  members  of  the  Presby- 
terian church,  though  for  over  thirty  years 
the  father  was  a  class-leader  and  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  The  wife 
and  mother,  who  was  an  exemplary  Chris- 
tian woman,  was  about  ninety  years  of  age 
at  the  time  of  her  demise.  One  of  the 
great  and  almost  insupportable  sorrows  of 
their  lives  was  the  loss  of  their  two  youngest 
sons,  Henry  and  Francis,  who  died  at  the 
same  time  with  typhoid  fever,  of  which  they 
became  victims  in  Illinois,  whither  they  had 
come  with  a  view  to  making  a  home  here. 
The  eldest  of  the  family,  Mary  Ann,  widow 
of  John  Boyd,  resides  near  Keene,  Ohio, 
now  in  her  eighty-fourth  year.  John,  who 
married  Maria  Eberly,  and  was  a  leading 
member  of  the  Methodist  church,  died  No- 
vember 10,  1899,  aged  eighty-one  years. 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  Liggett,  widow  of  D.  Q. 
Liggett,  of  Wooster,  Ohio,  is  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  church.  Sarah,  wife  of 
Charles  Yocum,  lives  in  Warrenton,  Mis- 
souri. 

Until  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age, 
James  Munhall  gave  his  services  to  his 
father  in  the  general  management  of  the 
home  farm,  but  as  agriculture  was  not  to 
his  taste,  he  then  turned  his  attention  to 
cabinet-making,  serving  a  three  years'  ap- 
prenticeship to  the  trade.  In  the  fall  of 
1850  he  came  to  Urbana,  where  he  found 
steady  employment  as  a  carpenter.  Later 
he  became  interested  in  the  painting  busi- 
ness and  for  many  years  gave  his  time  to 
that  line  of  work,  though  he  was  employed 
to  a  limited  extent  as  a  paper  hanger.  By 
industry  and  diligence  in  business  he  made 
a  competency,  and  by  his  sterling  integrity 
he  won  the  confidence  and  respect  of  every- 
one. At  one  time  he  served  as  a  justice  of 
the  peace  for  four  years,  then  resigning  the 


254 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


position.  While  acting  as  magistrate  he 
performed  the  marriage  ceremony  of  Gen. 
John  C.  Black,  at  the  residence  of  Col- 
onel Busey.  In  politics  he  has  always 
been  a  stalwart  Republican,  and,  in  com- 
pany with  his  wife,  he  belongs  to  the  Order 
of  Good  Templars. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Munhall  and  Nancy 
M.  Webber  took  place  in  November,  1851. 
She  is  a  daughter  of  William  T.  and  Nancy 
Webber,  natives  of  Shelby  county,  Ken- 
tucky, and  Virginia,  respectively.  Mr. 
Webber  was  a  farmer  in  the  Blue  Grass 
state,  and  during  the  war  of  1812  sent  a 
substitute  to  the  army.  In  1833  ne  came 
to  Champaign  county,  and  the  day  after  his  ar- 
rival here  there  was  a  sale  of  town  lots  in  the 
hazel-patchon  which  Urbana  laterwas  built. 
He  located  on  the  property  where  his  son, 
George  G.  Webber,  now  lives,  and  there 
death  claimed  him  when  he  was  in  his 
prime,  fifty-three  years  of  age.  His  wife 
lived  to  reach  her  seventy-fourth  year,  and 
of  their  thirteen  children  only  three  survive, 
namely:  William  H.,  George  G.  and  Mrs. 
Munhall.  Those  deceased  are:  Thompson, 
Jesse  R. ,  Augustin  M.,  John  W.,  Eliza 
Ann,  Frances,  Elizabeth,  Sarah,  Mary  J. 
and  James.  The  parents  were  devout  mem- 
bers of  the  Baptist  church. 

Ten  children  blessed  the  union  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Munhall,  namely:  Sarah  C. ,  wife 
of  Robert  McKee;  Mary  Helen,  deceased; 
Elizabeth,  deceased;  Adelaide,  Mrs.  John 
Evans;  Ella  Josephine,  wife  of  Daniel  Barr, 
a  druggist  of  Braidwood,  Illinois;  Howard, 
of  Oklahoma  territory:  Florence,  wife  of 
G.  E.  Broderick,  of  Decatur,  Illinois;  Henry, 
a  farmer  of  Jasper  county,  Iowa;  Edith, 
who  died  when  four  years  of  age;  and 
Bertha  May,  wife  of  Edward  Craiger,  of 
Urbana. 


CHARLES  A.  HAINES.  The  subject 
of  this  narrative,  one  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful and  progressive  agriculturists  of 
Champaign  county,  has  made  his  special 
field  of  industry  an  eminent  success,  and  is 
now  the  owner  of  a  valuable  farm  of  four 
hundred  acres  in  Compromise  township, 
and  another  of  one  hundred  and  fifty- seven 
acres  in  Champaign  township,  both  well 
improved  and  under  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion. He  now  resides  upon  the  latter, 
which  is  pleasantly  located  on  section  13, 
near  the  city  of  Champaign,  and  is  devoting 
his  time  and  attention  principally  to  the 
dairy  business. 

Mr.  Haines  was  born  in  Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania,  August  8,  1835,  and  is  a  son 
of  Charles  W.  and  Hannah  A.  (Bolt)  Haines, 
also  natives  of  that  city.  The  father  was 
a  well-educated  man  and  for  a  number  of 
years  was  a  teacher  in  the  schools  there  and 
also  a  bookkeeper.  In  1857  he  emigrated 
to  Peoria,  Illinois,  where  he  was  employed 
in  the  census  office  in  1860,  and  in  1871 
came  to  Champaign,  where  his  death  oc- 
curred the  following  year.  Of  his  nine 
children  only  two  survive,  namely:  Charles 
A.,  our  subject;  and  James  B.,  a  painter 
living  in  Chicago,  and  a  veteran  of  the 
Civil  war,  serving  for  eight  months  as  one 
of  the  boys  in  blue  during  that  conflict. 
Another  son,  Theodore,  was  also  in  the 
service  and  died  in  Andersonville  prison. 

Our  subject  is  indebted  to  the  common 
schools  of  Philadelphia  for  his  educational 
advantages,  and  in  that  city  he  learned  the 
art  of  manufacturing  Britannia  metal  ware, 
serving  an  apprenticeship  of  five  years  and 
a  half.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two  years  he 
came  to  Stark  county,  Illinois,  and  from 
there  went  to  Peoria,  where  he  remained 
three  years  as  an  employe  in  a  general  mer- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


255 


cantile    store.       Subsequently    he    spent    a 
short  time  in  Fulton  county,  this  state. 

In  1863,  Mr.  Haines  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Amelia  Taylor,  who  was 
born  in  Peoria  county,  Illinois,  in  1840. 
Her  parents  moved  from  Saratoga  Springs, 
New  York,  to  Peoria  county,  Illinois,  in 
1836,  where  they  passed  away,  he  in 
1854,  she  in  1885.  Mrs.  Haines  has  three 
brothers  and  one  sister  living,  the  former  in 
Peoria  county,  Illinois,  the  latter  in  Iowa. 
Seven  children  have  been  born  to  our  sub- 
ject and  his  wife,  namely:  John  B.,  who 
is  now  married  and  living  on  his  father's 
farm  in  Compromise  township;  Charles  A., 
Jr.,  who  is  a  clerk  in  a  hardware  store 
in  Detroit,  Michigan;  Frank  B.,  who  assists 
his  father  on  the  farm;  Carrie  A.,  at  home; 
Fred  A.,  who  is  a  clerk  with  his  brother  in 
the  hardware  store  in  Detroit;  and  Isaac 
and  Mary,  both  at  home. 

In  1871  Mr.  Haines  removed  with  his 
family  to  this  county  and  purchased  a  farm 
in  Compromise  township.  He  also  opened 
a  general  store  and  served  as  postmaster  at 
Compromise  for  sixteen  years,  being  first 
appointed  by  President  Grant.  He  operated 
that  farm  quite  successfully  for  many  years, 
and  after  making  many  improvements  upon 
the  place,  he  added  to  it  from  time  to  time 
as  his  financial  resources  permitted  until  he 
now  has  a  valuable  farm  of  four  hundred 
acres.  Renting  it  in  1892,  he  purchased  one 
hundred  and  fifty-seven  acresof  land  on  section 
13.  Champaign  township,  and  at  once  located 
thereon.  Here  he  is  now  successfully  en- 
gaged in  the  dairy  business,  keeping  for  that 
purpose  only  the  best  grade  of  cattle.  His 
business  is  steadily  increasing,  and  to  meet 
the  demands  of  his  trade  he  now  has  a  herd 
of  forty  milch  cows  and  keeps  two  wagons 
delivering  the  milk  through  the  city.  He  is  . 


thoroughly  up  to  date  and  has  all  modern 
improvements  needed  in  his  business.  He  is 
now  erecting  an  extensive'milk  house,  and  is 
putting  in  the  latest  improved  separator  and 
engine. 

Politically  Mr.  Haines  is  an  ardent  Re- 
publican, and  though  he  takes  no  active 
part  in  public  affairs  as  a  politician,  he  does 
all  in  his  power  to  promote  the  welfare  of 
his  party  and  insure  its  success.  He  has 
never  cared  for  official  honors,  preferring  to 
give  his  undivided  attention  to  his  business 
interests.  He  is  a  genial,  jovial  gentleman 
whom  it  is  a  pleasure  to  meet,  and  his  circle 
of  friends  seems  only  limited  by  his  circle  of 
acquaintances,  for  he  has  the  confidence  and 
high  regard  of  all  with  whom  he  comes  in 
contact  either  in  business  or  social  life. 


OLIVER  B.  DOBBINS,  LL.  B.,  a 
prominent  young  attorney  of  Urbana, 
Illinois,  was  born  in  Gallatin,  Sumner 
county,  Tennessee,  December  6, 1870,  a  son 
of  Foster  and  Margaret  (Beard)  Dobbins, 
also  natives  of  that  place,  where  they  con- 
tinued to  make  their  home  until  coming  to 
this  county  in  1871.  The  father  engaged 
in  farming  in  East  Bend  township  for  some 
years,  but  is  now  living  a  retired  life  in  Ur- 
bana. The  mother  died  October  24,  1884. 
She  was  a  consistent  and  faithful  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  to  which 
the  father  also  belongs,  although  his  family, 
until  recently,  have  been  strong  Cumberland 
Presbyterians.  The  Dobbins'  were  original- 
ly from  Scotland  and  later  made  their  home 
in  the  north  of  Ireland,  becoming  what  is 
known  as  Scotch-Irish.  James  Dobbins, 
the  great-grandfather  of  our  subject,  was 
one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Sumner  county, 


256 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


Tennessee,  and  as  a  soldier  of  the  Revolu- 
tionary war  he  participated  in  the  battle  of 
Kings  Mountains  under  Sumner.  The  grand- 
father, Henry  Dobbins,  was  born  in  North 
Carolina,  but  during  boyhood  was  taken 
by  his  parents  to  Tennessee.  He  later 
owned  a  plantation  in  Sumner  county  and 
successfully  engaged  in  milling  and  farming. 
His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Hannah 
McMurray,  and  also  belonged  to  an  old 
Southern  family.  Our  subject's  maternal 
grandfather  was1  Richard  Beard,  a  farmer  of 
Sumner  county,  who  was  from  North  Caro- 
lina. He  marridd  Sarah  Wallace,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Joseph  Wallace,  also  of  Scotch  de- 
scent, who  removed  to  Tennessee  at  a  very 
early  day  and  was  there  killed  by  the 
Indians. 

It  was  during  the  infancy  of  our  subject 
that  he  was  brought  to  Illinois,  and  after 
four  years  spent  in  the  western  part  of  the 
state  the  family  removed  to  East  Bend  town- 
ship, Champaign  county,  in  1876.  There  he 
attended  the  country  schools  for  some  time 
and  later  became  a  student  at  the  Normal 
School  in  Normal,  Illinois.  Subsequently 
he  successfully  engaged  in  teaching  in  this 
and  Ford  counties  for  four  years,  during 
which  time  he  began  reading  law  with  Judge 
M.  H.  Cloud,  of  Paxton,  and  then  pur- 
sued a  two  years'  course  in  the  law  de- 
partment of  the  Illinois  Wesleyan  Univer- 
sity, where  he  was  granted  the  degree  of 
LL.  B.  in  1894.  Coming  to  Urbana,  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  Spencer  M.  White, 
and  together  they  have  since  engaged  in 
general  practice,  meeting  with  excellent 
success  from  the  start.  They  have  had  an 
interest  in  probably  as  high  as  fifty  cases  in 
each  term  of  court  for  the  last  few  years, 
and  to-day  rank  among  the  most  able  law- 
yers of  the  city. 


On  the  1 5th  of  December,  1897,  Mr. 
Dobbins  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Edith  Leonard,  of  Gibson  City,  Illinois, 
who  for  three  years  prior  to  her  marriage 
was  a  teacher  in  the  schools  of  Wellington, 
Kansas,  where  her  father  now  lives.  Social- 
ly Mr.  Dobbins  is  a  Master  Mason  and  a 
member  of  Urbana  Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F. , 
while  politically  he  is  an  ardent  Democrat, 
and  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  Demo- 
cratic central  committee.  In  1896  he  was 
the  candidate  of  his  party  for  state's  attor- 
ney. He  possesses  a  good  law  library,  is 
thoroughly  in  love  with  his  profession,  and 
is  eminently  gifted  with  the  capabilities  of 
mind  which  are  indispensable  at  the  bar. 
The  place  he  has  won  in  his  profession  is 
accorded  him  in  recognition  of  his  skill  and 
ability,  and  the  place  he  occupies  in  the 
social  world  is  a  tribute  to  his  genuine  worth'. 


JOEL  V.  WEBSTER  has  demonstrated 
the  true  meaning  of  the  word  success  as 
the  full  accomplishment  of  an  honorable  pur- 
pose. Energy,  close  application,  persever- 
ance and  good  management,  these  are  the 
elements  which  have  entered  into  his  busi- 
ness career  and  crowned  his  efforts  with 
prosperity.  He  is  a  gentleman*  of  much 
more  than  ordinary  information  and  attain- 
ments, is  progressive  and  enterprising,  and 
has  done  much  to  advance  the  general  wel- 
fare and  prosperity  of  his  adopted  county. 
He  still  owns  a  valuable  farm  here  but  is 
now  living  a  retired  life  in  the  city  of  Cham- 
paign. 

Mr.  Webster  was  born  in  Eden  township, 
Erie  county,  New  York,  November  8,  1831, 
a  son  of  \Villiam  S.  and  Katherine  (Bunning) 
Webster,  both  faithful  members  of  the 


J.  V.   WEBSTER. 


HE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


259 


Society  of  Friends  and  highly  respected  by 
all  who  knew  them.  The  father  was  born 
in  New  Jersey,  and  during  boyhood  removed 
with  his  father  to  the  wilderness  of  Western 
New  York,  where  the  latter  improved  a  good 
sized  farm,  spending  the  remainder  of  his 
life  there.  The  father  of  our  subject  died 
in  1863,  the  mother  in  1839. 

Joel  V.  Webster  was  reared  in  his  native 
township  and  began  his  education  in  its  com- 
mon schools.  Subsequently  he  attended 
the  Eden  Academy,  and  successfully  en- 
gaged in  teaching  school  in  that  section  for 
several  terms.  He  commenced  the  study  of 
medicine  in  Boston,  an  adjoining  township, 
and  attended  lectures  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
graduating  from  the  Physo-Medical  College 
in  1852.  Locating  at  White's  Corners,  now 
Hamburg,  New  York,  he  successfully  en- 
gaged in  practice  for  three  years,  but  on  ac- 
count of  failing  health  and  a  hard  country 
ride,  he  had  to  abandon  his  profession,  and 
spent  some  time  in  traveling  in  the  west. 
On  his  return  to  New  York,  he  followed 
farming  with  good  success  for  eight  years, 
when  his  health  again  began  to  fail  and  he 
concluded  a  change  of  location  would  prove 
beneficial. 

After  traveling  several  months,  and  view- 
ing many  places,  their  advantages  and  dis- 
advantages, Mr.  Webster  finally  purchased 
land  in  Champaign  county,  and  moved  there 
in  1869,  locating  in  Crittenden  township, 
where  he  improved  a  tract  of  wild  prairie 
land,  making  it  his  home  until  1894.  From 
his  experience  in  eastern  farming  he  knew 
the  advantages  to  be  derived  from  tile  drain- 
ing. The  first  few  years  spent  here  were 
dry  and  he  did  not  need  tiles,  but  later  came 
wet  seasons,  and  he  saw  that  something 
must  be  done.  At  that  time  there  was  prob- 
ably not  a  thousand  rods  of  tiling  laid  in  the 


county,  but  he  believed  that  without  drain- 
ing much  of  the  land  would  be  useless.  He 
bought  his  first  tile  in  Joilet,  but  could  not 
find  a  man  who  knew  enough  to  dig  a  ditch 
and  lay  it.  Finally  a  company  from  Indi- 
ana started  a  tile  factory  here,  and  believing 
that  they  must  know  something  about  the 
business,  he  engaged  tile  of  them,  but  busi- 
ness was  soon  suspended.  He  finally  secured 
a  man  from  the  factory  to  help  him  tile  his 
farm  and  that  spring  laid  thirteen  hundred 
rods  of  tiling,  which  he  shipped  in  from 
Springfield,  Danville,  Decatur  and  Joilet. 
The  following  fall  he  laid  one  thousand  rods 
more,  and  now  has  about  sixteen  miles  of 
tiling  upon  his  place,  not  an  acre  of  the  land 
but  what  will  produce  a  good  crop  of  wheat 
or  any  other  product.  He  has  invested  a 
large  sum  of  money  in  this  way  and  has  also 
paid  out  one  thousand  dollars  for  large 
ditches  and  outlets.  It  is  one  of  the  best 
drained  farms  in  the  county,  and  being  well 
improved  in  other  respects,  it  is  to-day  a 
most  valuable  and  desirable  place,  compris- 
ing four  hundred  and  eighty  acres,  divided 
into  forty-acre  or  small  lots,  by  hedge  fences 
principally.  There  are  two  deep  wells  up- 
on the  place,  both  operated  by  windmills, 
one  near  the  house  and  the  other  in  the 
center  of  the  farm. 

In  1894  Mr.  Webster  retired  from  active 
labor  and  removed  to  Champaign,  where  he 
is  now  living  retired.  He  has  since  spent 
considerable  time  in  travel.  For  a  quarter 
of  a  century  his  sister,  Eliza  B.,  acted  as 
his  housekeeper,  but  she  died  in  1893.  He 
was  one  of  a  family  of  ten  children,  five  sons 
and  five  daughters,  of  whom  the  following 
are  still  living:  Ira  R.,a  resident  of  Hamburg, 
New  York;  Edwin,  of  Eden,  New  York; 
Joel  V.,  our  subject;  and  Mrs.  Paulina 
Belknap,  of  Eden,  New  York. 


260 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


In  politics  Mr.  Webster  is  a  Democrat, 
and  has  been  a  member  of  the  township 
committee.  He  was  also  supervisor  of  his 
township  for  four  years,  has  championed 
every  movement  designed  to  promote  the 
general  welfare,  has  supported  every  enter- 
prise for  the  public  good,  and  has  material- 
ly aided  in  the  advancement  of  his  county's 
interest.  As  an  intelligent,  well  educated 
and  progressive  man,  he  exerted  a  refining 
influence  over  the  community  in  this  new 
country  on  locating  here,  and  he  is  justly 
numbered  among  its  most  valued  and  useful 
citizens. 


f^EORGE  G.  WEBBER  is  a  sterling 
V_J  member  of  a  family  which  has  been 
represented  in  Champaign  county  since  the 
early  days  of  its  history.  Nearly  all  of  his 
life  has  been  spent  here,  as  he  was  but 
three  years  old  when  his  parents  removed 
to  this  section  with  their  several  children, 
in  1833,  and,  as  is  generally  known,  he  has 
been  identified  with  the  development  of 
Urbana  township  ever  since  his  youth. 

His  grandfather,  Rev.  Philip  Webber, 
was  a  native  of  Virginia,  whence  he  re- 
moved to  Kentucky  with  his  family  at  an 
early  day.  There  he  was  active  as  a  pio- 
neer preacher  of  the  Baptist  church  until 
he  was  summoned  to  his  reward.  Of  his 
six  children,  our  subject's  father,  William 
T.,  was  born  in  Fluvanna  county,  Virginia, 
August  n,  1785.  He  married  Nancy  Bas- 
ket, of  the  same  county,  October  30,  1806, 
and  thirteen  children  were  born  to  them. 
Only  three  of  the  number  survive,  George 
G.,  Mrs.  Munhall,  of  Urbana,  and  W.  H., 
who  is  in  his  seventy-eighth  year,  and,  with 
the  exception  of  twelve  years  spent  in  Col- 


orada  and  Wyoming,  has  dwelt  in  this  local- 
ity since  his  boyhood. 

In  1832  William  T.  Webber  came  to 
Champaign  county  and  bought  six  hundred 
and  forty  acres  of  school  and  government 
land,  situated  in  what  now  is  known  as  Ur- 
bana township.  Returning  to  his  Kentucky 
home,  he  sold  out,  and  returned  to  his  new 
purchase  with  his  family  and  household 
effects  in  1833,  arriving  here  the  day  before 
the  first  sale  of  village  lots  in  the  newly- 
platted  town  of  Urbana.  A  portion  of  this 
property,  indeed,  was  donated  by  Mr.  Web- 
ber, and  the  lots  were  sold  at  prices  rang- 
ing from  five  to  ten  dollars.  He  had  made 
a  few  improvements  upon  his  homestead 
when  death  put  an  end  to  his  labors,  Sep- 
tember 9,  1838.  He  had  served  as  a  jus- 
tice of  the  peace,  assessor  and  in  other  local 
offices,  was  appointed  by  the  state  Legisla- 
ture to  assess  damages  to  property  through 
which  the  canal  passed,  and  during  the  war 
•  of  1812  provided  a  substitute,  because  he 
could  not  leave  his  little  family  unprotected 
and  uncared  for.  He  had  considerable 
knowledge  of  medicine  and  often  acted  in 
the  capacity  of  a  physician  in  the  pioneer 
days.  He  held  the  office  of  deacon  in  the 
Baptist  church  for  many  years,  and  his  wife, 
who  lived  to  be  seventy-one  years  old,  was 
also  a  faithful  member  of  that  denomination. 
George  G.  Webber  was  born  in  Shelby 
county,  Kentucky,  September  3,  1830.  He 
has  followed  agriculture  as  a  means  of  live- 
lihood, and  still  owns  a  part  of  the  old 
homestead  which  belonged  to  his  father — 
about  one  hundred  acres,  located  within 
the  corporate  limits  of  Urbana.  A  street 
in  the  town  is  named  in  honor  of  the  fam- 
ily, and  he  owns  several  pieces  of  residence 
and  vacant  property  here.  He  has  occu- 
pied various  local  offices,  such  as  that  of 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


261 


school  director  and  assessor,  and  in  politi- 
cal affairs  is  a  believer  in  the  platform  of 
the  Democratic  party.  Fraternally,  he  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  order.  The  intol- 
erance and  bigotry  of  denominationalism 
led  him  to  extreme  liberality  in  his  views  on 
religion,  and,  while  he  does  not  altogether 
uphold  the  radical  ideas  of  the  late  Colonel 
Robert  G.  Ingersoll,  he  finds  much  to  ad- 
mire in  them.  He  possesses  an  excellent 
education,  and  in  his  early  manhood  was 
engaged  in  teaching  for  some  time.  By 
well-directed  energy  he  has  greatly  in- 
creased the  value  of  his  homestead,  and  is 
accounted  as  one  of  the  substantial  busi- 
ness men  of  this  locality. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Webber  and 
Martha  McFarland  took  place  June  4,  1852. 
She  is  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Martha 
(Corey)  McFarland,  natives  of  Scotland 
and  Rhode  Island,  respectively.  The 
father  died  in  1879,  aged  sixty-five  years, 
and  the  mother,  who  died  in  1867,  was 
about  sixty  years  old.  They  removed  to 
Illinois  at  an  early  day,  arriving  here  De- 
cember i,  1838,  and  thenceforth  they  were 
interested  in  the  development  of  the  re- 
sources of  this  region.  They  were  the 
parents  of  seven  children,  one  of  whom  is 
deceased.  Daniel  is  a  resident  of  Bloom- 
ington,  Illinois;  Thomas  lives  in  Atlanta, 
this  state;  Robert  is  an  Urbana  citizen; 
Sarah,  widow  of  Philip  Crihfield,  lives  in 
Minier,  Illinois,  and  Cyrus  makes  his  home 
in  Nebraska.  The  parents  were  members 
of  the  Congregational  church. 

The  seven  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Webber  comprise  the  following  named  : 
Flora  M.  and  Laura  B.,  who  are  at  home; 
Fannie  R.,  wife  of  James  Thorp,  of  this 
city,  and  mother  of  one  son,  Charles; 
Frank  B.,  who  wedded  Maggie  McConnell, 


and  has  three  children,  Frank,  Anna  and 
Sadie;  Harry  E.,  who  married  Nellie  Boy- 
sell  and  has  two  children,  Fay  and  Martha; 
Anna  May,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twelve 
years,  and  Fred  T.,  whose  home  is  at  Dan- 
ville, Illinois.  He  chose  Emma  Turnell  as 
a  wife  and  their  children  are  Margaret, 
Harry  and  Frank.  Frank  B.  and  Harry  E. 
Webber  are  well-known  citizens  of  Ur- 
bana. 


BENJAMIN  PENN  PRATHER,  de- 
ceased, for  many  years  a  prominent  and 
successful  farmer  of  Sorner  township,  Cham- 
paign county,  Illinois,  was  born  in  Shiloh, 
Clermont  county,  Ohio,  March  28,  1821, 
and  was  a  son  of  James  and  Sophia  (Penn) 
Prather,  natives  of  Maryland  and  early  set- 
tlers of  the  Buckeye  state. 

At  the  early  age  of  fifteen  years  our  sub- 
ject was  intrusted  with  a  ferry  boat  running 
between  Cincinnati  and  Newport,  Kentucky, 
and  from  that  time  on  was  connected  with 
river  navigation  for  many  years,  enjoying 
the  life  of  a  boatman.  For  twenty  years  he 
was  head  engineer  on  boats  plying  on  the 
Ohio  and  Mississippi  rivers,  and  during  all 
this  time  never  met  with  an  accident. 
While  engineer  on  the  Daniel  Boone,  run- 
ning between  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  Mays- 
ville,  Kentucky,  he  made  the  fastest  time  on 
record  up  to  1890,  if  not  the  fastest  ever 
made. 

In  the  meantime  Mr.  Prather  was  mar- 
ried, September  15,  1846,  at  Felicity,  Ohio, 
to  Miss  Caroline  M.  Stevens,  a  daughter  of 
Silsby  and  Mary  A.  (Graham)  Stevens, 
natives  of  Vermont.  She  is  now  the  only 
one  living  of  their  seven  children,  the  others 
being  Abigail  W. ,  Mary  Ann,  Sarah  J., 
Lydia  Ann,  Aaron  L.  and  James  A.  By  a 


262 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


former  marriage  with  Abigail  Weatherby,  of 
Massachusetts,  the  father  had  three  sons, 
John,  Thomas  and  Ithiel,  all  deceased. 
Silsby  Stevens  was  born  January  5,  1781, 
and  died  about  1858.  Mrs.  Prather's 
paternal  grandfather,  Simon  Stevens,  was 
born  in  Canterbury,  Connecticuit,  December 
5,  1736,  and  was  married  in  1780,  to  Lydia, 
daughter  of  Henry  and  Bethiah  Silsby. 
She  was  born  in  Connecticut,  Septem- 
ber 7,  1847,  and  died  in  Springfield,  Ver- 
mont, February  20,  1781.  Simon  Stevens 
was  a  soldier  of  the  French  and  Indian  war, 
and  in  1758  was  taken  prisoner  by  the  In- 
dians on  Lake  George  and  carried  to  Oswego 
and  Onondaga,  New  York,  where  he  was 
held  a  prisoner  for  over  a  year.  After  en- 
during untold  hardships  he  finally  made  his 
escape.  Later  he  settled  in  the  town  of 
Springfield,  'Vermont.  In  1762  he  was 
made  captain  in  the  militia;  in  1766  he  was 
commissioned  brigade  major  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary war,  and  later  was  made  lieutenant- 
colonel  by  the  Governor  of  Vermont.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Provincial  Congress, 
and  was  the  first  justice  of  the  peace  in 
Springfield,  Vermont,  which  office  he  filled 
for  more  than  half  a  century.  Several  years 
he  represented  his  town  in  the  General  As- 
sembly of  the  state,  and  was  one  of  the 
most  prominent  and  influential  citizens  of 
the  community.  Early  in  life  he  professed 
the  religion  of  Christ,  and  after  an  honor- 
able and  upright  life  passed  away  February 
18,  1817. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Prather  were  born  six 
children,  of  whom  William  T. ,  Jessie  M.  and 
Mrs.  Jennie  P.  Tate  are  all  now  deceased. 
The  living  areas  follows:  (i)  Homer,  a  res- 
ident of  Somer,  was  married  in  December, 
1877,  to  Jessie  Merriott,  who  died  in  May, 
1883,  leaving  two  children:  Paul,  who  is 


now  engaged  in  farming,  and  Maude,  who  is 
attending  the  high  school  of  Urbana.  (2) 
Scott,  a  resident  of  Chicago,  was  married, 
in  November,  1881,  to  Etta  Haley,  and  they 
have  two  children,  Nettie  and  Graham,  who 
are  attending  school  in  that  city.  (3)  Specs 
N.  resides  in  Urbana,  but  still  carries  on  the 
old  homestead  in  Sorners  township,  this 
county.  He  was  married,  September  24, 
1884,  to  Mary  E.  Nye,  and  they  have  three 
children:  Arius  B.,  Darlie  J.  and  Car- 
lisle N. 

After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Prather,  of  this 
review,  made  his  home  in  Shiloh,  Ohio, 
until  June,  1856,  when  he  came  to  Cham- 
paign, Illinois,  and  for  three  years  engaged 
in  the  grain  business  there  with  his  brother- 
in-law,  Mark  Carley.  In  September,  1858, 
however,  he  removed  to  the  farm  which  he 
had  purchased  in  Somer  township,  and  de- 
voted the  remainder  of  his' life  to  agricult- 
ural pursuits.  On  locating  there  the  coun- 
try to  the  north  and  east  of  him  was  an  un- 
broken prairie  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach. 
Wild  flowers  of  all  kinds  bloomed  in  pro- 
fusion, and  the  frequent  prairie  fires  lighted 
up  the  region  round  about,  enabling  them  to 
"read  at, night  while  quite  a  distance  from  the 
burning  district.  The  howl  of  the  prairie 
wolf  often  disturbed  the  slumbers  of  the 
family,  and  animals  would  often  carry  off 
the  young  lambs  when  not  shut  safely  in  the 
fold.  Mr.  Prather  made  many  improve- 
ments upon  his  farm,  and  so  successful  was 
he  in  its  operation  that  he  was  able  to 
leave  his  family  in  comfortable  circum- 
stances. 

Politically  he  was  a  stanch  Republican, 
and  always  an  advocate  of  the  cause  of  right 
and  justice.  He  was  a  sincere  Christian  and 
faithful  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  and  contributed  freely  to  the  support 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


263 


of  all  church  work.  He  was  instrumental 
in  building  the  Carey  Chapel,  which  stands 
near  his  old  home,  and  was  ever  one  of  its 
active  workers.  He  served  as  supervisor 
from  Somer  township  in  1869,  1870  and 
1871,  and  was  a  very  useful  and  active 
member  of  the  board.  He  died  February 
23,  1885,  honored  and  respected  by  all  who 
knew  him.  His  death  was  widely  and 
deeply  mourned,  and  his  memory  will  long 
be  r.evered  by  his  large  circle  of  friends,  as 
well  as  his  immediate  family. 


A  LBERT  G.  CARLE,  deceased,  was 
J\  numbered  among  the  honored  pioneers 
of  Champaign  county,  who  located  in  this 
locality  when  it  was  wild  and  unimproved. 
In  the  work  of  development  he  took  an  act- 
ive part  in  the  early  days  and  aided  in 
opening  up  the  country  to  civilization.  As 
the  years  passed  he  faithfully  performed  his 
duties  of  citizenship  and  his  interest  in  the 
welfare  and  progress  of  the  county  never 
abated.  Becoming  widely  and  favorably 
known  he  made  many  friends,  and  his  death 
was  a  loss  to  the  entire  community. 

Mr.  Carle  was  born  in  Fayette  county, 
Pennsylvania,  April  20,  1822,  and  died  at 
his  home  in  Urbana  township,  Champaign 
county,  Illinois,  March  7,  1881.  He  was 
fifteen  years  of  age  when,  with  his  parents, 
William  and  Sarah  (Dalaney)  Carle,  he  re- 
moved from  his  native  county  to  Franklin 
county,  Ohio,  where  he  aided  in  the  ardu- 
ous task  of  converting  a  timbered  tract  into 
a  cultivated  farm.  By  splitting  rails  he 
earned  enough  money  to  buy  a  fine  horse, 
which  he  sold  to  a  Mr.  Townsend,  and  with 
the  proceeds  came  to  Illinois  in  1844.  He 
purchased  a  farm  just  south  of  Urbana,  for 


which  he  paid  two  dollars  and  a  half  per 
acre.  He  afterward  entered  an  adjoining 
eighty-acre  tract,  which  he  later  sold  to  the 
Illinois  University,  and  which  now  forms  a 
part  of  the  experimental  farm  of  that  insti- 
tution. He  was  actively  interested  in  all 
movements  for  the  improvement  and  up- 
building of  the  county,  especially  in  the 
founding  of  the  university. 

In  connection  with  general  farming  Mr. 
Carle  was  always  quite  extensively  engaged 
in  the  stock  business,  shipping  principally 
to  eastern  markets,  including  Cincinnati, 
Philadelphia  and  New  York.  He  was  one 
of  the  very  first  in  the  county  to  become 
interested  in  the  raising  of  improved  and 
thoroughbred  horses,  cattle,  sheep  and 
hogs,  and  was  largely  engaged  in  breeding 
short  horn  cattle  and  Berkshire  hogs.  It 
was  as  a  farmer  and  stock  raiser  that  he 
was  best  known,  and  for  many  years  he  was 
one  of  the  leading  and  most  successful  men 
in  those  lines  in  the  county.  He  kept  the 
best  stock  to  be  had,  and  was  always  a  cen- 
tral figure  at  the  county  fairs,  being  one  of 
the  few  men  whose  money  and  labor  sup- 
ported and  kept  up  that  enterprise.  He 
was  instrumental  and  active  in  the  organi- 
zation of  the  first  county  fair  and  was  presi- 
dent of  the  fair  association  for  several  years, 
as  well  as  one  of  its  stockholders.  Prob- 
ably no  man  was  more  instrumental  or  did 
more  to  advance  and  develop  the  live  stock 
and  agricultural  interests  'of  Champaign 
county  than  he,  and  he  was  a  successful 
competitor  for  premiums  at  the  annual  ex- 
hibits. He  was  part  owner  of  the  noted1 
Defender,  a  remarkable  prize  winner, 
which  at  the  state  fair  won  a  three-hun- 
dred-and-fifty-dollar  coffee  urn.  Prior  to 
his  death  he  had  some  seven  hundred 
dollars  worth  of  silver  prizes  won  as  prem- 


264 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


iums.  He  raised  many  fine  horses  and  was 
an  expert  horseman.  While  on  a  business 
trip  to  Douglas  county,  in  1882  or  1883,  he 
bought  a  horse,  a  splendid  animal,  though 
wild;  it  was  an  iron  gray  named  Dave, 
which  is  still  remembered  by  the  old  settlers 
of  the  county  as  a  famous  deer  hunter. 
During  the  time  of  his  ownership  Mr.  Carle 
caught  with  him  as  many  as  sixty  deer. 
This  horse  lived  to  a  good  old  age,  but  was 
never  too  old  to  scale  a  high  fence  or  gate. 
Mr.  Carle  was  a  great  hunter  and  an  excel- 
lent marksman. 

Politically  he  was  a  stanch  Republican, 
and  was  an  ardent  admirer  and  intimate 
friend  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  spending  many 
an  enjoyable  hour  in  listening  to  the  inter- 
esting stories  told  by  the  martyred  president. 
He  took  an  active  interest  in  political  affairs 
but  was  never  an  office  seeker,  though  he 
served  as  township  assessor  for  many  years. 
He  was  not  a  member  of  any  church,  but 
was  a  liberal  supporter  of  church  work.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
and  was  a  whole-souled  man,  always  inter- 
ested in  the  promotion  and  improvement  of 
the  county.  -Of  a  hospitable  and  social  dis- 
position, he  made  many  friends,  and  no  one 
enjoyed  entertaining  a  houseful  of  guests 
better  than  he.  He  was  always  judge  on 
the  election  board,  and  by  his  genial  nature 
and  spritely  wit  kept  the  members  of  that 
body  in  the  best  of  humor  while  performing 
their  arduous  duties.  Wherever  known  he 
was  held  in  high  regard,  and  his  friends 
were  many  throughout  the  county  and  state. 

On  the  26th  of  July,  1849,  Mr.  Carle 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Margaret 
Burt,  who  was  to  him  a  true  helpmeet  and 
worthy  companion.  Their  only  child,  Will- 
iam Wheeler,  named  for  an  old  friend  in 
Ohio  and  another  in  Douglas  county,  this 


state,  was    born  September    22,   1850,   and 
died  September  20,   1851. 

Mr.  Carle  was  born  in  Orange  county, 
New  York,  February  10,  1830,  a  daughter 
of  John  and  Elmira  (Burt)  Burt,  who  though 
of  the  same  name  and  both  natives  of 
Orange  county,  were  not  related  prior  to  their 
marriage.  The  progenitor  of  the  Burt  fam- 
ily in  America  was  David  Burt,  who  was 
born  and  reared  in*  England.  The  exact 
date  of  his  emigration  is  not  known,  but  he 
was  a  resident  of  Roxbury,  Massachusetts, 
as  early  as  1638,  as  indicated  by  the  town 
records.  In  1640  he  moved  to  a  new  set- 
tlement called  Agawam,  the  name  of  which 
was  afterward  changed  to  Springfield. 
Here  David  Burt's  name  appears  on  the 
town  records  December  24,  1660,  with  per- 
missitm  to  "  cup  out  a  canoe  tree."  From 
the  frequency  of  his  name  in  the  town 
records  he  seems  to  have  been  a  man  of 
importance  in  the  community,  filling  the 
position  of  committeeman,  lay  preacher  and 
other  offices.  There  is  a  tradition  that  his 
wife  Ulalia  was  laid  out  for  dead  in  Eng- 
land and  was  put  in  the  coffin,  but  revived 
and  recovered.  She  became  the  mother  of 
nineteen  children,  whose  descendants  are 
now  numerous  in  the  United  States,  and  the 
family  has  contained  many  eminent  and 
illustrious  persons.  In  the  records  of  Spring- 
field, Massachusetts,  it  is  recorded  that 
Henry  Burt  died  April  40,  1662,  and  his 
wife  August  19,  1690.  In  the  fall  of  1890 
the  wife  of  our  subject  attended  a  re-union 
of  the  Burt  family  in  that  city,  and  was 
present  at  a  banquet  in  which  two  hundred 
representatives  of  the  family  participated. 

In  1838  Mrs.  Carle  accompanied  her  par- 
ents on  their  removal  to  Coshocton  county, 
Ohio,  where  she  grew  to  womanhood  and 
was  married,  her  education  being  obtained 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


265 


in  the  common  schools  of  the  county.  She 
was  the  oldest  of  a  family  of  fourteen  chil- 
dren, the  others  being  Henry,  Jane,  Ann, 
Daniel,  Benjamin,  George,  Mary  E.,  John, 
Bradley,  William  W. ,  Hamilton  M.,  Abbie 
and  Albert  A.  Those  living  are  Jane,  wife 
of  Jefferson  Smith,  of  Wichita,  Kansas;  John 
and  Hamilton,  both  residents  of  Coshocton, 
Ohio;  William  \V.,  of  Topeka,  Kansas,  and 
Albert  A.,  of  Urbana.  The  mother  of  this 
family  was  born  May  25,  1812,  and  died 
October  7,  1855,  and  the  father  was  born 
September  23,  1806,  and  died  February  2, 
1890.  They  were  married  May  7,  1829. 
The  mother  died  at  the  birth  of  the  young- 
est son,  who  was  reared  by  Mrs.  Carle,  re- 
maining with  her  until  reaching  manhood, 
when  he  returned  to  Ohio,  but  after  the 
death  of  Mr.  Carle  he  came  to  Champaign 
county  to  assist  her  in  the  management  of 
her  affairs,  and  for  the  past  two  years  he 
and  his  daughter  Linnie  have  made  their 
home  with  her.  Her  father  was  again  mar- 
ried February  25,  1862,  his  second  union 
being  with  Elizabeth  Dunn.  He  traced  his 
descent  from  Henry  Burt,  the  founder  of  the 
family  in  America,  through  the  following: 
David,  Benjamin,  Daniel,  Daniel  and  Dan- 
iel. His  first  wife  was  a  daughter  of  Ben- 
jamin Burt,  and  a  granddaughter  of 
James  Burt.  Mrs.  Carle  has  in  her  posses- 
sion a  heavy  glass  decanter  formerly  owned 
by  John  Bunyan,  author  of  Pilgrim's  Prog- 
ress. It  was  purchased  by  her  father  from 
a  Mr.  Maynard,  an  Englishman,  who  had  a 
large  number  of  relics  which  were  sold  after 
his  death. 

On  the  25th  of  October,  1885,  Mrs. 
Carle  married  James  H.  Morris,  a  retired 
farmer,  who  was  born  in  Rush  county,  In- 
diana, December  17,  1833,  a  son  of  John 
and  Mary  (Miller)  Morris,  both  natives  of 


Scott  county,  Kentucky,  where  three  of 
their  children  were  born  prior  to  their  emi- 
gration to  Indiana.  His  father,  who  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation,  was  born  in  1798, 
and  died  in  1883,  and  his  mother  was  born 
in  1804  and  died  in  1866.  Mr.  Morris  was 
reared  and  educated  in  his  native  county, 
and  in  starting  out  in  life  for  himself  oper- 
ated rented  land,  but  later  purchased 
eighty  acres  on  which  he  made  his  home 
for  some  years.  On  selling  his  property  in 
1 862  he  moved  to  Edgar  county,  Illinois, 
where  he  purchased  three  hundred  and 
twenty-eight  acres  of  prairie  land,  which 
he  owned  and  operated  two  years,  and 
then  came  to  Champaign  county,  where  he 
bought  one  hundred  acres  for  fifty  dollars 
per  acre.  He  added  to  the  place  until  he 
had  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  andcon- 
tinued  to  reside  thereon  until  his  marriage 
with  Mrs.  Carle.  He  was  first  married 
October  16,  1855,  to  Miss  Mary  Bebout,  a 
daughter  of  John  and  Jane  (Steele)  Bebout, 
all  natives  of  Fleming  county,  Kentucky. 
She  died  October  10,  1884,  leaving  seven 
children  who  are  still  living,  namely  :  Al- 
bert, a  farmer  of  Rush  county,  Indiana; 
Robinson  B.,  a  real  estate  dealer  of  Los 
Angeles,  California;  Lillie  J.,  widow  of 
Thomas  Dugan,  of  Urbana;  Ida,  a  book- 
keeper in  Robeson's  store,  Champaign; 
Minnie,  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools  of 
Champaign;  John,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
laundry  business  in  Los  Angeles,  California; 
and  Thomas,  who  is  engaged  in  the  same 
business  in  Milwaukee.  Mr,  Morris  is  a 
supporter  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  has 
served  on  the  school  board.  He  is  an  act- 
ive member  of  the  Christian  church,  while 
his  wife  holds  membership  in  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  church.  She  can  relate  many 
interesting  incidents  of  pioneer  days  when 


266 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


this  region  was  wild  and  unimproved,  and 
when  wild  game  could  be  found  in  abun- 
dance. In  1851  she  boarded  Mr.  Ashley  and 
his  family,  who  was  chief  engineer  surveying 
for  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad.  She  is  a 
most  estimable  lady,  loved  and  respected 
by  all  who  know  her. 


ERD  EHLER,  one  of  the  worthy  rep- 
V_J  resentative  German  residents  of  Hens- 
ley  township,  owning  four  hundred  acres  of 
well  tiled  and  highly  cultivated  land  on 
section  34,  was  born  in  Aurich,  Hanover 
Province,  Germany,  November  25,  1853, 
and  is  the  eldest  son  and  second  child  of  W. 
W.  and  Gebbe  (Cruse)  Ehler,  both  of  whom 
were  born  and  reared  in  that  province,  as 
were  their  parents  before  them  for  several 
generations,  and  all  were  worthy  citizens 
and  loyal  to  their  country.  By  trade  the 
father  oi  our  subject  was  a  ship  builder  and 
contractor,  and  continued  to  follow  that  oc- 
cupation in  his  native  land  until  1869,  when 
he  emigrated  to  the  United  States  with  his 
family.  Coming  direct  to  Champaign  county, 
Illinois,  on  landing  in  this  country,  he  pur- 
chased fifty  acres  of  land  in  Rantoul  town- 
ship, and  later,  as  he  succeeded,  he  kept 
adding  to  his  possessions  from  time  to  time, 
improving  the  land  and  selling  it  again.  At 
the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in 
1889,  he  had  eighty  acres — the  old  home- 
stead— where  his  widow  now  resides.  ,He 
was  well  known  and  was  held  in  high  es- 
teem by  all  his  neighbors  and  many  friends. 
His  children  were  Folke,  wife  of  D.  Meyer, 
a  well-to-do  farmer  and  stock  raiser  of  Ran- 
toul; Gerd,  our  subject;  W.  W. ,  Jr.,  a 
farmer  of  Hensley  township;  Anne,  wife  of 
John  Flessner,  a  farmer  of  Rantoul  town- 


ship; and  John,  also  a  resident  of  that  town- 
ship. 

In  the  common  schools  of  the  fatherland 
Gerd  Ehler  acquired  a  good,  practical  edu- 
cation, attending  regularly,  as  required  by 
law,  until  fifteen  years  of  age,  when  with 
the  family  he  emigrated  to  America.  He 
made  his  home  with  his  parents  until  twen- 
ty-five years  of  age,  superintending  the  farm 
work  for  his  father,  and  then  left  the  parental 
roof  and  began  farming  on  eighty  acres  of 
land  which  he  had  purchased  on  time.  Suc- 
ceeding in  this  undertaking,  he  soon  paid 
for  his  land  and  kept  adding  to  it  from  time 
to  time  different  tracts  and  improving  them. 
He  carried  on  general  fanning  quite  success- 
fully for  a  number  of  years  in  Stanton  town- 
ship, but  in  1893  he  disposed  of  his  prop- 
erty there  and  purchased  h'3  present  valua- 
ble farm  of  four  hundred  acres  on  section 
34,  Hensley  township,  which  he  has  placed 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  im- 
proved with  good  and  substantial  buildings. 
In  1898  he  erected  a  modern  residence  of 
latest  architectural  design,  that  would  grace 
any  city,  being  a  large  twelve-room  house, 
finished  on  the  inside  with  polished  oak,  and 
fitted  with  modern  conveniences  for  sanita- 
tion and  heating.  He  has  spared  no  expense 
in  making  it  complete  in  every  detail,  it 
costing  him  about  five  thousand  dollars,  and 
is  considered  one  of  the  best  homes  in 
Hensley  township,  being  one  in  which  the 
family  may  well  take  a  just  pride.  Mr. 
Ehler  carries  on  general  farming,  finding  a 
ready  market  for  all  his  produce,  both  stock, 
hay  and  grain.  In  1885,  in  partnership 
with  his  brother,  be  began  taking  contracts 
for  building  bridges  throughout  the  county 
and  also  in  adjoining  ones,  and  that  busi- 
ness they  followed  continuously  for  twelve 
years,  putting  up  extensive  iron  bridges  in 


GERD  EHLER. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


269 


many  places,  and  acquiring  a  wide  reputa- 
tion as  reliable  business  men  in  that  line. 
During  these  years  Mr.  Ehler  was  still  in- 
terested in  farming,  and  since  1896  has  de- 
voted his  time  and  attention  exclusively  to 
agricultural  pursuits. 

On  the  2 ist  of  January,  1883,  Mr.  Ehler 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Nancy  A. 
Easter,  who  was  born  in  Rantoul  township 
in  1862.  Her  parents,  Theodore  and  Mar- 
garet E.  (Culbertson)  Easter,  natives  of 
Ohio,  who  resided  in  Champaign  county, 
Illinois,  for  a  number  of  years,  are  now  liv- 
ing in  Mississippi,  where  the  father  is  still 
successfully  engaged  in  farming.  They  have 
eight  children  living:  Alice,  wife  of  W.  W. 
Ehler,  Jr.,  brother  of  our  subject;  Nancy 
A.,  wife  of  our  subject;  Delia  F.,  wife  of 
Albert  Maker,  a  minister,  who  now  has  a 
charge  in  Oklahoma;  Etta,  wife  of  William 
Collins,  of  Hensley  township,  this  county; 
Eunice,  wife  of  George  Cook,  of  Stanton 
township;  Nora,  wife  of  B.  Dalton,  of  Mis- 
sissippi; Cora  and  Henry  O.,  both  at  home 
with  their  parents;  and  Theodore,  a  success- 
ful physician  and  land  owner  of  Mississippi. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ehler  have  a  family  of  seven 
children:  Elmer,  Harry,  Otto,  Rosa,  Ber- 
nice,  Gerd,  Jr.,  and  Nora,  all  at  home. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Ehler  is  a  Re- 
publican. He  has  served  as  a  school  director 
in  his  district,  and  while  a  resident  of  Stan- 
ton  township  filled  the  office  of  pathmaster 
two  years.  Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of 
the  Court  of  Honor  and  the  FJome  Forum, 
both  of  Champaign,  and  religiously,  is  a 
member  of  the  Lutheran  church,  while  his 
wife  holds  membership  in  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  and  he  gives  liberally  to 
the  support  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  By  untiring  industry  and  sound 
business  judgment  he  has  won  a  merited 

14 


success  in  all  his  undertakings,  and  is  in  all 
respects  worthy  of  the  high  regard  in  which 
he  is  held  by  his  fellow  citizens. 


JOHN  A.  McCLURG.  Success  is  deter- 
mined by  one's  ability  to  recognize  op- 
portunity, and  to  pursue  this  with  a  reso- 
lute and  unflagging  energy.  It  results  from 
continued  labor,  and  the  man  who  thus  ac- 
complishes his  purpose  usually  becomes  an 
important  factor  in  the  business  circles  of 
the  community  with  which  he  is  connected. 
Through  such  means  Mr.  McClurg  has  arisen 
to  a  position  of  prominence,  and  to-day  holds 
the  responsible  position  of  master  mechanic 
of  the  Cleveland,  Cincinnati,  Chicago  &  St. 
Louis  Railroad  and  of  the  Peoria  &  Eastern 
Railroad  at  Urbana. 

He  was  born  in  Lancaster,  Illinois, 
March  7,  1856,  a  son  of  Lewis  and  Ann 
(Merrifield)  McClurg.  The  father  was  born 
in  Kenton,  Hardin  county,  Ohio,  and  con- 
tinued to  make  his  home  there  until  reach- 
ing manhood,  when  he  came  to  Lancaster. 
Here  he  married  and  engaged  in  the  saw- 
mill business  until  the  Civil  war  broke  out. 
In  1 86 1  he  entered  the  army  and  was  killed 
in  battle.  His  children  were  Nellie,  now 
the  wife  of  H.  W.  Sands,  of  Urbana;  John 
A.,  our  subject;  and  William  R.,  who  is 
with  the  Big  Four  Railroad  in  Urbana. 
After  the  father's  death  the  mother  moved 
to  Pekin,  where  she  made  her  home  for  ten 
years,  and  while  there  married  S.  Goodrich. 
She  is  now  a  resident  of  Urbana. 

During  his  boyhood  our  subject  attended 
the  schools  of  Pekin  for  a  time,  but  at  the 
age  of  thirteen  he  left  there  and  went  to 
Chicago,  where  he  found  employment  in  a 
confectionery  store  and  also  attended  night 


270 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


school  for  a  year.  At  the  end  of  that  time 
he  went  to  Bloomington,  where  for  eighteen 
months  he  was  a  student  in  the  University 
preparatory  school.  In  1872  he  came  to 
Urbana  and  entered  the  railroad  machine 
shop  as  a  machinist  apprentice.  After 
working  at  his  trade  for  ten  years,  he  re- 
moved to  Sedalia,  Missouri,  with  the  Missouri 
Pacific  shop  and  took  a  position  as  gang 
foreman,  which  he  held  for  fourteen  months. 
On  his  return  to  Urbana,  at  the  end  of  that 
time,  he  accepted  the  position  of  general 
foreman  in  the  shops,  and  after  serving  in 
that  capacity  for  ten  years  was  appointed 
master  mechanic  in  February,  1891.  This 
gives  him  the  charge  of  the  shops  where 
about  four  hundred  men  are  employed  build- 
ing new  locomotives  and  cars  and  also  doing 
repairing.  He  also  has  charge  of  the  shops 
at  Indianapolis  and  oversight  of  all.  the  men 
along  the  line  connected  with  the  locomotive 
and  car  work.  The  shop  at  Urbana  is  one 
of  the  largest  railroad  shops  in  the  country, 
and  through  his  own  unaided  efforts  Mr. 
McClurg  has  worked  his  way  upward  to  his 
present  responsible  position.  His  practical 
knowledge  of  all  the  details  of  the  business, 
as  well  as  his  acquaintance  with  men,  ren- 
ders him  a  most  valuable  employe,  as  is 
evinced  by  his  retention  in  so  important  a 
position  with  one  of  the  leading  railroad 
companies  of  the  Union. 

In  1877  Mr.  McClurg  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Cora  A.  Sim,  of  Urbana, 
who  died  in  February,  1886,  leaving  four 
children,  namely:  George  E.,  who  now  has 
charge  of  the  engine  room  and  electric  plant 
belonging  to  the  railroad  company;  and 
Walter  S.,  John  A.  and  Cora,  who  are  all 
attending  school.  Mr.  McClurg  was  again 
married,  December  15,  1890,  his  second 
union  being  with  Miss  Ida  B.  Goucher,  of 


Urbana.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  to  the  support  of  which 
our  subject  is  a  liberal  contributor.  He- 
owns  a  beautiful  home  on  West  Main  street 
and  also  other  city  property,  which  has  been 
acquired  by  industry,  perseverance  and  good 
management,  for  he  started  out  in  life  for 
himself  empty-handed.  Politically  he  is  a 
stanch  Republican. 


WILLIAM  E.  STIT.T,  a  well-known 
engineer  on  the  Big  Four  Railroad, 
and  highly  esteemed  citizen  of  Urbana,  re- 
siding at  No.  404  Urbana  avenue,  was  born 
near  Chillicothe,  Ohio,  May  23,  1864,  and 
is  a  son  of  William  G.  and  Mary  (Earl) 
Stitt,  also  natives  of  Ohio.  The  father  en- 
listed in  the  one-hundred-day  service  during 
the  Civil  war,  and  took  part  in  some  battles, 
but  did  garrison  duty  most  of  the  time. 
While  returning  home  he  contracted  pneu- 
monia and  died  before  reaching  there,  at  the 
age  of  thirty-eight  years.  In  religious  faith 
he  was  a  Presbyterian.  He  had  one  brother, 
Bedine,  a  railroad  conductor,  who  was  liv- 
ing in  Logansport,  Indiana,  when  last  heard 
from. 

After  the  death  of  her  husband  Mrs. 
Stitt  lived  with  her  father,  Mr.  Earl,  in 
Ohio,  until  he,  too,  was  called  to  his  final 
rest  in  1873.  He  was  a  native  of  New  Jer- 
sey and  a  farmer  by  occupation.  In  1875 
Mrs.  Stitt  came  to  Champaign  county,  Illi- 
nois, and  located  on  a  farm  near  Seymour 
in  Scott  township,  which  she  successfully 
managed  for  some  time,  but  finally  sold  the 
place  and  removed  to  Champaign,  her  home 
being  at  No.  510  Randolph  street.  Since 
her  husband's  death  she  has  drawn  a  pension 
from  the  government.  She  is  a  most  esti- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


271 


mable  lady  and  a  consistent  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  church. 

Our  subject  is  the  youngest  in  a  family 
of  three  children.  Hugh  C.,  the  eldest,  has 
for  over  six  years  been  an  engineer  on  the 
Illinois  Central  and  Big  Four  Railroads,  and 
is  still  with  the  latter  corporation.  He  mar- 
ried Inez  Loman,  and  they  have  five  chil- 
dren, Pearl,  Howard,  Allie,  Hugh  and  Earl. 
The  family  reside  at  the  corner  of  Coler  and 
Goodwin  avenue,  Urbana,  and  the  wife  and 
mother  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church.  Woody,  another  brother  of 
our  subject,  died  in  1862,  at  the  age  of  five 
years. 

William  E.  Stitt  was  reared  on  his 
mother's  farm  and  early  became  familiar 
with  all  the  duties  which  fall  to  the  lot  of 
the  agriculturist,  while  his  literary  education 
was  obtained  in  the  public  schools  of  the 
county.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  be- 
gan his  business  career  as  a  farmer,  and  fol- 
lowed that  pursuit  with  fair  success  for  seven 
years.  In  1890  he  obtained  a  position  as 
fireman  on  the  Big  Four  Railroad,  and  five 
years  later  was  promoted  to  engineer,  which 
position  he  now  holds,  running  engine  No. 
500  for  the  past  year. 

On  the  iith  of  November,  1888,  Mr. 
Stitt  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Car- 
rie J.  Alcorn,  a  native  of  De  Kalb  county, 
Illinois,  and  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Jane 
(Marshall)  Alcorn,  who  were  born  in  Penn- 
sylvania. Her  mother,  who  was  a  member 
of  the  Congregational  church,  died  July  23, 
1896,  at  the  age  of  sixty-six  years,  but  the 
father  is  still  living  and  is  a  retired  farmer 
of  Earlville,  La  Salle  county,  Illinois.  They 
had  four  children:  (i)  Almira  first  married 
David  Wood,  by  whom  she  had  two  chil- 
dren, Ida  M.  and  James  J.,  and  for  her  sec- 
ond husband  married  Ed  Simison,  of  Earl- 


ville, by  which  union  she  has  four  children: 
Ed  E.,  Lizzie,  Harvey,  Walter  and  Ernest. 
(2)  Alexander  M.  married  Ella  Courter.  by 
whom  he  had  three  children,  Harvey,  Asa 
and  May,  and  for  his  second  wife  married 
Eva  Wade,  by  whom  he  has  two  children, 
Edith  and  Joseph.  (3)  Mrs.  Stitt  is  the 
next  in  order  of  birth.  (4)  Archibald,  a  res- 
ident of  Chicago,  married  Jessie  Wells  and 
has  one  child,  Kent.  Our  subject  and  his 
wife  have  four  children,  Ruby,  Mary,  Flor- 
ence and  Ralph. 

Mr.  Stitt  is  a  supporter  of  the  Repub- 
lican party,  and  is  an  active  member  of  the 
Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers,  in 
which  he  is  now  holding  the  office  of  second 
assistant  engineer.  Both  he  and  his  wife 
are  consistent  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  and  are  held  in  high  re- 
gard by  all  who  know  them. 


FREDERICK  A.  BEISSER.  Among 
some  of  the  most  enterprising  citizens 
Champaign  county  are  those  who  were  born 
in  Germany,  and  who  have  brought  to  this 
fertile  and  productive  country  the  thrift  and 
economy  of  the  old  world.  In  Mr.  Beisser 
we  find  a  worthy  representative  of  this 
class.  He  is  now  quite  extensively  engaged 
in  market  gardening  on  section  24,  Cham- 
paign township. 

Mr.  Beisser  was  born  in  the  province  of 
Saxony,  Prussia,  in  1825,  and  is  a  son  of 
Gottleib  and  Johanna  (Angell)  Beisser,  who 
were  of  old  German  ancestry.  In  the  family 
were  four  children,  two  of  whom  remained 
in  Germany,  while  the  parents,  accompanied 
by  our  subject  and  one  daughter,  came  to 
America  in  1843,  and  first  located  in  Buf- 
falo, New  York,  where  the  father  engaged 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


in  gardening,  that  being  his  life  occupation. 
Later  he  removed  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and 
in  1855  came  to  Champaign  county,  Illinois, 
but  afterward  returned  to  Cleveland,  where 
his  death  occurred.  He  was  quite  a  suc- 
cessful gardener  and  a  man  highly  respected 
by  all  who  knew  him.  His  wife  died  at  the 
home  of  our  subject  in  this  county.  • 

In  his  native  land  Frederick  A.  Beisser 
attended  the  public  schools  until  fourteen 
years  of  age,  and  then  learned  the  drug 
business,  at  which  he  worked  until  coming 
to  America  with  his  parents  at  the  age  of 
eighteen.  While  a  resident  of  Buffalo,  New 
York,  he  was  employed  as  a  printer  on  the 
American  Courier  for  four  years,  and  then 
went  to  Cleveland,  where  he  clerked  in  a 
drug  store  for  six  years.  At  the  end  of  that 
period  he  embarked  in  the  same  business  on 
his  own  account,  but  his  store  was  destroyed 
by  fire  two  years  later,  and  he  then  came  to 
Champaign,  Illinois,  where  he  clerked  in  a 
general  store  for  six  months.  He  next 
found  employment  as  a  laborer  on  the  rail- 
road, and  later  was  foreman  of  a  section  on 
the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  near  Effingham, 
remaining  with  the  company  three  years. 
Returning  to  Champaign  he  began  garden- 
ing and  has  since  devoted  his  time  and  at- 
tention to  that  occupation,  meeting  with 
marked  success  in  the  undertaking.  He  has 
a  good  farm  of  forty-seven  acres,  which  he 
has  transformed  from  a  wild  tract  to  one  of 
the  best  improved  places  of  the  locality.  • 
He  has  a  very  fine  modern  home,  and  be- 
sides the  usual  buildings  found  upon  a 
farm  he  has  erected  several  greenhouses 
for  the  raising  of  vegetables,  having  five 
thousand,  nine  hundred  and  forty  feet  under 
glass. 

In   Buffalo,  New*  York,  Mr.  Beisser  was 
united  in  marriage  with   Miss  Amelia  Meiss- 


ner,  also  a  native  of  Germany,  who  has 
been  a  true  helpmeet  to  him,  and. has  aided 
him  in  every  possible  way.  By  their  united 
efforts  they  have  succeeded  in  acquiring  a 
comfortable  competence  and  are  now  quite 
well-to-do.  Having  no  children  of  their 
own,  they  reared  Robert  Pick,  who  is  now 
married  and  assists  our  subject  in  his  work. 
Mr.  Beisser  is  a  supporter  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party  and  its  principles,  and  has  been 
tendered  political  offices  but  would  never 
accept.  For  nine  years  he  was  a  member 
of  the  board  of  the  Fair  Grounds  Associa- 
tion, and  took  an  active  interest  in  that 
organization.  He  is  an  active  and  promi- 
nent member  of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran 
church,  of  which  he  has  been  a  trustee  for 
forty  years,  and  was  a  member  of  the  build- 
ing committee  during  the  erection  of  the 
new  church  on  the  corner  of  University 
avenue  and  Fourth  street,  Champaign. 


JOHN  E.  STACKER,  a  prominent  engin- 
eer on  the  Big  Four  Railroad  residing 
at  No.  808  University  avenue,  Urbana,  Illi- 
nois, was  born  in  Tippecanoe  county,  Indi- 
ana, June  15,  1857,  a  son  of  James  H.  and 
Ura  Ann  (Bradfield)  Stacker,  natives  of  In- 
diana and  Virginia,  respectively.  He  was 
the  only  child  born  of  that  union,  but  both 
parents  had  previously  married.  By  his 
first  wife  there  was  born  a  daughter,  Mary, 
now  the  wife  of  Mr.  Frankenfield,  who 
is  on  the  retired  list  of  the  regular  army. 
Our  subject's  mother  was  married  first  to 
Andrew  J.  Yeager,  and  had  two  children: 
A.  J.,  a  resident  of  Joplin,  Missouri;  and 
Emily,  wife  of  William  Branch,  a  retired 
farmer  of  Champaign,  Illinois.  James  H. 
Stacker,  father  of  our  subject,  was  a  good 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


273 


blacksmith  and  successful  business  man, 
who  came  to  Urbana  in  1858,  and  followed 
his  trade  here  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred January  14,  1891,  when  he  was 
sixty-five  years  of  age.  In  1862  he  en- 
listed as  a  private  in  the  One  Hun- 
dred and  Twenty-fifth  Illinois  Volunteer 
Infantry,  and  was  in  the  service  for  two 
years,  being  honorably  discharged  at  the 
end  of  that  time  on  account  of  disabil- 
ity. He  participated  in  all  the  engage- 
ments in  which  his  regiment  took  part  as 
long  as  his  health  permitted.  When  dis- 
charged it  was  believed  that  he  would  never 
reach  home  alive,  but  he  partially  recov- 
ered, and  later  worked  at  his  trade  for 
about  twenty-four  years.  The  mother  of 
our  subject  died  January  23,  1887,  at  the 
age  of  sixty-two  years.  Both  parents  were 
consistent  and  faithful  members  of  the 
Christian  church,  and  were  highly  respected 
by  all  who  knew  them. 

After  completing  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  Champaign,  John  E.  Stacker 
was  employed  as  a  farm  hand  for  a  time, 
and  later  engaged  in  farming  on  his  own 
account  until  1881,  when  he  obtained  a 
position  as  fireman  on  the  Indianapolis,, 
Decatur  &  Western  Railroad  and  served  as 
such  for  three  years  and  a  half.  The  fol- 
lowing five  years  were  spent  in  farming  in 
Piatt  county,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time 
he  returned  as  fireman  to  the  same  road. 
Two  years  later  he  was  promoted  to  en- 
gineer and  assumed  the  duties  of  that  posi- 
tion on  New  Year's  day,  1891,  since  which 
time  he  has  had  charge  of  an  -engine,  being 
with  what  is  now  the  Big  Four  during  his 
entire  railroad  career. 

On  the  i ;th  of  March,  1887,  Mr.  Stack- 
er was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Cora  B. 
Strohl,  a  daughter  of  John  J.  and  Sarah 


Alice  (Gordon)  Strohl,  natives  of  Ohio  and 
Illinois,  respectively,  and  now  residents  of 
Colfax  township,  this  county.  Mrs.  Stacker 
is  the  oldest  of  their  fourteen  children,  the 
others  being  Lucy  E.,  wife  of  Frank  Rich- 
ards, of  Seymour,  by  whom  she  has  three 
children,  Lillie,  Nina  and  Ernest;  Frank,  a 
resident  of  Monticello,  who  married  Sarah 
McGee  and  has  two  children,  Dayton  and 
Violet;  Minnie,  wife  of  Charles  Dilevou; 
Daniel  E.,  of  Seymour,  who  married  Sylva 
Williams  and  has  one  child,  Edith  Pearl; 
Ella,  wife  of  George  Turner,  of  Seymour, 
by  whom  she  has  one  child,  Violet;  Myrtie, 
wife  of  Curtis  Dilevou,  of  Streator,  Illinois, 
by  whom  she  has  one  child,  Minnie;  Arthur 
and  Ernest,  both  at  home;  Harvey,  who 
died  in  infancy;  Clara,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  three  years;  Dilla,  who  died  in  infancy; 
Bennje,  who  died  at  the  age  of  nineteen 
years;  and  Albert,  who  died  in  infancy. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stacker  have  been  born 
five  children:  Minnie  A.,  Gertrude  A.,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  one  year;  Ethel  O. ;  Ada 
B.  and  Charles  E. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Stacker  is  a  member 
of  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engin- 
eers and  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  and  has  filled  all  the  chairs  in  the 
latter  lodge.  In  politics  he  is  independent. 
He  is  a  popular  and  trustworthy  engineer,  a 
good  financier  and  highly  respected  citizen 
—one  who  stands  deservedly  high  in  the 
esteem  of  a  large  circle  of  friends  and 
acquaintances. 


AUGUST  AHLRICHS,   foreman  of    the 
car  department  of  the  Big  Four  Rail- 
road at   Urbana.    Illinois,   comes  from  the 
fatherland  and  the  strongest  and  most  cred- 
itable characteristics  of  the  Teutonic  race 


274 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


have  been  marked  elements  in  his  .life  and 
have  enabled  him  to  win  success  in  the  face 
of  opposing  circumstances.  He  possesses 
the  energy  and  determination  which  mark 
the  people  of  Germany  and  by  the  exercise 
of  these  powers  he  has  steadily  progressed, 
and  has  not  only  accumulated  a  comfortable 
property,  but  has  commanded  universal  re- 
spect by  his  straightforward  business  meth- 
ods. 

Mr.  Ahlrichs  was  born  in  Javer,  Alden- 
burg,  Germany,  August  12,  1839,  a  son  of 
Hono  A.  and  Christina  dies)  Ahlrichs.  The 
father,  who  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade,  died 
in  1849,  when  our  subject  was  quite  young. 
The  latter  attended  the  schools  of  his  native 
land  and  also  served  an  apprenticeship  to 
the  carpenter's  trade,  which  he  thoroughly 
learned  and  which  he  afterward  followed  as 
a  journeyman  for  some  time.  For  two 
years  he  was  a  member  of  the  regular 
army,  and  from  June,  1866,  until  the  fol- 
lowing November  was  in  the  Prussian  war, 
taking  part  in  the  battle  near  Woods  farm 
and  in  other  battles  and  skirmishes.  At  the 
close  of  the  war  he  was  honorably  dis- 
charged. 

On  the  27th  of  June,  1864,  Mr.  Ahlrichs 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Saverina 
Van  Hoferi,  and  to  them  has  been  born 
three  children:  Augusta,  who  was  born  in 
Germany;  Etta;  and  Frederick,  a  pattern 
maker  in  the  railroad  shops  at  Urbana,  who 
married  Helena  Penwarren,  and  has  two 
children,  Mildred  and  August. 

In  the  spring  of  1867  Mr.  Ahlrichs,  ac- 
companied by  his  wife  and  child,  came  to 
the  United  States  and  on  landing  in  New 
York  proceeded  at  once  to  Peoria,  Illinois, 
where  he  worked  at  his  trade  for  four  years 
and  a  half.  In  September,  1871,  he  came 
to  Urbana,  and  entered  the  service  of  the 


Indianapolis,  Decatur  &  Western  Railroad 
as  a  carpenter.  On  the  24th  of  January, 
1872,  he  took  charge  of  the  wood  work  of 
the  locomotives  built  in  the  shops  here,  and 
about  1880  took  charge  of  the  car  depart- 
ment of  the  road,  with  thirty  men  working 
under  him,  but  as  this  is  now  the  principal 
shop  of  the  Peoria  &  Eastern  Railroad,  or 
the  leased  line  making  the  Peoria  division  of 
the  Big  Four,  he  has  one  hundred  men  un- 
der him,  building  freight,  passenger  and 
baggage  cars,  as  well  as  repairing.  He  has 
worked  his  own  way  up  to  this  responsible 
position,  and  is  to-day  one  of  the  most 
trusted  employes  of  the  company.  Being  a 
man  of  good  business  and  executive  ability 
he  has  accumulated  considerable  property, 
owning  a  good  deal  of  real  estate  in  the 
eastern  part  of  Urbana.  He  has  built  three 
new  houses  and  has  purchased  and  repaired 
others,  so  that  he  now  has  six  houses  be- 
sides his  own  beautiful  home  on  Lynn  street, 
which  was  erected  by  him  on  lots  that  were 
covered  with  timber  when  he  purchased 
them. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ahlrichs  are  both  mem- 
bers of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  he  also 
afBliates  with  the  blue  lodge,  chapter,  com- 
mandery  and  Eastern  Star  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  He  is  a 
stanch  supporter  of  the  Democratic  party 
and  has  served  as  alderman  from  the  first 
ward  for  two  terms.  He  was  a  prominent 
and  influential  member  of  the  council,  took 
an  active  part  in  its  work,  and  during  his 
first  term  the  water  works  were  put  in,  while 
during  his  second  term  considerable  street 
paving  was  done.  He  has  always  taken  a 
deep  and  commendable  interest  in  public 
affairs,  and  has  done  all  in  his  power  to  ad- 
vance the  welfare  of  his  adopted  city. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


275 


JAMES  THORPE.  Sound  judgment 
combined  with  fine  ability  in  mechanical 
lines  has  enabled  the  subject  of  this  biogra- 
phy, now  foreman  of  the  copper  shop  of  the 
Big  Four  Railroad  of  Urbana,  Illinois,  to 
attain  a  substantial  success  in  life,  and  his 
history  is  of  especial  interest.  He  was  born 
in  Xorfolkshire,  England.  December  2r, 
1848,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Rhoda 
(Love)  Thorpe,  who  spent  their  entire  lives 
in  that  country,  where  the  former  died  about 
1860,  at  the  age  of  forty-five  years,  the  lat- 
ter at  the  age  of  about  sixty-five  years.  The 
father  was  a  locomotive  engineer,  and 
both  he  and  his  wife -were  members  of 
the  Episcopal  church.  In  their  family  were 
five  children,  namely:  Henry,  a  machinist 
of  England,  though  known  there  as  a 
"fitter;"  Martha,  wife  of  George  Lloyd,  of 
England;  James,  our  subject;  Isaac,  a  boiler 
maker  of  Yorkshire,  England;  and  Susannah, 
also  a  resident  of  that  country. 

Our  subject  was  educated  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  his  native  land,  and  later 
served  a  five  years  apprenticeship  to  the 
coppersmith's  trade.  As  soon  as  his  time 
expired  he  came  to  America,  landed  in  New 
York  in  the  fall  of  1868,  and  he  proceeded 
at  once  to  Chicago,  where  he  worked  at  his 
trade  for  a  short  time.  He  next  went  to 
Peoria,  Illinois,  where  he  was  employed  in 
the  shops  of  the  Toledo,  Peoria  &  Warsaw 
Railroad  for  two  years,  and  in  1872  came 
to  Urbana,  where  he  has  since  resided,  his 
present  home  being  at  501  East  Main  street. 
He  began  work  in  the  shops  of  the  I.  B.  & 
\V.  Railroad,  now  a  part  of  the  Big  Four, 
as  foreman  of  the  copper  department,  and 
has  now  filled  that  responsible  position  for 
twenty-eight  years  to  the  entire  satisfaction 
of  all  concerned. 

Mr.  Thorpe  was  married  April  4,   1878, 


to  Miss  Fannie  R.  Webber,  a  daughter  of 
G.  G.  Webber,  an  old  and  worthy  citizen  of 
Urbana.  They  have  one  child,  John  Charles, 
who  is  preparing  for  a  mechanical  engineer 
and  will  graduate  from  the  Illinois  Univer- 
sity with  the  class  of  1900.  The  wife  and 
son  are  members  of  the  Baptist  church, 
while  Mr.  Thorpe  is  an  Episcopalian  in  re- 
ligious faith.  He  holds  membership  in 
Urbana  Lodge,  No.  157,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Ur- 
bana Chapter,  No.  80,  R.  A.  M.;  Urbana 
Council,  No.  19,  R.  &  S.  M.,  and  Urbana 
Commandery,  No.  16,  K.  T. ,  and  he  has 
served  as  high  priest  of  the  chapter  at  two 
different  times.  He  takes  very  little  in- 
terest in  political  affairs,  but  has  most  cred- 
itably and  satisfactorily  served  as  alderman 
from  the  first  ward  of  Urbana  since  1889. 
As  a  citizen  he  ever  stands  ready  to  dis- 
charge any  duty  devolving  upon  him,  and 
gives  a  liberal  support  to  all  measures  cal- 
culated to  advance  the  public  welfare. 


MARTIN  J.  FLUCK,  chief  clerk  in  the 
motive  power  department  of  the  Pe- 
oria division  of  the  Big  Four  Railroad  at 
Urbana,  Illinois,  his  home  being  at  No. 
105  East  Clark  street,  Champaign,  lilinois, 
was  born  in  that  city,  November  13,  1872, 
and  is  a  son  of  Martin  M.  and  Augusta  C. 
(Richter)  Fluck,  both  natives  of  Germany. 
In  1852,  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years,  the 
father  came  to  the  new  world  on  a  sailing  ves- 
sel, it  requiring  as  many  weeks  at  that  time 
to  make  the  voyage  as  it  does  days  at  the 
present.  After  working  in  Chicago  for  some 
time,  he  came  to  Champaign  and  entered 
the  service  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad, 
with  which  he  was  connected  for  many 
years,  being  one  of  the  oldest  and  most 
trusted  employes.  He  fired  the  first  coal- 


276 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


burning  engine  on  the  road;  was  promoted 
to  engineer  in  the  early  '6os;  and  continued 
to  run  an  engine  for  several  years.  Subse- 
quently he  acted  as  night  round  house  fore- 
man at  Champaign  for  twelve  years,  and 
then  took  charge  of  a  switch  engine  which 
he  ran  in  the  yardsj  remaining  with  the  Illi- 
nois Central  throughout  his  entire  business 
career.  He  was  a  member  of  St.  Peter's 
German  Evangelical  church,  and  was  highly 
respected  by  all  who  knew  him.  He  died 
February  12,  1898.  He  was  the  only  one 
of  a  large  family  to  come  to  this  country. 

In  Champaign,  Martin  M.  Fluck  was 
married  to  Miss  Augusta  C.  Richter,  who 
came  to  this  country  about  1852  with  her 
parents,  Frederick  and  Dorothea  Richter, 
and  first  located  in  Texas,  but  in  1856  came 
to  Champaign,  Illinois.  Her  father  died  in 
1872,  her  mother  in  1887.  Their  other 
children  were  Louis,  a  farmer  of  Edna, 
Texas.  William,  acarpenterof  Champaign; 
and  Mrs.  Minnie  Schermer,  of  Galveston, 
Texas.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fluck  were  born 
seven  children,  namely:  William  F.,  an  en- 
gineer on  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  re- 
siding in  Champaign,  married  Jennie  Miller, 
and  has  one  child,  Nina;  Emelia  is  the  wife 
of  F.  H.  Moore,  of  Champaign,  also  an 
engineer  on  that  road,  and  they  have  three 
children,  Martin,  Frank  and  Reuben;  Do- 
retha  B.,  is  living  at  home  in  Champaign; 
Martin].,  our  subject,  is  next  in  order  of 
birth;  Augusta  H.,  at  home,  is  oil  and  fuel 
clerk  at  the  Big  Four  shops;  Emma  M.,  is 
a  modiste  residing  at  home;  and  Rosa  C.  is 
also  at  home. 

Our  subject  is  indebted  to  the  public 
schools  of  Champaign  for  his  educational 
advantages.  He  began  his  business  career 
as  clerk  in  a  dry  goods  store  where  he  re- 
mained for  about  four  years,  and  then  en- 


tered the  office  of  the  Big  Four  Railroad  as 
shipping  and  store-room  clerk.  Later  he 
was  oil  keeper  and  then  store  keeper;  and 
on  the  ist  of  January,  1899,  was  given  his 
present  position,  which  he  is  now  so  effici- 
ently and  satisfactorily  filling.  He  is  a 
young  man  of  good  business  ability,  is  en- 
terprising and  progressive,  and  is  a  worthy 
and  highly  esteemed  citizen  of  the  commu- 
nity in  which  he  resides.  He  is  a  member 
of  St.  Peter's  German  Evangelical  church, 
and  Western  Star  Lodge,  -No.  240,  F.  &  A. 
M.,  of  Champaign.  Illinois,  and  in  politics 
is  independent. 


LOUIS  R.  BIRELEY,  an  enterprising 
agriculturist  of  Champaign  county,  is 
the  owner  of  a  fine  farm  of  three  hundred 
and  sixty-five  acres  on  sections  27  and  28, 
Somer  township,  and  his  management  of 
the  place  is  marked  by  the  scientific  knowl- 
edge and  skill  which  characterize  the  mod- 
ern farmer. 

A  native  of  Maryland,  Mr.  Bireley  was 
born  in  1831,  and  is  of  German  and  English 
descent.  His  father,  Louis  Bireley,  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania,  in  1803,  and  remained 
in  his  native  state  until  about  .twenty  years 
of  age,  when  he  removed  with  his  parents  to 
Maryland,  where  as  a  boot  and  shoe  maker 
he  furnished  footwear  for  the  men  employed 
on  public  works  and  the  canal.  He  was 
married  in  1824  to  Miss  Sarah  Shank,  who 
was  born  in  Maryland  in  1806,  and  they  be- 
came the  parents  of  eleven  children,  nine  of 
whom  are  still  living,  the  others  dying  in 
infancy.  Those  who  survive  are  Philip  W., 
who  married  Charlotte  Rudicill.and  lives  in 
Madison  county,  Ohio;  Rebecca,  widow  of 


L.  R.   BIRELEY. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


2/9 


John  Clark,  of  Clark  county,  Ohio;  Re- 
becca, who  married  for  her  second  husband 
Charles  Garwood,  and  is  now  a  widow,  liv- 
ing in  Mahomet,  Champaign  county,  Illi- 
nois; Louis  R.,  our  subject;  Catherine  M. 
is  the  widow  of  William  J.  Ford  and  resides 
in  Urbana;  Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of  Martin 
Lowery,  a  farmer  and  stock  raiser  of  Mer- 
cer county,  Ohio;  Margaret  is  the  wife  of 
\Yilliam  Hardman,  a  farmer  and  stock  raiser 
of  Clark  county,  Ohio;  Sarah  J.,  who  first 
married  Jacob  Ellsworth  and  second  Will- 
iam Rice,  a  retired  farmer  and  old  settler  of 
Danville,  Illinois;  Eliza,  wife  of  Charles 
Arbogast,  an  extensive  stock  raiser  and 
farmer  of  Clark  county,  Ohio;  and  Henry 
Clark,  who  married  Susan  Rice,  and  is  en- 
gaged in  farming  and  dealer  in  agricultural 
implements  in  Marion  county,  Ohio.  In 
1839  the  father  ot  this  family  moved  to 
Clark  county,  Ohio,  where  he  first  purchased 
a  tract  of  sixty  acres  of  land,  but  kept  add- 
ing to  it  until  the  homestead  contained  two 
hundred  acres.  There  his  wife,  who  was  a 
noble  Christian  woman,  a  member  of  the  Ger- 
man Reformed  church,  died  in  1 874,  at  theage 
of  sixty-eight  years.  He  survived  her  thir- 
teen years,  dying  on  the  old  homestead  in 
1887,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four.  He,  too, 
was  a  member  of  the  German  Reformed 
church  in  early  life,  but  later  became  a 
Universalist.  In  politics  he  was  first  a 
Whig  and  later  a  Republican.  He  was 
highly  respected  and  esteemed  wherever 
known. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  continued  to 
reside  with  his  parents  until  1860,  when  he 
began  farming  tor  himself,  but  in  1862, 
when  the  dark  cloud  of  war  hung  so  heavily 
over  the  nation,  he  laid  aside  all  personal  in- 
terest and  responded  to  his  country's  call 
for  aid,  enlisting  in  Company  C.  One  Hun- 


dred and  Seventh  Illinois  Volunteer  Infan- 
try, and  giving  three  of  the  best  years  of  his 
life  to  the  service.  The  last  year  he  was  on 
detached  duty  most  of  the  time,  and  was 
honorably  discharged  at  Camp  Butler,  in 
1865,  the  war  having  ended.  Returning 
to  his  home  he  once  more  engaged  in  farm- 
ing. 

.  In  1868,  Mr.  Bireley  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Cordelia  Marrott,  who  is  the 
first  in  order  of  birth  in  the  family  of  six 
children  born  to  Richard  and  Cassandra 
(Sim)  Marrott.  Her  maternal  grandparents 
were  Joseph  W.  and  Keturah  (Mercer)  Sim, 
of  English  and  Scotch  descent.  Our  sub- 
ject and  his  wife  have  five  children,  namely: 
Jessie,  now  the  wife  of  R.  C.  Green,  a 
farmer  and  stock  dealer  of  Stanton  township, 
this  county;  Robert  A.,  who  married  Gert- 
rude Watson,  and  is  engaged  in  farming  in 
Somer  township;  Ethel,  wife  of  George  Mc- 
Clurg,  manager  of  the  electric  light  plant  at 
Urbana;  L.  Frank  and  Cassandra,  who  are 
at  home  with  their  parents. 

Mr.  Bireley  came  to  Piatt  county,  Illinois, 
in  1860,  and  took  up  his  residence;  later 
came  to  Champaign,  locating  in  Somer 
township,  where  he  now  owns  a  well-im- 
proved and  highly  cultivated  farm, as  previ- 
ously stated.  As  a  general  farmer  and  stock 
raiser  he  has  met  with  well-deserved  success, 
and  is  to-day  one  of  the  well-to-do  and  sub- 
stantial citizens  of  his  community.  In  pol- 
itics he  is  a  stanch  Republican,  and  has  held 
the  office  of  school  director  for  several  terms. 
He  adheres  to  the  Universalist  church  and 
the  Grand  Army  post  of  Urbana.  His  loy- 
alty is  above  question  and  has  been  manifest 
in  days  of  peace  as  well  as  in  time  of  war. 
Wherever  known  he  is  held  in  high  regard, 
and  he  has  a  large  circle  of  friends  and 
acquaintances  in  Champaign  county. 


280 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


FH.  LLOYDE.  Few  men  are  more 
prominent  or  more  widely  known  in  the 
enterprising  city  of  Champaign  than  F.  H. 
Lloyde,  the  junior  member  of  the  firm  of 
D.  H.  Lloyde  &  Son.  He  is  an  important 
factor  in  business  circles  and  his  popularity 
is  well  deserved,  as  in  him  are  embraced 
the  characteristics  of  an  unbending  integrity, 
unabated  energy  and  industry  that  never 
flags.  He  is  public-spirited  and  thoroughly 
interested  in  whatever  tends  to  promote  the 
moral,  intellectual  and  material  welfare  of 
Champaign. 

D.  H.  Lloyde,  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  Springfield,  Massachusetts,  June  11, 
1835,  a  son  of  Captain  David  and  Eliza 
(Seaver)  Lloyde,  natives  of  Springfield  and 
Somerset,  Massachusetts,  respectively.  In 
early  life  Captain  Lloyde  engaged  in  farming, 
but  later  turned  his  attention  to  contract- 
ing and  building.  In  1838  he  came  to  Illi- 
nois and  took  up  his  residence  in  Clarion 
township,  Bureau  county,  where  he  remained 
until  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  war.  He 
organized  Company  K,  of  the  Ninety-third 
Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  was  commis- 
sioned captain,  and  during  the  siege  of 
Vicksburg  was  shot  through  the  heart,  May 
16,  1862.  He  left  a  wife  and  five  children 
to  mourn  his  loss,  the  family  consisting  of 
D.  H.,  father  of  our  subject;  Jennie,  now 
Mrs.  Lees,  of  Attica,  Kansas;  James,  a  mer- 
chant and  station  agent  at  Milo,  Missouri; 
Lucy,  now  Mrs.  Herrick,  of  Princeton;  and 
George  O. ,  a  contractor  and  builder,  of 
Bloomington.  The  mother  of  this  family 
is  still  living  and  makes  her  home  in  La 
Moille,  Illinois.  Captain  Lloyde  was  always 
a  prominent  man  in  his  community,  and 
served  as  supervisor  and  justice  of  the  peace 
for  many  years.  After  coming  to  this  state 
he  taught  school  in  La  Moille  for  a  number  of 


years,  and  took  great  interest  in  educational 
affairs,  locating  several  schools  in  Bureau 
county.  He  conducted  the  first  hotel  in 
La  Moille,  at  which  place  the  stages  then 
stopped.  He  also  built  or  assisted  in  the 
construction  of  the  court  house  and  many  of 
the  leading  buildings  in  and  around  Prince- 
ton. 

The  father  of  our  subject  began  his  edu- 
cation in  the  district  schools  of  Bureau 
county,  and  later  attended  Judson  College 
at  La  Salle  and  Bereau  College  at  Jackson- 
ville, Illinois.  .  He  remained  at  home  until 
he  attained  his  majority,  and  then  engaged 
in  contracting  and  building,  having  inherited 
his  father's  ability  in  the  use  of  tools.  Com- 
ing to  Champaign  in  1874,  he  formed  a 
partnership  with  E.  V.  Peterson,  under  the 
firm  name  of  Peterson  &  Lloyde,  and  em- 
barked in  the  book,  stationery  and  music 
business.  When  the  senior  member  retired 
from  the  firm  in  1884  our  subject  became  a 
member  of  the  company,  and  business  has 
since  been  conducted  under  the  name  of  D. 
H.  Lloyde  &  Son.  On  the  25th  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1857,  the  father  married  Miss  Ellen 
P.  Angier,  a  native  of  Vermont  and  a 
daughter  of  Rev.  Aaron  and  Eliza  (Luther) 
Angier,  who  came  to  Illinois  in  1855,  and 
settled  in  La  Moille,  Bureau  county.  Her 
father  was  a  minister  of  the  Baptist  church, 
and  both  he  and  his  wife  are  now  deceased. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lloyde  were  born  three 
children:  F.  H.,  our  subject;  Clarence  A., 
who  was  graduated  from  the  mechanical 
department  of  the  University  of  Illinois,  and 
is  now  proprietor  of  the  Twin  City  Electric 
Company  of  Champaign;  and  Clifford  L. , 
who  is  with  the  firm  of  D.  H.  Lloyde  & 
Son. 

F.  H.  Lloyde,  whose  name  introduces 
this  review,  was  born  in  La  Moille,  Bureau 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


281 


county,  Illinois,  December  29,  1857,  and 
acquired  his  early  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  Princeton.  After  completing  the 
high  school  course  in  that  city,  he  came  to 
Champaign  and  entered  the  University  of 
Illinois,  where  he  pursued  the  literary  and 
scientific  course  of  four  years,  graduating 
in  1878.  Although  his  parents  were  living 
here  at  that  time,  he  returned  to  Bureau  coun- 
ty, and  engaged  in  teaching  school  at  Wal- 
nut for  one  winter.  He  then  entered  his 
father's  store  in  Champaign,  and  has  since 
been  connected  with  that  establishment, 
serving  in  a  clerical  capacity  until  the  firm 
of  Peterson  &  Lloyde  was  dissolved  in  1884, 
when  Mr.  Peterson  went  west.  Our  sub- 
ject then  entered  into  partnership  with 
his  father,  as  previously  stated,  and  has 
had  exclusive  charge  of  the  book  and 
stationery  departments,  while  his  father 
has  charge  of  the  music.  They  make  a 
specialty  of  books,  stationary,  art  mate- 
rials, etc.,  needed  at  the  University,  the 
store  being  established  for  that  purpose  in 
1867.  It  is  the  only  exclusive  bookstore  in 
the  county,  and  has  agents  through  several 
adjoining  counties,  catering  especially  to  the 
teachers'  trade.  Recently  a  photographic 
department  has  been  added  and  the  firm 
now  carry  cameras  and  all  needed  supplies 
for  photographic  art,  and  also  have  a  dark 
room  for  the  free  use  of  amateurs.  They 
have  built  up  an  excellent  trade  along  va- 
rious lines  and  well  merit  the  success  they 
have  achieved. 

On  the  5th  of  June,  1879,  Mr-  Lloyde 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Frances 
Core,  a  native  of  Illinois;  and  a  daughter  of 
H.  C.  Core,  who  was  a  prominent  business 
man  of  Champaign  for  many  years.  Both 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lloyde  are  active  and  prom- 
inent members  of  the  Baptist  church,  in 


which  he  is  serving  as  deacon,  and  has  been 
a  teacher  in  the  Sunday  school  for  many 
years.  He  was  also  organist  for  about  ten 
years,  and  has  led  the  singing  many  years 
in  the  Sunday  school.  He  and  his  wife  at- 
tended the  Endeavor  National  Conventions 
at  Boston,  Cleveland  and  Minneapolis,  and 
they  have  not  only  traveled  extensively  over 
the  United  States,  but  spent  six  months 
abroad,  visiting  Egypt  and  the  Holy  Land, 
Turkey  and  other  parts  of  Europe.  Social- 
ly Mr.  Lloyde  is  a  member  of  Langley  Camp, 
Sons  of  Veterans;  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America;  and  the  Court  of  Honor.  He  has 
served  six  years  on  the  Public  Library  Board. 
He  is  treasurer  of  the  building  committee  of 
the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  of  the  University  of  Illi- 
nois. His  political  support  is  given  the 
Prohibition  party,  and  he  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  county  central  committee  forseven 
years,  serving  as  chairman  and  secretary  of 
the  committee  for  several  years  each.  On 
a  strictly  Prohibition  ticket  he  was  elected 
to  the  city  council  in  1897  by  a  majority  of 
fifty  in  a  ward  that  was  four  to  one  in  favor 
of  the  Republican  party,  which  fact  plainly 
indicates  his  personal  popularity  and  the 
confidence  and  trust  reposed  in  him  by  his 
fellow  citizens.  He  has  been  the  candidate 
of  his  party  for  many  different  offices,  but 
as  the  city  has  an  overwhelming  Republican 
majority  he  has  been  defeated.  He  posses- 
ses that  culture  which  only  travel  can  bring, 
is  an  entertaining  conversationalist,  and  is 
highly  respected  and  esteemed  by  all  who 
know  him  on  account  of  his  sterling  worth 
and  strict  integrity. 


OAMUEL  E.  WINCHESTER.  Among 
O  the  brave  men  who  devoted  the  open- 
ing years  of  their  manhood  to  the  defense 


282 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


of  the  country  from  the  internal  foes  who 
sought  her  dismemberment,  was  Mr.  Win- 
chester, a  prominent  resident  of  Somer 
township,  Campaign  county,  Illinois,  who 
owns  and  operates  a  good  farm  of  eighty 
acres  on  section  I. 

He  was  born  in  Madison  county,  New 
York;  May  20,  1840,  and  is  of  English  and 
German  descent.  His  parents  were  John  E. 
and  Janette  (Dutcher-)  Winchester,  also  na- 
tives of  New  York,  the  former  born  March 
19,  1816,  the  latter  December  10,  1812. 
They  were  married  in  Lebanon,  New  York, 
July  3,  1835,  and  had  five  children,  of  whom 
our  subject  is  the  oldest.  Polly  Jane,  born 
January  25,  1842,  is  now  the  widow  of  Will- 
iam Wilcox,  and  resides  in  Aurora,  Kane 
county,  Illinois.  Ruby  Ann,  born  April  8, 
1845,  married  first  Albert  A.  Logan,  and 
after  his  death  married  Isaiah  Wilcox,  and 
is  also  a  resident  of  Aurora.  Sarah  M., 
born  September  4,  1847,  married  first  Henry 
Ives,  and  second  John  W.  Brownfield,  a 
farmer  of  Sorner  township,  this  county. 
George  W.,  born  October  22,  1848,  married 
Hattie  Smith,  and  is  a  traveling  salesman 
residing  in  Urbana.  In  June,  1860,  the 
father  with  his  family  removed  from  New 
York  to  Kaneville,  Kane  county,  Illinois, 
where  he  purchased  land  and  engaged  in 
farming  until  1868,  when  he  came  to  Cham- 
paign county  and  bought  a  farm  in  Rantoul 
township,  continuing  to  engage  in  agricul- 
tural pursuits  here  until  called  to  his  final 
rest  August  9,  1898,  at  the  ripe  old  age  of 
eighty-three  years.  He  was  a  Republican  in 
politics.  In  early  life  he  was  a  member  of 
the  Baptist  church,  but  after  coming  to  Illi- 
nois, he  united  with  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church,  and  was  a  consistent  member 
of  the  same  until  his  death.  His  widow  is 
still  living  and  now  makes  her  home  with  her 


son  George  W.  (married  Harriet  Smith,  who 
died  January  7,  1900),  and  Mrs.  Ann  Wil- 
cox, in  Aurora,  111. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  remained  un- 
der the  parental  roof  until  after  the  Civil 
war  'broke  out.  In  1861,  he  joined  the 
boys  in  blue  of  Company  G,  Fifty-second 
Illinois  Volunteer  infantry  and  participated 
in  twenty-one  battles  and  skirmishes,  but 
fortunately  was  never  wounded.  He  was  in 
the  battles  of  Fort  Donelson  and  Shilo  un- 
der General  Sweeney,  and  later  went  with 
General  Sherman,  on  his  celebrated  march 
to  the  sea.  When  the  army  arrived  at  Sa- 
vannah, Georgia,  he  was  honorably  dis- 
charged, as  his  term  of  enlistment  had  ex- 
pired, and  he  returned  home  January  5, 
1865,  with  a  war  record  of  which  he  may 
feel  justly  proud. 

Mr.  Winchester  was  married  in  1868,  to 
Miss  Mary  E.  Loveland,  of  Kane  county, 
Illinois,  who  died  April  15,  1870,  and  Alice, 
the  only  child  born  to  them,  died  in  infancy. 
On  April  27,  1872,  he  married  her  sister, 
Miss  Alice  J.  Loveland,  a  daughter  of  Eure- 
tus  and  Erneline  (Manning)  Loveland,  of 
Kane  county,  and  by  this  union  has  been 
born  five  children,  namely:  Ida  M.  is  the 
wife  of  Wilber  Alexander,  of  Thomasboro, 
Illinois,  and  they  have  three  children,  Lee 
W. ,  Edith  May  and  Roy  Wilber;  Ernest 
Arthur,  a  farmer  of  Stanton  township,  this 
county,  married  Rosella  James,  and  has  one 
daughter,  Bessie  Frances;  Albert  E.,  is 
a  farmer  residing  with  his  brother  Ernest 
E.,  in  Stanton  township;  Elva,  Erne  and 
Benjamin  are  all  at  home  with  their  parents, 
attending  school. 

For  several  years  Mr.  Winchester  en- 
gaged in  farming  in  Kane  county,  and  was 
also  employed  nineyears  on  public  works.  In 
1883  he  removed  to  Somer  township,  Cham- 


THE  BIOGRAHPICAL    RECORD. 


283 


paign  county,  where  he  purchased  a  farm, 
and  has  since  successfully  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  He  has  placed  his  land 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  made 
a  number  of  excellent  improvements  thereon 
which  stand  as  monuments  to  his  thrift  and 
enterprise,  He  is  an  honored  member  of 
Black  Eagle  Post,  No.  129,  G.  A.  R.,  of 
Urbana,  and  is  unswerving  in  his  allegiance 
to  the  Republican  party.  In  religious  belief 
he  with  his  wife  are  Baptists. 


RICHARD  WHITESIDE  BRAITH- 
\VAITE,  the  leading  veterinary  sur- 
geon of  Champaign,  was  born  near  Black- 
pool, Lancashire,  England,  January  24, 
1853,  a  son  of  John  and  Alice  (Whiteside) 
Braithwaite.  The  father,  a  well-to-do 
farmer  and  stock  raise  by  occupation,  was 
born  in  the  same  place,  the  ancestral  home 
being  Mythop  Hall,  which  has  been  in  the 
farr.ily  for  many  years.  Both  he  and  the 
grandfather,  John  Braithwaite,  Sr. ,  took  an 
active  part  in  political  affairs,  and  the  fam- 
ily was  one  of  the  best  known  and  most 
prominent  in  that  locality.  The  paternal 
grandfather  of  our  subject  was  Richard 
Whiteside  of  Westby  Hall, 'Lancashire,  also 
a  landed  estate,  and  on  his  death  he  left 
each  one  of  his  family,  three  sons  and  two 
daughters,  a  separate  estate.  Our  subject's 
father  died  in  the  summer  of  1876,  his 
mother,  October  19,1899.  Both  were  mem- 
bers of  the  Episcopal  church. 

During  his  boyhood  Richard  W.  Braith- 
waite was  educated  at  Weeton  common 
school, Kirkham  grammar  school, and  Black- 
pool agricultural  college,  fitting  himself  for 
a  farmer.  While  a  youth  on  the  farm  he 
became  a  noted  prize  ploughman,  winning 


five  firsts  in  the  youth's  class,  and  sixteen 
firsts  in  the  men's  class,  beating  the  cham- 
pion of  England,  James  Barker,  three 
times,  and  afterwards  officiated  as  judge  in 
all  parts  of  the  country.  He,  later,  turned 
his  attention  to  veterinary  surgery  and 
served  an  apprenticeship  with  a  government 
veterinarian  in  Pulton  le  Fylde.  Subse- 
quently, while  pursuing  a  course  in  veterin- 
ary medicine  in  London,  his  father  was  in- 
stantly killed  by  a  runaway,  and  he  was 
called  home  to  take  charge  of  the  farm,  be- 
ing the  second  son  of  eighteen  children,  re- 
maing  there  until  coming  to  the  United 
States  in  1881.  He  came  to  this  country 
with  an  importation  of  horses  for  the  Mel- 
bourne stock  farm  in  Washington,  Tazewell 
county,  Illinois,  owned  by  A.  G.  Danforth, 
and  was  engaged  to  take  charge  of  Melbourne 
stock  farm.,  and  the  veterinary  work  thereon 
for  one  year,  during  Mr.  Baylor's  absence 
while  in  Europe  importing  horses,  his 
younger  brother  beingold  enough  at  that  time 
to  assume  the  responsibilities  of  the  home 
farm.  He  then  went  with  L.  S.  Ruppert, 
brother-in-law  of  A.  G.  Danforth, to  Bloom- 
ington,  to  take  charge  of  his  city  breeding 
establishment  in  connection  with  Daseianna 
stock  farm,  where  he  remained  four  years. 
For  the  same  length  of  time  he  also  had 
charge  of  the  Ferre  stock  farm  in  Normal, 
which  he  carried  on  in  connection  with  the 
practice  of  his  profession,  having  built  up  a 
good  practice  with  Dr.  Scott  Brothers.  In  the 
spring  of  1891  he  passed  his  veterinary  ex- 
aminations and  came  to  Champaign  with 
Mr.  Booker  and  took  charge  of  his  stables, 
at  the  same  time  engaging  in  the  practice  of 
veterinary  surgery.  In  1893  he  established  a 
Veterinary  Hospital.  In  1 894  he  bought  out 
Mr.  Booker,  and  formed  a  partnership  with 
J.  W.  Cleveland,  under  the  firm  name  of 


284 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Braithwaite  &  Cleveland,  which  connection 
still  exists.  He  had  established  a  veterinary 
hospital  in  1893,  the  first  in  Champaign, 
and  fitted  it  up  with  all  the  conveniences 
for  the  treatment  of  diseases  and  for  surgical 
operations.  The  firm  also  have  a  breeding 
stable.  Mr.  Braithwaite  has  built  up  an 
excellent  city  practice,  and  receiving  long 
distance  calls  from  Rantoul  to  Arcola  and 
Ogden  to  Bloomington,  and  is  without 
doubt  one  of  the  most  able  and  skillful,  as 
well  as  successful  veterinary  surgeons  in 
this  section.  He  has  been  quite  a  promt  - 
ment  member  of  the  Illinois  Veterinary 
Medical  &  Surgical  Association  since  1891, 
and  has  frequently  been  called  upon  to  read 
papers  before  its  conventions,  and  is  still  an 
energetic  student.* 

On  the  1 8th  of  February,  1891,  Mr. 
Braithwaite  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Rebecca  Cope,  of  Le  Roy,  who  was 
born  and  reared  at  that  place,  and  is 
the  youngest  daughter  in  a  family  of  six 
children.  Her  father  was  Charles  Cope, 
one  of  the  pioneers  and  wealthy  men 
of  Le  Roy  township,  where  he  owned  a 
fine  farm  of  six  hundred  and  forty 
acres.  Two  children  were  born  to  our  sub- 
ject and  his  .wife,  namely:  John  Earl,  de- 
ceased; and  Lyle  David.  The  family  have 
a  pleasant  home  at  No.  205  West  Washing- 
ton -street,  erected  by  Mr.  Braithwaite  in 
1897.  Both  he  and  his  wife  hold  member- 
ship in  the  Christian  church,  and  he  also  be- 
longs to  the  Improved  Order  of  Red  Men, 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and  the 
American  Home  Circle. 


JAMES  P.  BLUE,  the   well-known  fore- 
man of  the  car  department  of  the    Big 
Four  Railroad  at   Urbana,  Illinois,  has  for 


almost  a  third  of  a  century  been  a  faithful 
and  trusted  employe  of  that  company  and 
has  worked  his  way  upward  from  a  humble 
position  to  one  of  great  responsibility.  His 
career  has  been  characterized  by  industry, 
honesty  and  strict  fidelity  to  duty,  and  due 
success  has  not  been  denied  him. 

Mr.  Blue  was  born  in  Hampshire  county, 
Virginia,  July  15,  1845,  a  son  °f  James  N. 
and  Sophia  (Laramore)  Blue,  also  natives 
of  that  county.  The  father  followed  the 
occupation  of  farming  throughout  his  active 
business  life.  In  1851  Ue  left  the  Old  Do- 
minion, and  after  spending  about  three 
years  in  Licking  and  Knox  counties,  Ohio, 
he  came  to  Illinois  in  1855,  and  settled  in 
Mahomet  township,  this  county,  where  he 
bought  an  improved  farm.  Later  he  re- 
moved to  Newcomb  township,  but  finally 
sold  his  property  there  and  purchased  a  farm 
of  twenty  acres  two  and  a  half  miles  north 
of  Urbana.  In  this  county  he  continued  to 
engage  in  farming  and  stock  raising  for 
many  years,  but  spent  the  last  six  years 
with  his  daughter  in  Kansas,  where  he  died 
April  5,  1890,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three 
years.  His  wife  died  two  years  later  at  the 
age  of  sixty-seven.  They  were  members 
of  the  Baptist  church  at  Mahomet,  and  were 
known  all  over  the  county  and  most  highly 
respected.  At  different  times  the  father 
served  his  fellow-citizens  as  collector,  asses- 
sor and  constable. 

The  children  of  this  worthy  couple  were 
Thomas  F. ,  who  married  Elizabeth  Ater, 
and  is  now  clerking  in  a  grocery  at  Urbana; 
John  W.,  who  married  Sarah  Jane  Means, 
and  follows  farming  in  Mahomet  township; 
Hannah,  who  married  John  F.  Sims,  and 
died  in  Kansas  in  1897,  aged  fifty-four 
years;  James  P.,  our  subject;  Susan,  who 
married  F.  Lewis,  and  died  at  the  age  of 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


285 


forty-two  years;  Peter  N.,  who  married 
Winnie  Schibler,  and  is  car  inspector  in  Ur- 
bana;  Mary  C.,  wife  of  John  Wingler,  who 
is  in  the  brick  business  in  Urbana;  Louisa, 
who  married  John  Gear,  and  died  at  the  age 
of  twenty-four  years;  and  Alice,  second  wife 
of  John  Gear. 

Reared  upon  the  home  farm,  James  P. 
Blue  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  until 
he  attained  his  majority,  and  then  turned 
his  attention  to  railroading,  entering  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Big  Four  Railroad  Company 
November  I,  1869,  as  a  workman  in  the  car 
repairing  department.  Later  he  was  car  in- 
spector, and  was  engaged  in  repairing  cars 
for  some  years.  For  fifteen  years  he  was 
foreman  of  the  wrecking  crew,  and  for  the 
past  ten  years  has  capably  filled  his  present 
responsible  position.  He  has  never  been 
discharged  nor  laid  off  for  any  reason,  and 
is  to-day  about  the  only  one  in  his  depart- 
ment who  was  there  when  he  entered  it. 

Mr.  Blue  was  married,  January  10, 
1867,  to  Miss  Sarah  J.  Ater,  a  daughter  of 
John  and  Sarah  (Davis)  Ater,  natives  of 
Pennsylvania  and  Kentucky,  respectively, 
but  the  latter  was  reared  in  Pickaway  coun- 
ty, Ohio.  Her  father,  wlio  was  a  farmer  by 
occupation,  died  in  1893,  at  the  age  of  sev- 
enty-three years,  but  the  mother  is  still  liv- 
ing at  the  age  of  seventy-six.  She  is  an 
earnest  and  consistent  member  of  the  Bap- 
tist church.  In  their  family  were  thirteen 
children,  namely:  Rebecca  M.,  wife  of  Will- 
iam H.  Dickerson,  of  Urbana;  Zacariah, 
who  was  killed  in  the  battle  of  Kenesaw 
Mountain,  during  the  Civil  war,  at  the  age 
of  twenty-four  years;  Abram,  who  married 
Cynthia  Lane,  and  lives  in  Urbana;  Elizabeth 
wife  of  T.  F.  Blue,  of  Urbana,  Sarah  J., 
wife  of  our  subject;  Anna,  wife  of  Benja- 
min Stucky,  of  Fisher,  Illinois;  Mary  A., 


wife  of  John  Gibson,  of  Iowa;  John  E.,  who 
married  Emma  Cunningham  and  lives  in 
Urbana;  Missouri,  wife  of  John  McAllister, 
of  Norfolk,  Kansas;  Laura,  wife  of  Henry 
Lyons,  of  Iowa:  Ida,  wife  of  Frank  Stone, 
of  the  same  state;  Amelia  C. ,  wife  of  B.  F. 
McFarland,  of  Iowa,  and  Eddie,  who  is  liv- 
ing with  his  mother  in  that  state. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Blue  have  one  child,  Nora 
Edith,  wife  of  E.  R.  Wright,  a  painter  in 
the  employ  of  the  Big  Four  railroad  at  Ur- 
bana, by  whom  she  has  two  children,  Har- 
old R.  and  Thearl  J.  Living  with  our  sub- 
ject and  his  wife  is  her  nephew,  Royal  Blue, 
a  bright  boy,  who  is  a  pupil  in  the  third 
grade  of  the  public  schools  of  Urbana. 

As  a  public-spirited  and  progressive  citi- 
zen, Mr.  Blue  takes  deep  interest  in  public 
affairs,  and  most  efficiently  served  as  alder- 
man from  1896  to  1898.  Fraternally  he  is 
a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America,  and  is  one  of  the  managers  of  the 
camp  at  Urbana.  He  and  his  wife  are  ac- 
tive members  of  the  Baptist  church,  in 
which  he  has  served  as  deacon  for  eighteen 
years,  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school, 
and  is  also  a  member  of  the  finance  com- 
mittee. They  have  a  nice  cozy  home  at 
No  307  North  Race  street,  and  areskilled  in 
the  art  of  making  a  place  homelike  and  at- 
tractive to  their  many  friends.  Here  hap- 
piness and  good  cheer  abound,  and  hospi- 
tality reigns  supreme. 


EORGE  C.  PETTENGER.  For  thirty 
V-I  years  this  well  known  citizen  of  Ur- 
bana has  been  engaged  in  railroading,  and 
few  stand  higher  in  the  esteem  of  the  officials 
and  employes  of  the  Big  Four  Railroad. 
He  is  one  of  those  men,  too  few,  alas!  who 


286 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


take  a  genuine  interest  in  their  special  occu- 
pation and  earnestly  strive  to  perform  every 
duty  devolving  upon  them,  realizing^  to  the 
uttermost,  the  responsibility  which  rests 
upon  them,  and  giving  only  a  secondary 
thought  to  the  livelihood  so  justly  earned. 
Rarely  does  the  traveler  give  a  thought  to 
the  man  who,  like  the  pilot  of  a  great  steam- 
ship, guides  and  guards  the  precious  lives 
entrusted  to  his  care,  into  the  safe  haven 
whither  they  are  destined,  and  who,  by  a 
minute  of  carelessness  or  a  rash  movement, 
might  hurl  hundreds  of  his  fellows  to  an 
awful  death.  To  the  one  who  loyally  and 
bravely  stands  at  his  post,  though  the  temp- 
ests rage  and  lightnings  flash,  and  who,  as  so 
often  happens,  valiantly  goes  to  a  hero's 
grave  in  the  hope  of  saving  his  helpless  pas- 
sengers, let  us  render  the  homage  of  grate- 
ful hearts,  at  least. 

George  C.  Pettenger  was  reared  in  the 
atmosphere  of  a  good  Christian  home,  and 
his  aged  parents,  Morris  and  Lucinda  (Con- 
over)  Pettenger,  are  still  living,  though  well 
along  in  the  '703.  They  have  been  life-long 
residents  of  Hunterdon  county,  New  Jersey, 
and,  during  their  active  years,  were  occupied 
in  agricultural  pursuits.  They  are  passing 
their  declining  years  in  the  village  of  Ham- 
den,  not  far  from  their  old  homestead. 
They  have  long  been  faithful  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  Their  young- 
est child,  Margaret,  died  at  the  age  of  twelve 
years,  and  all  of  their  other  children  survive. 
Mary,  the  eldest,  is  the  wife  of  John  H. 
Bartow,  an  engineer  on  the  New  York, 
Susquehanna  and  Western  Railroad,  his 
home  being  in  Paterson,  New  Jersey.  Will- 
iam W.,  the  eldest  son,  lives  in  Somerville, 
New  Jersey,  and  Samuel  was  for  several 
years  employed  in  the  yards  of  the  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad,  at  Scran- 


ton,  Pennsylvania.  Frances  is  the  wife  of 
Andrew  Scott,  a  farmer  of  Clinton,  New 
Jersey;  Emma  is  the  wife  of  Lewis  Rupel,  a 
retired  capitalist  of  Chicago;  and  Rachael, 
Mrs.  George  Platner,  resides  in  Englewood, 
Illinois.  Joseph  is  general  foreman  of  the 
Western  Union  Telegraph  Company,  at  San 
Francisco. 

The  birth  of   George   C.    Pettenger  took 
place  at  Hamden,  New  Jersey,  September 
5,  1850.      He  loyally   gave  his  services  to 
his  parents  in  the  general  work  of  the  farm 
until  he  was  twenty  years   of  age,  when  he 
decided  to  start  upon  his  independent  career. 
Going  to  Scranton  he  took    a  position    as 
brakesman  on    the   Delaware,  Lackawanna 
&  Western   Railroad,  and  at  the  end  of  a     • 
year  was  promoted  to  the  place  of  fireman. 
Even  at  that  late  day,   1871,  the  engines  in 
use  there  burned  wood  for  fuel,  even  though 
they    were    employed    in  drawing    coal    to 
various    points,    and    the    train    on    which 
young  Pettenger  was  acting  as  fireman  car- 
ried coal  to  the  canal  boats  at  Port  Wash- 
ington,   New    Jersey.      At   the    end    of    six  / 
months,  however,  he  was  transferred  to  the 
northern  division    of    the  road,  during    the 
construction   of  the  double    track  between 
Scranton    and    Great   Bend,  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  spent  another  six   months.      Sub- 
sequently, he  was  given  charge  of  a  switch 
engine  in  the  Scranton  yards,  and  in  a  short 
time  became  engineer  on   the  Riser   Valley 
branch,  hauling   coal   from    the    mines.      A 
year  or  so  later,  he  took   charge   of  a  train 
on  the  main  line  from  Great  Bend  to  Syra- 
cuse, New  York,  a  distance  of  eighty  miles. 
In  the  fall  of  1880  he  entered  the  employ  of 
the  New  York  Central,  and  ran  a  train  from 
Buffalo  ajid  Niagara  Falls  to  Syracuse,  one 
hundred  and  fifty  miles. 

In    October,  i88'i,    Mr.    Pettenger  con- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


287 


eluded  to  come  further  west,  where  he  be- 
lieved that  the  growing  importance  of  rail- 
roading would  give  him  better  opportunities. 
After  visiting  a  sister  in  Chicago,  he  had  no 
difficulty  in  obtaining  the  favorable  consid- 
eration of  the  local  railroad  people,  and  ac- 
cepted a  position  proffered  him  by  Edward 
Hiserodt,  master  mechanic  of  the  I.  B.  & 
W.  Railroad,  and  on  the  i  5th  of  November, 
1 88 1,  took  a  train  over  the  road  to  Craw- 
fordsville,  Indiana,  his  first  trip  on  that  line. 
Since  that  time  he  has  never  been  idle  save 
when  he  took  a  short  vacation;  and  he  is 
generally  conceded  to  be  one  of  the  most 
efficient  and  careful  engineers  on  the  road. 
Since  1891  he  has  had  a  specially  desira- 
ble and  short  run,  trains  No.  2  and  3,  leav- 
ing Urbana  at  6:34  A.  M.,  and  arriving  in 
Indianapolis  at  10:35;.  leaving  that  city  at 
4:25  P.  M.,  and  reaching  this  place  at  9:38. 
During  his-  whole  railroad  career  he  has 
been  unusually  fortunate  in  never  having  an 
accident  of  any  importance. 

In  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  En- 
gineers Mr.  Pettenger  has  been  prominent 
for  a  score  of  years.  During  the  two  years 
just  ended,  he  has  been  chief  of  the  local 
division,  No.  193,  and  in  1898  was  sent  as  a 
delegate  to  the  Third  Biennial  Convention 
of  the  Brotherhood,  at  St.  Louis,  while  in 
August,  1899,  he  was  similarly  honored  by 
being  chosen  as  delegate  from  the  Urbana 
division  to  the  general  board  of  adjustment  of 
the  Big  Four  system,  which  convened  at  In- 
dianapolis. He  was  re-elected  to  represent 
Division  143  at  the  Board  of  Locomotive 
Engineers'  Convention  at  Milwaukee  in 
May,  1900.  Moreover,  Mr.  Pettenger  is  a 
Mason  of  the  thirty-second  degree,  belong- 
ing to*  Urbana  Lodge,  No.  157;  Urbana 
Chapter,  No.  So;  Urbana  Cotnmandery, 
No.  16;  the  Consistory  at  Indianapolis; 

15 


and  the  Ancient  Arabic  Order  of  the 
Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine,  also  of  the 
Indiana  capital.  In  his  political  views,  he 
is  a  thorough-going  Republican.  With  all 
who  have  the  pleasure  of  his  acquaintance 
he  is  deservedly  popular,  and  all  along  his 
"run"  the  passing  of  his  train  is  looked  for- 
ward to  by  many,  who  enjoy  a  sight  of  his 
honest,  good-natured  face. 

Only  nine  years  ago  did  Mr.  Pettenger 
establish  a  home  and  on  January  26,  i89ir 
he  married  at  Indianapolis,  Miss  Jessie  Jack- 
son, daughter  of  O.  H.  and  Alice  (Hoag- 
land)  Jackson.  The  father  was  employed 
as  master  mechanic  of  the  Big  Four  system 
in  the  city  mentioned,  for  a  number  of 
years.  The  only  child  of  our  subject  and 
wife  is  Charles  Jackson,  born  December  11, 
1892.  Four  years  ago,  Mr.  Pettenger  erect- 
ed his  pretty  modern  residence,  and  here  he 
is  surrounded  with  the  accessories  of  a  model 
home. 


TEETER  KLEIN.  No  foreign  element 
1  has  become  a  more  important  part'  of 
our  American  citizenship  than  that  furnished 
by  Germany.  The  emigrants  from  that 
land  have  brought  with  them  to  the  new 
world  the  stability,  enterprise  and  persever- 
ance characteristic  of  their  people  and  have 
fused  these  qualities  with  the  progressive- 
ness  and  indomitable  spirit  of  the  west.  Mr. 
Klein,  who  is  now  practically  living  a  re- 
tired life  upon  a  small  farm  near  Champaign, 
Illinois,  is  a  worthy  representative  of  this 
class. 

He  was  born  in  the  Rhine  Province, 
Germany,  February  6,  1836,  a  son  of  Will- 
iam and  Katie  (Wasserhess)  Klein,  also  na- 
tives of  that  province.  They  were  good, 
honest,  industrious  farming  people,  who  led 


288 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


rather  uneventful  lives,  and  never  left  their 
native  land.  Religiously  they  were  mem- 
bers of  the  German  Catholic  church.  The 
mother  died  when  our  subject  was  only  four 
years  old,  leaving  four  children.  The  old- 
est of  these  is  Joseph,  who  married  a  Miss 
Hensyleer,  and  still  lives  in  Germany.  Our 
subject  is  next  in  order  of  birth.  Frederick 
came  to  the  United  States  in  1867,  and  was 
engaged  in  farming  with  our  subject  in  this 
county,  where  he  died  in  1879,  at  the  age 
of  forty-two  years.  He  was  unmarried. 
Anna  Magdalena  came  with  Frederick  to 
this  county  and  later  married  Peter  Youn- 
gerfeldt,  but  she  died  in  1869,  at  the  age  of 
thirty-two  years.  Her  husband  departed 
his  life  in  1899.  Peter  Youngerfeldt  was 
a  second  time  married  and  had  several 
children  by  that  union.  He  died  at  the  age 
of  sixty-five  years. 

Peter  Klein  was  reared  and  educated  in 
his  native  land,  and  served  for  three  years 
in  the  German  army,  from  1857  to  1860, 
but  did  not  take  part  in  any  war.  His  father 
was  also  in  the  service  for  three  years  prior 
to  his  marriage.  In  1866  our  subject  emi- 
grated to  America  and  first  located  in  Terre 
Haute,  Indiana,  where  he  worked  for  one 
year,  but  not  liking  the  place,  he  then  went 
to  La  Salle  county,  Illinois,  and  worked 
there  as  a  farm  hand  for  a  year. 

In  May,  1868,  Mr.  Klein  came  to  this 
county,  formed  a  partnership  with  his 
brother-in-law,  Peter  Youngerfeldt,  and  com- 
menced farming  in  Colfax  township,  where 
they  purchased  two  hundred  acres  of  land 
and  operated  it  together  for  two  years. 
Our  subject  then  formed  a  partnership  with 
his  brother  Frederick  and  continued,  his 
farming  operations  until  the  latter's  death 
in  1879.  In  December,  1874,  Mr.  Klein 
returned  to  his  old  home  in  the  Rhine 


Province,  Germany,  where  a  few  months 
were  very  happily  passed  with  old  friends 
and  relatives. 

In  1875  he  again  came  to  the  United 
States,  and  was  accompanied  on  the  voyage 
by  Miss  Katie  Schumacher,  a  native  of  the 
same  place,  and  a  daughter  of  Arnold  and 
Agnes  (Wollan)  Schumacher,  both  of  whom 
died  in  Germany,  the  former  at  the  age  of 
sixty  years,  the  latter  at  the  age  of  forty- 
one.  On  reaching  America  Mr.  Klein  and 
Miss  Schumaker  were  married.  Of  the 
eleven  children  born  of  this  union  four  died 
in  infancy.  Joseph,  the  eldest,  is  a  gradu- 
ate of  the  Business  College  in  Champaign, 
and  now  has  charge  of  his  father's  farm  in 
Colfax  township.  Agnes  and  Carl  are  on 
the  farm  with  Joseph,  while  William,  Frede- 
rick, Annie  and  Frances,  are  all  at  home, 
and  attending  school  in  Champaign. 

To  the  cultivation  and  improvement  of 
his  farm  in  Colfax  township,  Mr.  Klein  de- 
voted his  energies  for  many  years,  trans- 
forming the  wild  prairie  land  into  one  of  the 
best  and  most  highly  cultivated  farms  of  the 
township.  He  also  extended  its  boundaries 
until  they  now  include  three  hundred  and 
forty  acres  of  land.  Besides  this  valuable 
land  he  owns  a  farm  of  seventy-five  acres 
near  Mahomet,  and  ten  acres  in  Champaign 
City,  upon  which  he  now.  resides.  In  1890 
he  retired  from  active  farm  labor  and  re- 
moved to  his  present  comfortable  home  in 
the  suburbs  of  Champaign,  where  he  ex- 
pects to  spend  his  declining  years,  enjoying 
a  well-earned  rest.  He  has  never  taken  a 
very  active  part  in  politics,  but  served  as 
school  director  for  many  years  while  living 
in  Colfax  township.  He  and  his  family  are 
members  of  the  German  Catholic  church, 
and  are  highly  respected  by  all  who  know 
them. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


289 


MARK  CARLEY.  The  city  of  Cham- 
paign largely  stands  as  a  monument 
to  the  enterprising  industry  and  progressive 
spirit  of  Mark  Carley,  who  built  the  first 
residence  on  the  town  site,  and  established 
many  of  its  pioneer  business  interests.  He 
was  a  man  of  distinctive  and  forceful  in- 
dividuality, of  broad  mentality  and  most 
mature  judgment,  and  he  left  his  impress 
upon  Champaign  in  a  manner  which  con- 
tributed to  its  material  advancement  and 
substantial  improvement.  His  indefatigable 
enterprise  and  fertility  of  resource  enabled 
him  to  conquer  all  the  obstacles  and  diffi- 
culties in  his  path  and  to  press  steadily  for- 
ward toward  the  goal  of  his  ambitions  and  his 
labors.  No  compendium  such  as  the  province 
of  this  work  defines  in  its  essential  limita- 
tions will  serve  to  offer  fit  memorial  to  the 
life  and  accomplishments  of  the  honored 
subject  of  this  sketch,  and  yet  the  bio- 
grapher would  desire  to  pay  tribute  to  one 
whose  life  work  was  so  closely  interwoven 
with  the  history  of  Champaign  county. 

Mr.  Carley  was  born  in  the  town  of 
Hancock,  in  Hillsboro  county,  New  Hamp- 
shire, August  24,  1798.  His  native  county 
was  also  the  birthplace  of  Horace  Greeley, 
whom  he  resembled  in  many  respects.  Lit- 
tle is  known  concerning  the  ancestral  history 
of  the  family,  save  that  his  paternal  grand- 
parents were  natives  of  Massachusetts  and 
were  of  English  extraction.  Joseph  Carley, 
the  grandfather,  was  born  February  17, 
1 718, and  married  Sally  Washburn,  who  was 
born  September  1 ,  1 729,  and  belonged  to  the 
prominent  Washburn  family  that  has  fur- 
nished so  many  prominent  men  to  the 
nation.  Elijah  Carley,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  the  youngest  of  their  children, and 
was  born  in  Massachusetts,  May  21,  1771. 
He  wedded  Agnes  Graham,  who  was  born 


in  New  Hampshire,  July  18,  1772.  Some 
of  his  brothers  were  soldiers  in  the  Revo- 
lutionary war,  and  one  of  them,  Jonathan 
Carley,  left  a  soldier's  discharge  which  was 
signed  by  the  hand  of  Washington,  and  is 
now  carefully  cherished  among  valuable 
family  papers.  Elijah  Carley  was  too 
young  to  serve  in  the  war  for  independence, 
but  he  and  one  of  his  brothers  served  in  the 
war  of  1812,  first  with  the  dragoons  and 
afterward  with  the  heavy  artillery.  Mrs. 
Kincaid,  daughter  of  Mark  Carley,  now  has 
in  her  possession  parts  of  the  uniform  worn 
by  her  grandfather  in  the  service.  In  1810 
Elijah  Carley  removed  from  New  Hamp- 
shire to  Vermont,  his  son  Elijah  remaining 
at  home  until  1816.  The  year  previous  he 
entered  upon  an  apprenticeship  to  the  house 
carpenter's  and  millwright's  trades.  His 
educational  advantages  were  quite  limited, 
but  reading,  extended  experience,  observa- 
tion and  travel  later  made  him  a  man  of 
exceptional  information.  When  he  was 
about  twenty  years  of  age,  the  spirit  of  self- 
reliance,  which  served  him  so  well  in  after 
life,  began  to  manifest  itself,  and  he  re- 
solved to  see  more  of  the  world.  Accord- 
ingly, in  1819,  he  went  to  New  Brunswick, 
and  after  a  few  months  concluded  to  go  to 
New  Orleans.  On  the  ist 'of  January,  1820, 
he  sailed  from  the  mouth  of  the  Penobscott 
river  for  the  Crescent  city.  When  off  Cape 
Hatteras  the  bow  sprit  of  the  vessel  was 
carried  away  in  a  gale  and  the  ship  sprung 
a  leak,  but  after  pumping  for  twelve  days 
and  nights  the  vessel  reached  Savannah, 
where  it  put  into  port  for  repairs.  Mr. 
Carley  then  embarked  for  Havana.  Cuba, 
and  after  spending  a  few  days  in  that  city 
sailed  for  New  Orleans,  where  he  arrived 
April  24,  1820.  On  reaching  the  mouth  of 
the  Mississippi  on  his  voyage  from  Havana 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


he  had  a  narrow  escape  from  drowning. 
The  vessel  grounded  on  a  sand  bar  and  the 
mate,  Mr.  Carley  and  three  others  got  into 
a  small  boat  which  was  capsized,  the  mate 
being  drowned.  Mr.  Carley  was  saved  by 
clinging  to  the  boat  and  getting  astride  of  it. 
It  floated  four  miles  before  he  was  taken  off, 
but  at  length  he  arrived  at  New  Orleans. 

After  a  short  time  spent  in  the  city  Mr. 
Carley  went  to  LaFourche,  where  he  began 
work  for  a  dollar  per  day  and  board,  build- 
ing mills  and  cotton  gins.  He  there  spent 
three  summers,  passing  the  winters  in  New 
Orleans.  In  1823  he  went  to  the  parish  of 
Eelicrans,  where  he  remained  until  1837. 
He  found  both  the  climate  and  people 
agreeable  and  remained  in  the  south  for 
seventeen  years,  during  which  time  he  made 
two  visits  to  Ohio  and  Vermont.  During 
one  of  those,  on  the  7th  of  April,  1830,  he 
was  married  to  Miss  Abigail  W.  Stevens, 
daughter  of  S.  Stevens,  of  Springfield,  Ver- 
mont, and  locating  his  family  in  Clermont 
county,  Ohio,  he  returned  to  Louisiana  in 
order  to  accumulate  something  for  his  future. 
In  1837  he  joined  his  wife  in  Ohio,  where  he 
remained  until  1853,  engaged  in  farming 
and  taking  wood  by  boat  down  the  Ohio 
river  Jto  Cincinnati. 

In  1850  Mr.  Carley  went  by  way  of  the 
Panama  route  to  California,  and  during  the 
passage  from  New  Orleans  to  Chagres, 
owing  to  adverse  winds,  the  vessel  stopped 
at  Grand  Island  in  the  Carribean  sea,  which 
he  found  inhabited  by  the  descendants  of 
old  buccaneers,  with  an  English  resident 
governor.  From  Panama  the  vessel  sailed 
for  Cocos  Island  in  order  to  obtain  water, 
and  while  there  Mr.  Carley  saw  chiseled  in 
the  rock  the  names  of  three  small  vessels 
commanded  by  Captain  Cook  on  his  first 
voyage  around  the  world,  together  with  the 


date  of  his  landing.  Not  long  after  Mr. 
Carley 's  arrival  in  the  Golden  state  it  be- 
came evident  that  he  had  won  the  confi- 
dence of  the  miners,  for  he  was  chosen  by 
them  to  act  as  one  of  the  judges  of 
the  mining  regions,  a  most  delicate  and 
responsible  position,  requiring  prudence, 
judgment  and  discrimination,  for  no  law 
was  in  force  and  the  judge  held  in  his  hands 
the  lives  and  property  of  the  people. 

In  the  fall  of  1851  Mr.  Carley  returned 
to.  Ohio,  where  he  remained  until  1853,  the 
date  of  his  arrival  in  Champaign  county. 
He  located  in  Urbana,  but  the  next  year 
came  to  what  is  now  the  city  of  Champaign, 
although  the  site  was  then  a  raw  prairie 
dotted  with  only  a  very  few  farm  houses. 
He  came  here  at  the  solicitation  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central  Railroad  company,  which 
offered  him  eight  building  lots  if  he  would 
erect  a  home  on  the  town  site.  Accord- 
ingly he  built  a  brick  residence  at  what  is 
now  the  corner  of  State  and  Washington 
streets,  the  first  house  in  the  town,  although 
another  family  had  lived  in  a  small  car 
which  they  had  moved  here  prior  to  the  date 
of  his  arrival.  His  home  was  afterward  re- 
moved to  Randolph  street,  where  it  still 
stands.  He  also  erected  the  first  grain 
warehouse  in  Champaign,  and  put  in  the 
first  steam  engine  to  operate  a  corn  sheller 
and  elevator.  This  was  burned  in  the  fire 
of  August  24,  1872,  after  which  he  replaced 
the  plant  with  a  brick  warehouse  which  is 
still  standing  at  the  junction  of  Main  street 
with  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  tracks. 
He  also  built  a  large  brick  stable  on  Markey 
street  in  1874. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Carley  were  born 
eleven  children,  but  only  three  are  now  liv- 
ing: Mrs.  Mary  W.  Kincaid,  one  of  the 
highly  esteemed  ladies  of  Champaign;  Gra- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


291 


ham;  and  Isolta,  wife  of  W.  H.  Mahan,  of 
Chicago.  On  the  I2th  of  November,  1871, 
the  mother  died.  She  was  one  of  the  es- 
teemed pioneer  ladies  of  the  county,  held  in 
high  regard  for  many  excellences  of  char- 
acter, and  her  death  was  widely  mourned. 
Through  the  legitimate  channels  of  busi- 
ness. Mr.  Carley  had  become  the  possessor 
of  considerable  means,  and  was  enabled  to 
surround  his  family  with  all  the  comforts 
and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  life.  Nothing 
afforded  him  greater  happiness  than  to 
minister  to  them,  and  it  seemed  that  he 
could  not  do  too  much  to  enhance  their  wel- 
fare. He  was  truly  domestic  in  his  tastes 
and  found  his  greatest  joy  when  at  his  own 
fireside  with  his  wife  and  children.  He  pro- 
vided his  children  with  excellent  educational 
privileges  and  several  times  went  with  his 
family  to  Europe  that  they  might  enjoy  the 
privileges  and  pleasures  which  only  travel 
can  bring.  His  name  was  honored  in  all 
classes  of  society,  for  his  life  was  ever 
upright,  just,  loyal  and  true.  He  was  a 
man  of  strong  intellectuality,  broad  human 
sympathies  and  tolerance,  and  imbued  with 
fine  sensibilities  and  clearly  defined  princi- 
ples. Honor  and  integrity  were  synony- 
mous with  his  name,  and  he  enjoyed  the 
confidence  and  respect  of  all  who  knew  him. 


M 


•"OSES  DEERE,  deceased.  Wherever 
there  is  pioneer  work  to  be  done  men 
of  energy  and  ability  are  required,  and  suc- 
cess or  failure  depends  upon  the  degree  of 
those  qualities  that  is  possessed.  In  wrest- 
ing the  land  of  Champaign  county  from  its 
native  wilderness;  in  fitting  it  for  the  habi- 
tation of  men;  in  developing  the  natural  re- 
sources of  the  community  in  which  they 


live,  few  if  any  have  contributed  more 
largely  than  Mr.  Deere,  and  it  is  mete 
.  and  proper  that  for  the  arduous  and  import- 
ant labor  he  has  performed  he, should  re- 
ceive due  reward. 

Mr.  Deere  was  born  in  Shelby  county, 
Kentucky,  January  17,  1826,  and  was  the 
third  child  and  eldest  son  of  Larkin  and 
Elizabeth  (Constantine)  Deere.  The  father 
was  born  in  Virginia,  where  he  followed 
farming  for  a  time,  but  when  a  young  man 
went  to  Kentucky,  where  he  met  and  mar- 
ried the  mother  of  our  subject,  who  was  a 
native  of  that  state.  To  them  were  born 
ten  children,  four  sons  and  six  daughters,  of 
whom  two  died  in  infancy.  Those  who 
reached  years  of  maturity  were  Jane,  who 
married  M.  Davis,  of  Vermilion  county,  Illi- 
nois, and  both  are  now  deceased;  Frances, 
wife  of  Jackson  Yount,  who  was  engaged  in 
farming  in  Champaign  county  for  a  number 
of  years,  and  then  removed  to  Washington, 
where  both  died  ;  Moses,  our  subject; 
Thomas,  who  served  for  three  years  as  a 
soldier  of  the  Civil  war  and  is  now  engaged 
in  farming  near  Carthage,  Missouri;  Mar- 
tha, who  married  Samuel  Reisinger,  and 
both  died  in  Sidney  township,  this  county; 
Wesley,  a  prosperous  farmer  living  near 
Neodesha,  Kansas;  Harriet,  who  married 
William  Black,  and  both  died  in  Sidney 
township,  this  county;  and  Amanda,  who 
married  Joseph  Black,  and  both  are  also  de- 
ceased. 

In  1830  Larkin  Deere,  with  his  family, 
removed  from  Kentucky  to  this  county,  and 
stopped  first  at  Linn  Grove,  though  their 
destination  was  several  miles  farther  north, 
at  Big  Grove.  After  spending  three  weeks 
at  Linn  Grove,  he  with  the  assistance  of  the 
few  settlers  living  at  Big  Grove,  built  a  log 
cabin  at  the  latter  place,  about  a  mile  and 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


a  half  south  of  where  Urbana  is  now  lo- 
cated, and  there  the  family  began  life  in  true 
pioneer  style,  encountering  the  usual  trials 
and  difficulties  of  such  an  existence.  There 
were  but  very  few  cabins  scattered  through- 
out the  county  at  that  time,  and  no  other 
improvements  of  any  kind,  the  country  be-' 
ing  an  unbroken  prairie.  For  a  few  years 
wild  game  furnished  about  the  only  meat  for 
our  pioneer  family,  and  they  lived  on  this 
and  what  produce  they  could  raise.  All 
trading  was  done  in  Chicago,  which  was  then 
^  a  village,  and  to  which  the  family  made  a 
trip  only  about  once  .a  year.  The  early 
settlers  traded  considerably  with  the  Indians, 
which  at  that  time  were  quite  numerous  in 
this  locality.  While  game  of  all  kinds  was 
plentiful,  and  our  subject  has  seen  as  many 
as  thirty  deer  in  one  drove,  and  these  were 
often  killed  with  clubs,  it  being  unnecessary 
to  use  firearms.  •  The  father  died  at  the  age 
of  about  fifty  years  after  about  sixteen  years 
spent  in  this  county,  and  the  mother  after- 
ward passed  away  while  visiting  relatives  in 
Kentucky.  He  was  a  very  industrious  man 
and  was  well  liked  by  all  the  early  settlers. 
Our  subject,  being  the  eldest  son,  had  no 
opportunity  of  attending  school,  as  his  ser- 
vices were  needed  at  home.  He  was  only 
twenty  years  of  age  when  his  father  died  and 
the  support  of  the  family  fell  mainly  upon 
him.  At  that  time  there  was  a  debt  upon 
the  farm  which  he  paid  off,  he  buying  one 
hundred  acres  of  the  old  homestead  when 
sold.  He  worked  early  and  late,  making 
what  improvements  he  could  from  time  to 
time,  as  well  as  paying  up  the  debts  con- 
tracted. When  these  were  settled,  he  be- 
gan adding  to  his  farm  until  he  secured  two 
hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  valuable  land 
still  in  the  family.  It  has  been  thoroughly 
tiled  and  good  and  substantial  buildings 


erected  thereon.  Although  not  having  any 
education,  he  made  a  success  of  life, 
and  for  a  number  of  years  was  the  largest 
shipper  of  live  stock  in  the  county.  His 
specialty  was  hogs,  cattle  and  sheep,  and 
he  fed  all  the  grain  raised  by  him  to  his 
stock  and  purchased  more  for  that  purpose. 
He  continued  to  actively  engage  in  business 
until  1894,  when  he  removed  to  Sidney  to 
educate  his  children,  where  he  lived  a  re- 
tired life.  There  he  purchased  one  acre  of 
ground  and  erected  thereon  a  comfortable 
modern  residence,  that  he  and  his  wife  might 
en-joy  a  much  needed  rest.  Being  of  an 
energetic  nature,  he,  however,  felt  more  con- 
tented when  occupied  with  work,  and  pre- 
ferred his  farm  to  life  in  the  village.  He 
always  enjoyed  excellent  health,  and  never 
had  occasion  to  call  a  physician  for  himself. 

On  the  6th  of  March,  1850,  Mr.  Deere 
married  Miss  Harriet  Thomas,  who  was 
born  in  Sidney  township,  this  county,  in 
1833,  her  parents  being  among  the  early  set- 
tlers of  that  section  of  the  county.  She  has 
only  one  sister  living,  Melissa,  widow  of 
John  Burdell,  a  resident  of  Kansas.  She 
had  one  brother,  Joseph,  who  died  in  1863, 
in  the  service  of  his  country  during  the 
Civil  war. 

Of  the  twelve  children  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Deere,  four  died  in  infancy,  and  two 
others  are  now  deceased,  namely:  Mary, 
who  married  Bert  Hudson,  of  Sidney  town- 
ship, and  died  in  1896,  leaving  five  children; 
and  Solomon,  who  died  unmarried  at  the 
home  of  his  parents  in  1897.  The  others 
are  as  follows:  Joseph,  a  successful  farmer 
of  Shelby  county,  Illinois,  is  married  and  has 
three  children;  Harriet  is  the  wife  of  Robert 
Butler,  who  is  engaged  in  mercantile  busi- 
ness in  Washington,  and  they  have  five 
children;  Ella  is  the  wife  of  George  Griffin, 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


293 


who  lives'  on  a  part  of  her  father's  farm 
north  of  Sidney,  and  they  have  two  children; 
Ollie  is  the  wife  of  Arthur  Kuhns,  a  street 
car  conductor  of  Chicago,  and  they  have 
two  children;  James  C.,  who  has  been  a  suc- 
cessful teacher  for  several  years,  is  a  gradu- 
ate of  the  Sidney  high  school,  and  also  at- 
tended the  University  at  Champaign  and  at 
Effingham ;  and  Nora,  an  accomplished  young 
lady  living  at  home,  is  also  a  graduate  of 
the  Sidney  high  school. 

Mr.  Deere  was  a  consistent  member  and 
liberal  supporter  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  of  Sidney,  of  which  body  his  wife  is 
also  a  member.  He  was  a  stanch  supporter 
of  the  Democratic  party,  but  would  never 
accept  office.  Beginning  life  a  poor  boy 
and  in  debt,  his  success  was  remarkable,  and 
was  due  entirely  to  his  own  hard  work,  good 
management  and  perseverance.  Although 
of  a  quiet,  retiring  disposition,  he  made 
many  friends,  and  his  sterling  worth  and 
strict  integrity  gained  him  the  confidence  of 
all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact.  His 
death,  which  occurred  April  5,  1900,  was  a 
sad  loss  to  the  community,  and  the  bereaved 
family  have  the  heartfelt  sympathy  of  his 
and  their  many  friends. 


DANIEL  M.  LEHMAN,  a  valued  citi- 
zen of  Champaign,  is  of  German  de- 
scent, his  great-great-grandfather  having 
been  born  in  Germany,  but  his  great-grand- 
father, his  grandfather,  his  father  and  him- 
self were  born  in  Pennsylvania,  and  from 
the  early  history  of  that  state  the  family 
has  borne  an  important  part  in  its  develop- 
ment and  progress.  The  mother  of  our 
subject,  Rebecca,  daughterof  William  Haak, 
was  a  native  of  Lebanon  county,  same  state, 


and  her  ancestors,  also,  were  prominently 
associated  with  the  founding  of  that  great 
commonwealth.  She  was  called  to  her  re- 
ward in  1858,  and  left  seven  children  to 
mourn  her  loss.  Henry,  who  enlisted  in  the 
war  of  the  Rebellion  and  did  valiant  service 
for  the  stars  and  stripes,  was  never  heard 
from  after  the  second  days'  battle  of  the 
Wilderness,  in  which  it  is  known  that  he 
took  part.  David,  the  fourth  of  the  family, 
died  in  California'.  Franklin,  Samuel,  Cy- 
rus and  Amanda,  widow  of  Dr.  H.  Hess, 
reside  in  Sidney,  Illinois,  or  in  the  town- 
ship of  the  same  name.  The  father,  Will- 
iam Lehman,  now  an  octogenarian,  and  an 
honored  citizen  of  Sidney  for  more  than 
three  decades,  was  for  many  years  actively 
engaged  in  building  and  contracting,  and  for 
a  period  employed  more  workmen  than  any 
other  man  in  his  line  of  business.  Many 
enduring  monuments,  such  as  churches  and 
fine  public  buildings,  will  perpetuate  his 
name  for  years  to  come,  and  in  the  town 
records  of  Sidney  it  is  shown  that  he  was 
president  of  the  board  of  city  fathers  for  a 
long  period,  and  aided  materially  in  the  im- 
provement of  the  place.  Formerly  he 
owned  valuable  farm  lands,  and  he  yet  con- 
trols considerable  property.  He  was  one 
of  the  foremost  members  of  the  German 
Lutheran  church  at  Myerstown,  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  liberally  contributed  to  the  house 
of  worship  which  he  erected  for  that  con- 
gregation. 

Daniel  M.  Lehman,  born  in  Myerstown, 
Pennsylvania,  January  12,  1846,  attended 
the  public  schools  there  until  he  was  thir- 
teen years  of  age.  His  mother  had  died 
about  a  year  previously,  and  the  lad  deter- 
mined to  commence  earning  his  own  liveli- 
hood ere  he  was  fourteen.  He  learned  the 
shoemaker's  trade,  and  was  thus  employed 


294 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


during  the  rest  of  his  youth.  During  the 
Civil  war,  when  the  rebel  army  had  pene- 
trated into  his  loved  native  state,  Mr.  Leh- 
man enlisted  in  July,  1863,  in  Company  H. , 
Thirty-first  Pennsylvania  Militia,  and  was 
sent  within  six  miles  of  the  point  where  the 
contending  forces  were  fighting  the  dread- 
ful battle  of  Gettysburg,  with  a  view  of  cut- 
ting off  the  Confederates'  retreat.  At  the 
end  of  four  months  he  was  discharged  from 
the  home  guards,  and  offered  his  services  to 
the  Union  army.  Becoming  a  private  of 
Company  H,  One  Hundred  and  Eighty- 
sixth  Pennsylvania  Volunteer  Infantry,  he 
was  assigned  to  the  eastern  department  of 
the  army,  and  was  honorably  discharged 
from  the  service  in  August,  1865,  then  only 
nineteen  years  old.  He  was  chosen  as  one 
of  the  special  guards  of  honor  to  escort  the 
remains  of  our  martyred  Lincoln  through 
Philadelphia  to  the  last  resting  place  chosen 
for  that  hero. 

In  1866,  Mr.  Lehman  went  to  Walton, 
Indiana,  where,  for  six  months,  he  worked 
as  a  lumberman,  cutting  logs  for  a  saw-mill. 
He  then  proceeded  to  Urbana,  Illinois, 
where  he  arrived  in  April,  1867,  and  for 
eighteen  years  he  was  employed  as  a  con- 
ductor on  one  of  the  street-car  lines  there, 
being  the  oldest  employe  of  the  company  in 
years  of  continuous  service.  Prior  to  this, 
however,  he  had  operated  a  mill  there  for 
about  two  years.  From  Urbana  he  went 
to  Champaign,  and  in  1892  built  a  resi- 
dence and  store  at  No.  709  North  Neil 
street,  Champaign,  and  since  then  has 
conducted  a  grocery.  As  this  is  the  only 
grocery  in  this  section  of  the  town,  he  is 
prospering  and  building  up  a  large  trade. 
In  addition  to  this,  he  is  financially  inter- 
ested in  the  new  sugar  mill  which  is  in 
process  of  construction,  and  has  proven  his 


business  ability  and  foresight  in  unmistak- 
able ways. 

Mr.  Lehman  has  been  married  three 
times.  His  first  wife  was  Miss  Emma 
Bates,  daughter  of  Benjamin  Bates,  a 
farmer.  They  were  married  April  25,  1880. 
They  had  one  son,  Fred,  who  is  now  em- 
ployed in  Chicago.  The  second  marriage 
was  with  Mary  Falconer,  by  whom  he  had 
two  daughters,  Mabel  and  Grace,  who  live 
at  home  with  their  father.  The  third  wife 
was  Mrs.  Lillie  Powell.  The  family  attend 
the  Baptist  church,  of  which  Mrs.  Lehman 
is  a  member.  Fraternally,  Mr.  Lehman 
belongs  to  Black  Eagle  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  and 
has  been  a  delegate  from  that  organization 
to  the  state  encampment.  He  is  also  a 
member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  Uni- 
formed Rank,  and  is  treasurer  of  the  home 
lodge. 


ARTHUR  RICE,  who  for  a  quarter  of  a 
century  has  resided  upon  his  present 
homestead,  and  in  Champaign  county,  is  one 
of  the  most  respected  citizens  of  Champaign 
county.  He  is  a  native  of  Wood  county, 
West  Virginia,  his  birth  having  occurred 
February  9,  1839.  His  father,  Shel- 
ton  Rice,  came  to  Champaign  county 
with  his  family,  in  1854,  and  bought  land 
and  spent  the  rest  of  his  life  in  Sadorus 
township.  His  wife,  whose  maiden  name 
was  Elizabeth  Brown,  died  in  Virginia  in 
1852,  and  he  survived  her  about  ten  years. 
Of  their  six  children,  David  is  a  farmer  of 
Sadorus  township;  John  died  in  this  county 
in  1861,  and  left  one  child;  Henry  died  in 
Cherokee  county,  Kansas,  and  left  a  wife; 
Sarah  married  John  Rawlings,  and  lives  in 
Cherokee,  Kansas;  and  Martha  is  the  wife  of 
George  Harrison,  of  Santamonica,  California. 


ARTHUR  RICE. 


MRS.  ARTHUR  RICE. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


299 


Until  he  was  about  fifteen  years  of  age, 
Arthur  Rice  lived  in  his.native  place.  When 
he  came  to  Illinois,  the  journey  was  made 
by  the  water  route  to  Terre  Haute,  Indiana, 
whence  he  came  to  this  county  by  team. 
Here  he  assisted  his  father  in  making  a  new 
home,  and  continued  to  give  him  his  time 
until  he  reached  his  majority.  Upon  com- 
mencing his  independent  career  he  rented 
land  for  several  years,  after  which  he  bought 
eighty  acres  of  land  in  Pesotum  township, 
going  into  debt,  however,  to  a  large  extent 
in  order  to  possess  the  place.  In  the  course 
of  a  few  years  he  not  only  had  met  all  pay- 
ments as  he  had  agreed  to  do,  but  had  made 
man}'  substantial  improvements  as  well. 
Later,  he  added  other  property  to  his  landed 
possessions  and  made  a  specialty  of  raising 
live  stock,  in  which  he  was  particularly  suc- 
cessful. In  1892,  he  removed  to  Cham- 
paign, in  order  to  give  his  son  better  educa- 
tional advantages,  and  in  1897  came  to  his 
present  place  where  he  has  since  made  his 
home. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Rice  and  Mary  A. 
Lee,  daughter  of  Squire  and  Elizabeth  A. 
(James)  Lee,  was  solemnized  February  26, 
1863.  She  was  born  in  Pulaski  county, 
Kentucky,  November  23,  1843,  and  both  of 
her  parents  also  were  natives  of  that  state. 
In  the  fall  of  1850  the  family  removed  to 
what  now  is  known  as  Douglas  county,  Illi- 
nois, and  a  few  years  later  they  settled  in 
Pesotum  township,  Champaign  county, 
where  he  accumulated  a  large  and  valuable 
amount  of  land.  He  was  very  active  in 
public  affairs  of  his  vicinity,  and  his  wife 
was  prominent  in  the  work  of  the  Baptist 
church.  He  was  long  survived  by  his  wife, 
who  departed  this  life  in  August,  1896. 
Martha  J.,  their  eldest  child,  married  Parker 
Gregory,  of  Labette  county,  Kansas. 


George  W.,  James  H.  and  Henry  are  enter- 
prising farmers  of  Pesotum  township.  Noah 
died  upon  the  old  homestead,  leaving  a  wife 
and  thcee  children.  Sarah,  deceased,  was 
the  wife  of  Thomas  Adair,  now  a  resident  of 
Critenden  township.  To  the  union  of  our 
subject  and  wife  four  children  have  been 
born,  namely;  Nora  E. ,  now  the  wife  of  A. 
A.  Armstrong,  proprietor  of  the  Broaddus 
stock  farm,  in  Douglas  county;  Martha  A., 
wife  of  G.  W.  Temple,  .connected  with  the 
Champaign  Business  College;  and  Fred  L. , 
who  is  at  home  with  his  parents.  Ollie  died 
in  infancy. 

Politically,  Mr.  Rice  uses  his  ballot  in 
favor  of  the  Prohibition  party,  and.  while  he 
has  not  been  an  aspirant  to  public  offices, 
he  has  acted  as  one  of  the  commissioners  of 
highways,  a  member  of  the  school  board  or 
in  some  other  local  position  during  most  of 
his  mature  life.  Both  himself  and  wife  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
of  Champaign.  They  possess  the  esteem  of 
everyone,  and  by  honest  worth  have  earned 
the  high  position  they  occupy  in  the  com- 
munity. 


HON.  RANDOLPH  C.  WRIGHT,  one 
of  the  best-known  memb'ers  of  the 
Champaign  county  bar,  is  now  living  prac- 
tically retired,  in  Homer,  which  pleasant 
village  has  been  his  place  of  abode  for 
many  years.  The  history  of  his  life  is  ex- 
tremely interesting,  in  detail,  as  the  strug- 
gles and  triumphs  of  a  self-made  pioneer 
lawyer  are  shown  forth,  and  as  nearly  all  of 
his  career  has  been  intimately  identified 
with  that  of  Champaign  county.  From 
time  to  time  he  has  been  honored  with  re- 
sponsible official  positions  by  his  numerous 
friends  and  acquaintances,  and  never  for  a 


300 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


moment  did  he  falter  in  the  execution  of 
the  duties  and  trusts  thus  confided  to  him. 
He  has  passed  the  three  score  and  ten 
milestone  of  the  Psalmist,  as  his  birth  took 
place  November  3,  1829,  in  Randolph 
county,  Indiana.  His  paternal  grand- 
father, John  B.  Wright,  a  native  of  Vir- 
ginia, was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Randolph 
county,  Indiana,  and  of  Vermilion  county, 
Illinois.  In  the  last  mentioned  county, 
where  he  arrived  in  the  fall  of  1830,  he  en- 
tered land  from  the  government,  and  culti- 
vated the  tract  until  shortly  before  his 
death.  In  his  early  manhood  he  followed 
the  trade  of  a  blacksmith,  but  in  later  years 
he  was  exclusively  devoted  to  agriculture. 

To    himself   and    wife    nine   children  were 
* 

born,  Jesse  B.,  father  of  our  subject,  being 
the  eldest.  He  learned  the  blacksmith's 
trade  of  his  father,  and  also  cultivated 
land,  but  his  career  was  untimely  ended, 
as  he  enlisted  when  twenty-five  years  old  in 
the  war  with  the  Blackhawks,  and  while 
stationed  in  Rock  Island,  Illinois,  died  of 
cholera,  then  prevailing.  He  had  married 
in  the  Hoosier  state,  Mary  Draper,  who, 
like  himself,  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  of 
their  four  children,  the  two  younger  ones, 
Mary  J.,  and  Sylvester,  died  in  in- 
fancy. Eliza,  who  married  Alvah 
Hubbell,  now  deceased,  resides  in  De- 
catur,  Illinois.  The  mother  became  the 
wife  of  Henry  Swisher,  and  nine  children 
were  born  of  their  marriage.  She  departed 
this  life  in  1882,  when  seventy-two  years  of 
age,  and  Mr.  Swisher  also  is  deceased. 

R.  C.  Wright  was  quite  young  when  he 
was  brought  to  this  state,  and  after  his 
father's  death,  the  family  removed  to 
Champaign  county.  Here  he  attended  the 
primitive  district  schools  of  the  period,  but 
being  eager  to  obtain  better  advantages,  he 


did  not  rest  content  with  this.  He  contin- 
ued his  pursuit  of  an  education  in  the  Ran- 
dolph county,  Indiana,  Academy,  for  about 
two  years,  after  which  he  went  to  the  Ur- 
bana  schools  for  some  time,  and  to  the 
Georgetown  Seminary  in  Vermilion  county. 
He  then  taught  school  in  Homer  for  two 
terms,  and  had  charge  of  schools  in  Vance 
township,  and  St.  Joseph  township,  Ver- 
milion county,  for  two  terms.  After  his 
marriage,  in  the  spring  of  1853,  he  was  oc- 
cupied in  farming  for  several  years. 

The  energy  and  ability  of  the  young 
man,  as  well  as  his  integrity  and  excellent 
reputation,  led  to  his  being  called  upon  to 
occupy  public  positions  in  his  own  commu- 
nity at  an  early  date.  He  served  as  justice 
of  the  peace  for  several  years  and  was  coun- 
ty surveyor  for  twelve  years,  and  in  1860, 
while  still  acting  in  the  latter  capacity,  he 
was  elected  as  sheriff  of  Champaign  county, 
and  served  for  the  term  of  two  years.  His 
first  presidential  vote  was  cast  for  Winfield 
Scott,  and  since  the  organization  of  the  Re- 
publican party  he  has  been  loyal  to  its 
principles.  In  the  fall  of  1870  he  was 
elected  to  the  legislature,  where  he  acted  as 
a  member  of  the  judicial  committee,  and  on 
other  important  committees,  during  the  long 
ten  months'  session.  At  the  end  ol  that 
time,  he  was  so  wearied  with  his  protracted 
experience  in  the  assembly  that  he  would 
not  permit  his  name  to  be  announced  for 
re-nomination. 

The  admission  of  R.  C.  Wright  to  the 
bar  of  Champaign  county,  in  1863,  was  pre- 
ceded by  an  examination,  so-called,  which, 
as  compared  with  that  to  which  the  candi- 
dates of  today  are  subjected,  was  decidedly 
amusing.  Upon  a  very  sultry  summer  day, 
in  Urbana,  Mr.  Wright  met  William  X. 
Coler  and  William  B.  Webber  on  the  street, 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


301 


and,  as  he  had  learned  that  they,  in  com- 
pany with  "Uncle  Billy"  Somers,  were  to 
examine  him,  preparatory  to  his  admission 
to  the  bar,  he  requested  them  to  go  with 
him  to  the  office  of  Mr.  Somers.  They 
complied, and  the  young  man,  addressing  Mr. 
Somers,  told  him  he  had  come  to  be  ex- 
amined, and,  that  as  he,  "Uncle  Billy," 
was  the  eldest  one  present,  he  might  begin 
the  questioning.  That  worthy  gentleman 
replied  that  he  knew  that  Mr.  Wright  was 

a  d d  good  lawyer,  and  he  didn't  care  to 

bother  with  questions.  The  others  on  be- 
ing appealed  to,  in  turn,  made  substantially 
the  same  answer,  and  agreed  that  if  he 
would  make  out  his  own  certificate  they 
would  sign  it. 

Thus  was  Mr.  Wright  launched  upon  a 
legal  career  which  covered  a  period  of  about 
thirty-five  years.  While  his  residence  con- 
tinued to  be  in  Homer,  he  had  an  office  in 
Urbana,  also,  and  his  practice  was  not  con- 
fined to  this  county,  but  embraced  Ver- 
milion, Ford,  Douglas,  and  other  neighbor- 
ing counties.  In  the  autumn  of  1884  he 
was  elected  to  the  office  of  states  attorney, 
and  served  acceptably  to  all  concerned  for 
the  term  of  four  years.  Later  he  opened 
an  office  in  Danville,  conducting  a  large 
amount  of  legal  business  in  that  locality, 
yet  paying  due  attention  to  all  of  his  other 
clients  elsewhere.  During  the  past  year  he 
has  been  practically  retired,  his  long  and 
arduous  service,  both  as  a  professional  and 
public  man,  justly  entitling  him  to  rest. 
With  all  of  the  varied  demands  upon  his 
time  and  sympathy,  he  has  not  neglected 
the  special  duties  which  devolve  upon  the 
citizens  of  a  community,  and  as  a  member 
of  the  town  board  of  Homer,  he  has  loyal- 
ly aided  in  the  progress  and  maintenance  of 
his  home  village. 


The  first  marriage  of  Mr.  Wright  took 
place  May  18,  1853,  the  lady  of  his  choice 
being  Jane  E.  Moore,  a  native  of  New  York 
state,  and  daughter  of  Enoch  Moore,  who 
came  to  Illinois  at  an  early  day,  settling  in 
Vermilion  county.  A  tailor  by  trade,  he 
followed  that  calling  in  Indiana  for  a  num- 
ber of  years.  He  had  seven  children,  Mrs. 
Wright  being  the  first  born  of  his  second 
union.  Nine  children  blessed  the  marriage 
or  R.  C.  and  Jane  Wright,  namely:  Otto, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  six  months;  Alice, 
who  only  lived  to  reach  eighteen  months; 
Freddie,  who  died  when  five  years  old;  Bruce, 
who  died  unmarried,  when  in  his  thirty-first 
year;  Mary,  wife  of  Edward  Beamer,  a  pros- 
perous farmer  and  stock-raiser  of  South  Da- 
kota; Maude  A.,  who  married  William 
Splawn,  now  engaged  in  agriculture  and 
stock  raising  in  Washington;  Edwin  R. , 
who  married  Edith  Blue,  and  now  is  em- 
ployed by  the  Big  Four  railroad  as  a  painter 
in  the  shops  at  Urbana,  Illinois;  Belle,  wid- 
ow of  Wm.  Sausaman,  and  now  living  in 
Homer;  and  Jesse,  who,  like  his  next  older 
brother,  is  a  painter  by  trade,  and  is  occu- 
pied in  that  calling  at  present  in  the  Big 
Four  shops  at  Urbana.  Mrs.  Beamer  has 
one  child;  Mrs.  Splawn  has  five  children; 
Edwin  R. ,  is  the  father  of  two  children,  and 
Mrs.  Sausaman  has  three  children,  one  of 
whom,  Eugene,  makes  his  home  with  our 
subject,  his  grandfather.  Mrs.  Jane  Wright 
departed  this  life,  June  20,  1889,  after  hav- 
ing faithfully  performed  the  manifold  duties 
which  had  fallen  to  her  as  the  "home  maker" 
for  her  large  family,  during  the  thirty-six 
years  of  net  married  life.  Mr.  Wright  mar- 
ried his  present  wife,  formerly  the  widow  of 
James  Thompson,  and  in  her  girlhood,  Eva- 
line  C.  Butler,  May  25,  1890.  Her  father, 
Thomas  L.  Butler,  was  one  of  the  honored 


302 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


early  settlers  of  Champaign  county,  and,  in 
company  with  the  father  of  our  subject, 
served  in  the  Blackhawk  war.  He  was  en- 
gaged in  farming  in  Sidney  township, 
this  county,  until  within  a  few  years  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  at  his  residence  in 
Homer,  where  he  was  living  retired  from 
the  active  cares  to  which  the  major  portion 
of  his  life  had  been  given.  Both  our  sub- 
ject and  his  wife  were  members  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church  for  many  years,  he 
serving  as  secretary  of  the  church  board. 
They  were  loved  and  highly  esteemed  by 
every  one  who  knew  them,  and  their  mem- 
ory is  cherished  in  the  hearts  of  scores  of 
their  old-time  friends. 


WILLIAM  B.  O'NEAL  is  one  of  the 
leading  business  men  and  influential 
citizens  of  Sadorus,  one  who  has  done 
much  to  promote  the  commercial  activity, 
advance  the  general  welfare  and  secure  the 
material  development  of  his  section  of  the 
county.  As  a  business  man  he  is  enterpris- 
ing, energetic  and  always  abreast  of  the 
times,  and  is  now  meeting  with  well  merited 
success,  being  associated  with  David  Rice 
in  the  stock,  lumber  and  undertaking  busi- 
ness. 

A  native  of  Ohio,  Mr.  O'Neal  was  born 
near  Circleville,  Pickaway  county,  in  Sep- 
tember, 1 86 1,  and  on  the  paternal  side  is  of 
Irish  descent,  his  ancestors  having  been 
compelled  to  leave  their  native  land  on  ac- 
count of  religious  persecution  and  seek 
homes  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic.  The 
parents  of  our  subject  are  Marshall  and 
Margaret  (Baird)  O'Neal,  both  of  whom 
were  born  in  Muskingum  county,  Ohio,  the 
former  in  1832,  the  latter  in  1830.  When 


four  years  old  the  father  was  taken  by  his 
parents  to  Davenport,  Iowa,  but  after  re- 
siding there  four  years,  they  returned  to 
Ohio,  where  he  grew  to  manhood,  being 
educated  in  the  schools  of  his  native  state. 
He  followed  farming  there  until  1871,  when 
he  sold  out  and  moved  to  Piatt  county,  Illi- 
nois, locating  on  a  farm  near  Monticello, 
where  he  made  his  home  until  1890.  Since 
then  he  has  resided  on  a  farm  near  Elliott, 
in  Ford  county,  this  state.  His  entire  life 
has  been  devoted  to  .agricultural  pursuits. 
He  was  a  soldier  of  the  Civil  war,  serving 
as  a  member  of  the  One  Hundred  and 
Eightieth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  under 
General  Thomas,  for  a  year  and  a  half  dur- 
ing the  latter  part  of  the  war,  and  was  with 
Sherman  on  his  celebrated  march  to  the 
sea.  He  also  took  part  in  the  battle  of 
Chancellorsville  and  numerous  other  en- 
gagements. 

Of  the  eleven  children  born  to  the 
parents  of  our  subject,  two  died  in  infancy. 
The  others  are  as  follows:  Sarah  E.  is  the 
wife  of  Samuel  Bush,  a  farmer  of  Ford 
county;  John  L.  is  a  farmer  near  Fort 
Dodge,  Iowa;  Charlotte,  deceased,  was  the 
wife  of  Charles  Jones,  of  Piatt  county,  Illi- 
nois; Joanna,  deceased,  was  the  wife  of 
Isaac  Bailey,  living  near  Bondville,  Scott 
township,  Champaign  county;  William  B., 
our, subject,  is  next  in  order  of  birth;  Lin- 
coln is  engaged  in  farming  with  his  brother 
John  in  Iowa,  both  being  unmarried; 
Charles  is  a  resident  of  East  Bend  town- 
ship, this  county;  and  Corwin  and  Lemuel 
B.  are  both  at  home. 

The  primary  education  of  William  B. 
O'Neal  was  obtained  in  the  common  schools 
of  Ohio.  He  was  ten  years  of  age  when 
brought  by  his  parents  to  this  state,  and  in 
Piatt  county  he  completed  his  education, 


DR.  P.  C.  HOSIER. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


303 


at  the  same  time  aiding  his  father  in  the 
operation  of  the  home  farm  until  he  attained 
his  majority.  The  following  year  he  worked 
as  a  farm  hand  and  then  went  to  North 
Dakota,  where  he  spent  nine  months,  but 
not  finding  a  suitable  location,  he  returned 
home,  and  the  following  spring  went  to 
Vernon  county,  Missouri,  remaining  there 
only  a  few  months,  however,  when  he  pur- 
chased a  team  and  made  a  trip  overland  to 
Kansas  City  and  Eastern  Kansas.  From 
there  he  went  to  Nebraska,  but  finally  re- 
turned to  Illinois,  concluding  that  this  state 
was  good  enough  for  him,  and  in  1885  he 
began  farming  for  himself  in  Piatt  county. 

On  the  4th  of  February,  1889,  in  that 
county,  Mr.  O'Neal  married  Miss  Florence 
Bond,  who  was  born  there,  a  daughter  of 
Daniel  S.  and  Mary  R.  (Gates)  Bond.  Her 
father  is  now  deceased,  but  her  mother,  a 
native  of  Vermont,  is  still  living  and  makes 
her  home  in  Monticello.  She  has  eight 
children  living,  namely:  Edward;  Albert,  a 
resident  of  Ivesdale,  this  county;  Ernest, 
Lilla,  Charles,  Nellie,  Lois,  and  Fred. 
After  his  marriage,  Mr.  O'Neal  came  to 
Champaign  county,  and  rented  a  farm  in 
Colfax  township,  where  he  engaged  in  general 
farming.  There  his  son,  William  D.,  was 
born  in  1 892,  but  the  wife  and  mother  passed 
away  February  19,  1895.  He  was  again 
married,  June  14,  1899,  his  second  union 
being  with  Miss  Mae  A.  Campbell,  who  was 
born  in  Sadorus  township,  this  county,  July, 
1874.  Her  father,  David  Campbell,  was  a 
prosperous  farmer  of  that  township,  but  is 
now  living  retired  in  Champaign.  He  has 
five  children,  Mae  A.,  Ashton,  Daisy,  Murrel 
and  Retta. 

In  1896  Mr.  O'Neal  left  the  farm  and 
moved  to  Sadorus,  where  he  worked  for 
David  Rice  in  the  elevator  for  a  short  time, 


and  then  formed  a  partnership  with  that 
gentleman,  purchasing  a  half  interest  in  his 
business.  They  deal  in  lumber  and  carry  a 
line  of  undertaker's  supplies,  being  the  only 
representatives  of  the  latter  business  in  the 
town,  but  they  give  special  attention  to 
stock.  They  are  interested  in  breeding  fine 
imported  horses,  of  the  Norman,  Belgium 
and  German  coachbreeds,  and  also  roadsters, 
and  in  this  branch  of  their  business  have 
met  with  most  excellent  success.  They  also 
buy  and  ship  stock  extensively,  and  occupy 
an  honorable  position  in  business  circles, 
beingupright  and  reliable  in  all  theirdealings. 
In  1899  Mr.  O'Neal  purchased  his  present 
home  and  besides  his  pleasant  residence, 
he  has  five  acres  of  land  in  the  village,  set 
out  in  orchards  and  small  fruits. 

Politically  Mr.  O'Neal  is  one  of  the 
prominent  Republicans  of  his  community, 
and  served  as  chairman  of  the  township 
committee  while  a  resident  of  Colfax  town- 
ship. He  served  as  president  of  the  village 
board  for  two  years,  and  inaugurated  a  re- 
form in  the  management  of  affairs  for  the  in- 
terest of  the  people.  Religiously  he  is  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
and  socially  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Wood- 
men Camp,  No.  3302,  of  Sadorus,  in  which 
he  has  passed  through  all  the  chairs  and  if 
now  serving  as  banker.  He  is  one  of  the 
most  popular  and  highly  esteemed  citizens 
of  the  town,  and  his  pleasant,  genial  manner 
makes  him  friends  wherever  he  goes. 


PHILIP  C.  MOSIER,  M.  D.,  deceased. 
I  Almost  half  a  century  ago  this  honored 
man  located  in  Homer,  Illinois,  and  during 
this  long  period,  which  has  witnessed  the 
transformation  of  the  wild  prairie  into  fer- 


304 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


tile  and  highly  cultivated  homesteads,  he 
has  been  actively  associated  with  the  pro- 
gress of  Champaign  county.  No  one  in  this 
section  was  considered  better  authority  on 
the  early  and  later  history  of  this  portion  of 
the  county,  and  his  accounts  of  pioneer  days 
were  extremely  interesting. 

The  Mosier  family  originated  in  Holland, 
but  several  generations  have  dwelt  in  Amer- 
ica. Philip  Mosier,  the  grandfather  of  our 
subject,  resided  in  Pennsylvania,  and  re- 
moved to  North  Carolina,  where  his  son 
George  was  born.  Later  they  went  to  In- 
diana, and,  upon  arriving  at  maturity,  the 
latter  commenced  farming  in  Harrison  coun- 
ty. Subsequently  he  purchased  land  in 
Fountain  county",  Indiana,  and  in  1854  he 
came  to  Homer  township,  where  he  passed 
the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  entered  the 
silent  land,  March  8,  1880,  having  survived 
his  first  wife,  the  mother  of  Philip  C.,  some 
thirty-two  years.  She  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Maria  Criswell,  her  parents  being 
Elijah  and  Elizabeth  Criswell.  The  father 
was  born  in  Virginia,  was  married  in  Ken- 
tucky, and  settled  in  Indiana  at  an  early  day. 
He  dwelt  in  Floyd  county,  where  he  owned 
a  well  cultivated  farm  and  fine  fruit  place, 
and  was  the  most  extensive  grower  and 
dealer  in  fruit  in  his  locality. 

George  and  Maria  Mosier  were  blessed 
with  six  children,  namely:  Elijah,  who  died 
when  in  his  twentieth  ^year;  Elizabeth,  who 
died,  leaving  her  husband,  William  Pickett, 
and  their  four  children;  Philip  C. ;  Martha 
C.,  who  married  Dr.  G.  W.  Hartman,  of 
Fountain  county,  Indiana,  and  died,  leaving 
two  children;  Nancy  D.,  who  married  A.  J. 
Castle;  and  Eliza  J.,  who  became  the  wife 
of  G.  W.  Cory,  of  Tippecanoe  county,  In- 
diana, and  removed  to  Champaign  county 
at  an  early  day,  her  death  taking  place  here, 


October  30,  1858.  She  left  two  children, 
and  Mr.  Cory  is  now  a  resident  of  Okla- 
homa. One  of  the  most  dreadful  things 
which  ever  occurred  in  the  history  of  the 
Mosier  family  was  the  murder  of  Nancy  D. 
and  A.  J.  Castle,  who,  soon  after  their  mar- 
riage, started  for  the  west  in  a  wagon,  with 
the  intention  of  founding  their  new  home  in 
Boone  county,  Iowa.  On  the  journey, 
which  was  undertaken  in  1856,  the  young 
couple  were  killed  by  border  ruffians,  and 
their  bodies  were  concealed  under  some 
corn  shocks  in  a  field  near  Montezuma,  Iowa. 

Dr.  Philip  C.  Mosier  was  born  Decem- 
ber 31,  1827,  in  Harrison  county,  Indiana, 
and  in  his  boyhood  attended  the  primary 
log  cabin  subscription  schools  of  the  period. 
At  eighteen  years  of  age  he  taught  school 
in  Fountain  county  for  three  months,  and 
when  twenty  he  commenced  the  study  of 
medicine  with  Dr.  W.  C.  Turner,  of  Jack- 
sonville, Indiana.  He  then  continued  his 
medical  work  under  the  tutelage  of  Drs. 
McNutt  and  Mackey,  of  Annapolis,  Indiana, 
and  for  two  terms  was  a  student  in  an  ex- 
cellent school  conducted  by  the  society  of 
Friends,  at  Bloomingdale,  same  state. 

Upon  engaging  in  practice.  Dr.  Mosier 
was  located  in  Milford  and  Newtown,  In- 
diana, for  about  two  years,  after  which  he 
bought  some  property  in  Homer,  Illinois. 
Here  he  arrived  with  his  bride  of  a  few 
days,  April  15,  1851,  and  here  he  made 
his  home  ever  since.  He  was  engaged  in 
practice  in  the  village  for  six  years,  after 
which  he  was  obliged  to  retire  for  a  year,  on 
account  of  poor  health.  Again  resuming  his 
accustomed  labors,  he  ministered  to  the 
needs  of  the  sick  and  suffering  until  1862, 
when  he  found  it  necessary  to  withdraw  from 
active  practice.  In  the  meantime,  he  had 
purchased  a  farm  of  four  hundred  acres  in 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


305 


this  township,  and  this  place  he  leased  until 
1871,  when  he  began  its  cultivation  himself. 
He  had  planted  large  peach  and  apple  or- 
chards, and  made  many  other  material  im- 
provements as  the  years  rolled  by,  develop- 
ing his  homestead  into  one  of  the  best  in  the 
county.  In  1890,  having  amassed  sufficient 
means  for  his  remaining  years,  he  located 
permanently  in  the  town  of  Homer,  where 
he  was  so  well  known  and  justly  esteemed. 
By  industry  and  good  business  ability,  he 
made  a  snug  fortune,  and  was  quite  an  ex- 
tensive land  owner,  as,  in  addition  to  his 
home  farm,  he  had  eighty  acres  of  land  in 
Arkansas  county.  Arkansas;  two  hundred 
acres  on  the  borders  of  beautiful  Spirit  Lake, 
Dickinson  county,  Iowa;  a  quarter  section 
of  well  cultivated  land  in  Jackson  county, 
Minnesota;  and  fifty-one  acres  of  fine  land 
in  Florida;  he  also  had  tjbree  hundred  and 
forty-two  acres  in  Yancy  and  Christian 
counties,  Missouri,  in  which  state  he  has 
spent  several  winters,  and  sixty  acres  in 
Coffey  county,  Kansas. 

In  all  of  his  joys  and  sorrows  for  nearly 
half  a  century  Dr.  Mosier  found  a  true  help- 
mate in  his  wife,  formerly  Dorothy  J.  Bur- 
ton, to  whom  he  was  married  April  3,  1851. 
Her  parents,  Clement  N.  and  Ann  T.  (Mer- 
riweather)  Burton,  were  natives  of  Virginia, 
the  former  born  in  1790,  and  the  latter  in 
1811.  They  were  married  in  Louisville, 
Kentucky,  when  that  place  comprised  about 
a  dozen  log  cabins,  all  told.  The  young 
couple  moved  to  New  Albany,  Floyd  county, 
Indiana,  and  conducted  a  grocery  for  two 
years,  after  which  they  settled  in  Park 
county,  Indiana.  The  county  had  not  yet 
been  organized,  and  their  nearest  neighbor, 
the  father  of  Senator  Harlan,  lived  five  miles 
distant.  Mrs.  Mosier  was  five  years  old  when 
her  parents  removed  to  Rockville,  Indiana, 


and  there  her  father  carried  on  a  boot  and 
shoe  store  until  1848.  Later,  he  resided  in 
Fountain  county,  Indiana,  and  in  Butler 
county,  Iowa.  He  died  March  16,  1864, 
having  survived  his  first  wife,  whose  death 
took  place  December  2 5,  1840. 

The  eldest  brother  of  Mrs.  Mosier  was 
John  M.,  who  died  of  typhoid  fever  when 
twenty-one  years  of  age.  William  E.  was 
killed  at  Clarksville,  Iowa,  being  struck  by 
an  engine.  He  left  a  widow,  formerly  Mar- 
tha A.  Morris,  and  one  chilcl.  Mary  Ann 
died  in  infancy.  Lucinda  C. ,  who  died  in 
1884,  was  the  wife  of  William  Bradbury,  of 
Taylor  county,  Iowa,  and  was  the  mother 
of  eleven  children.  Eliza  R.  died  in  1840, 
unmarried.  James  M.,  who  died  in  1866, 
had  married  Mary  J.  Guy,  and  had  eight 
children.  H.  F.  L. ,  formerly  a  resident  of 
Homer,  and  a  captain  in  the  Union  army 
during  the  Civil  war,  died  in  1897,  leaving 
a  widow,  formerly  Ellen  Edwards,  and  four 
children.  Lucretia  C. ,  wife  of  R.  T.  Crow- 
ell,  and  mother  of  ten  children,  lives  at 
Spirit  Lake,  Iowa.  Rachel  L. ,  of  Clarks- 
ville, Iowa,  is  the  widow  of  William  Poisal, 
who  was  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  war,  and  died 
while  at  home,  having  received  his  dis- 
charge a  month  previous  to  his  death,  and 
they  had  two  children.  Henry  H.  died  at 
the  age  of  nineteen  years.  The  second  wife 
of  Mrs.  Mosier's  father  was  Mrs.  Rachel 
(Roby)  Taylor,  and  the  three  children  born 
to  them  were:  George  H.,  who  was  killed 
at  the  battle  of  Pleasant  Hills,  Louisiana; 
Joseph  C.,  who  married  Emma  Lansing,  and 
lives  at  Clarksville,  Iowa;  and  Mary  E., 
who  with  her  husband,  Frank  L.  Champlin, 
and  one  child,  lives  at  Little  Valley,  New 
York. 

Dr.    Mosier  and   wife   were  not  blessed 
with  children  of  their  own,  but  they  played 


306 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  part  of  loving  parents  to  two  lads  whom 
they  adopted,  and  who  love  them  as  loyally 
as  though  they  were  their  own  parents. 
George  T.  Poage,  who  resided  in  the  Doc- 
tor's home  from  the  time  he  was  nine  years 
of  age  until  his  marriage,  April  14,  1880,  is 
a  promising  young  business  man  of  Homer, 
where  he  is  an  agent  for  various  life,  fire 
and  lightning  insurance  companies.  He 
wedded  Dollie  Hayes,  and  has  two  children, 
Thomas  and  Mary.  Valentine  Jacobus,  who 
was  sheltered  in  Dr.  Mozier's  home  from 
his  seventh  to  his  twenty-third  year,  has 
been  in  the  employ  of  C.  H.  Baddeley,  a 
grocer  of  Champaign,  for  some  time. 

Fraternally,  the  Doctor  was  a  member 
of  Homer  Lodge,  No.  252,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  the 
Sons  of  Temperance  and  the  Good  Temp- 
lars, and  was  a  representative  to  the  State 
Encampment  of  the  Union  League,  at 
Springfield,  Illinois,  October  16,  1873. 
Since  1856  he  was  a  stalwart  Republican, 
and  for  many  years  held  minor  local  offices. 
For  ten  years  he  was  supervisor  of  Homer 
township,  for  several  years  was  a  justice  of 
the  peace  and  member  of  the  school  board, 
served  on  the  court  house  commission,  and 
the  town  board  of  Homer.,  and  in  innumer- 
able ways  demonstrated  his  patriotic  zeal 
for  the  advancement  of  this  community. 
He  was  one  of  the  most  persistent  advocates 
of  the  matter  of  enlarging  the  poor  farm, 
and,  accordingly,  eighty  acres  were  added  to 
the  original  tract  of  forty  acres.  This  prop- 
erty has  been  increased  in  value  by  proper 
management,  and  it  is  generally  conceded 
that  this  move  was  one  of  the  best  ever 
made  by  the  county  commissioners.  In 
matters  of  faith,  the  Doctor  was  a  believer 
in  a  future  state  of  the  soul,  the  spirit  life, 
but  did  not  credit  the  inspiration  of  the 
Bible  nor  its  revelations. 


While  in  California,  Dr.  Mosier  was 
called  to  his  final  rest,  at  the  home  of  a 
friend  in  Oakland,  April  4,  1900.  His  re- 
mains were  brought  back  home  by  his  sor- 
rowing wife,  and  the  funeral  services  were 
conducted  at  her  residence  by  the  Odd  Fel- 
lows of  Homer,  April  12,  1900. 


THOMAS  P.  STEWART,  a  well-known 
1  farmer  and  highly  esteemed  citizen  of 
Harwood  township,  residing  on  section  34, 
was  born  in  Shelby  county,  Ohio,  August 
16,  1826,  and  remained  at  his  birthplace 
until  nearly  thirty  years  of  age,  working  on 
the  home  farm.  His  parents,  Thomas  P. 
and  Nancy  Ann  (Nye)  Stewart,  were  na- 
tives of  Maryland  and  Ohio,  respectively. 
By  trade  the  father  was  a  millwright,  but 
he  followed  farming  throughout  the  greater 
of  his  life.  He  died  in  Ohio  at  about  the 
age  of  sixty  years,  and  the  mother  afterward 
came  to  Illinois  with  our  subject,  dying  at 
his  home  in  1893,  at  the  age  of  eighty 
years.  They  were  the  parents  of  eight 
children.  Elizabeth  married  in  Shelby 
county,  Ohio,  James  Lenox,  and  they  had 
one  child,  Albert.  She  died  in  Shelby 
county,  Ohio.  Thomas  P.  is  the  subject  of 
this  sketch.  Samuel,  born  in  Ohio,  moved 
to  California,  volunteered  in  the  Union 
army  during  the  Civil  war,  was  discharged 
in  New  Mexico,  and  there  died.  Charles, 
born  in  Ohio,  married  Mary  Shank  in  his 
'native  state,  moved  to  Illinois  in  1857,  and 
lived  in  Edgar  county.  He  served  as  a 
soldier  in  the  Civil  war.  He  is  now  de- 
ceased. His  children  are  Leonidas  Porter, 
Mrs.  Annie  Hunt,  Mrs.  Laura  Brown,  Law- 
son  Lafayette  and  Mrs.  Emma  Piper. 
Prudence  Stewart,  born  in  Ohio,  married 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


307 


Fielding  Lenox,  in  Sidney,  Shelby  county, 
Ohio,  and  their  children  are  John,  Porte, 
James,  William  and  Frank.  She  died  in 
Rantoul.  Mary  Ann  Stewart,  born  in  Ohio, 
married  John  Owens,  and  they  had  one 
daughter,  who  died  in  childhood.  Mrs. 
Owens  died  in  Ohio.  William  Harrison 
Stewart,  born  in  Ohio,  married  Ella  Cam- 
era, in  Logan,  Edgar  county.  Illinois,  and 
they  have  four  children — Mrs.  Florence 
Mitchell,  Mrs.  Lottie  Belle  Cook,  Harry, 
and  Mrs.  Grace  Adele  Fullenwider.  Ellen 
Stewart,  born  in  Shelby  county,  Ohio, 
married  John  LaFollette,  in  Edgar  county, 
Illinois,  and  their  children  are  Wearney 
and  Roscoe  Conklin.  She  was  for  a  time  a 
teacher  in  the  schools  of  Rantoul,  where  her 
death  occurred.  The  Stewarts  are  of 
Scotch  origin,  the  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject being  a  native  of  Scotland.  The 
Nyes  are  of  German  origin,  the  grand- 
parents being  natives  of  Germany. 

It  was  in  1857  that  our  subject  came  to 
this  state,  and  after  living  one  year  in  Ed- 
gar county,  he  located  in  Coles  county, 
where  the  following  two  years  were  passed. 
He  also  spent  four  years  in  Douglas  county 
and  during  all  this  time  was  engaged  in 
farming.  His  next  home  was  in  Logan 
county,  and  from  there  he  came  to  Cham- 
paign county,  in  1867,  locating  upon  the 
farm  in  Harwood  township  which  has  since 
been  his  home.  It  is  a  well  improved  tract 
of  sixty  acres,  and  in  its  cultivation  he  has 
met  with  good  success. 

On  the  1 2th  of  April,  1851,  Mr.  Stewart 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Mrs.  Mary  Day, 
who  was  born  in  England,  February  6, 
1815,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Martha 
(Saunders)  Kingham.  The  father  died  in 
that  country  in  1828,  and  in  1832  the 
mother  came  with  her  daughter  Mary  to  the 

16 


United  States.  She  passed  away  near 
Springfield,  Ohio,  in  1848,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-five  years.  In  their  family  were 
the  following  children,  all  born  in  England, 
and  all  came  to  America  with  the  exception* 
of  Joseph,  (i)  William,  born  October  9, 
1797,  died  m  October,  1850.  He  married 
Elizabeth  Cooper,  and  had  three  daughters, 
Sarah,  wife  of  John  Markley;  Maria,  wife  of 
Joseph  Foster,  and  Harriet,  wife  of  Isaiah 
Wilson,  all  of  whom  came  to  this  country 
with  their  grandmother  in  1832.  (2)  Esther, 
born  June  29,  1799,  died  in  December,  1803, 
(3)  Joseph,  born  December  29,  1800,  mar- 
ried Nancy  Green,  of  England,  and  died: 
August  14,  1869.  (4)  John,  born  December 
31,  1801,  married  Diana  Goldsmith,  of 
England,  and  died  in  1889.  (5)  James, 
born  October  31,  1803,  married  Lydia  Ann 
Knight,  of  Ohio,  and  died  in  the  northern 
part  of  that  state  in  1873.  (6)  Bernard, 
born  November  26,  1804,  died  at  the  age  of: 
three  months.  (7)  Elizabeth,  born  May 
10,  1806,  was  married,  August  26,  1841,  to> 
John  Powell,  and  died  in  1867.  (8)  Ann, 
born  November  7,  1807,  married  Thomas 
Hall,  of  England,  and  died  in  Ohio,  in 
June,  1878.  (9)  Sarah,  born  February  16, 
1810,  married  William  Herbert,  of  England, 
and  died  in  Sidney,  Ohio,  April  24,  1899. 
They  came  to  the  United  States  in  1835., 
and  located  in  Clark  county,  Ohio,  where- 
he  engaged  in  blacksmithing.  Six  of  their 
nine  children  are  still  living:  William  G... 
Joseph  K.,  John  J.,  Martha,  Thirza,  and' 
Ruth,  wife  of  Samuel  Lawrence,  a  farmer 
of  Harwood  township,  this  county,  (ro) 
George,  born  March  16,  1811,  married 
Emma  Harwood,  of  England.  He  spent 
twenty-six  years  as  a  merchant  in  New  York,, 
but  at  th£  end  of  that  time  returned  to> 
England,  where  he  died  in  1887.  (n); 


308 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Martha,  born  March  29,  1812,  married 
John  Crall,  of  Ohio,  and  died  April  22, 
1872.  (12)  Robert,  born  May  2,  1813, 
lives  in  Springfield,  Ohio.  (13)  Mary,  wife 
of  our  subject,  is  the  youngest  of  the 
family. 

Mrs.  Stewart  first  married  Lewis  Day,  a 
native  of  Maine,  and  a  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion, who  died  April  20,  1845,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-nine  years,  and  by  that  union  had 
two  children:  (i)  Elizabeth,  married  Lewis 
Lanman,  a  farmer  of  Coles  county,  Illinois, 
and  died  May  20,  1867.  They  had  four 
children:  Frank,  deceased;  Cynthia,  wife  of 
John  Green;  Annie,  wife  of  Ivan  Lang;  and 
William,  a  teacher  residing  in  Gifford.  (2) 
Lewis,  a  farmer  of  Benton  county,  Indiana, 
married  Fannie  Barton,  and  they  have  three 
children,  William,  Frank  and  Mary. 

Six   children  were  born    to    our    subject 
and  his  wife,   namely:  (i)    Martha,  born  in 
Ohio,  is  now  the  wile    of    William    Lenox, 
a  farmer  of  Fowler,  Benton  county,  Indiana, 
and    they    have    four  sons.   (2)   George  T. , 
born  in  Shelby  county,  Ohio,  July  27,  1854, 
was    educated    in  the    district    schools    of 
Champaign  county,    and  remained    on    his 
father's  farm  until  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
when  he  went  to  Watertown,  South  Dakota, 
where  for  three  years  he  was  engaged  in  the 
photographing  business  and  for  five    years 
was  employed  as    a  clerk.      From  there    he 
went  to    Oregon,    where  he    was    married, 
October  7,    1876,  to    Addie    Vietta  Card,  a 
daughter  of    William  P.  and  Aldora  (Parr) 
Card.      Her  father  is  a   native  of  Michigan 
and    a    farmer  of    Oregon.     She  has    one 
brother,     Harry  Philbert  Card,  who    is   en- 
gaged in  the  cattle  business  near  Pendleton, 
Oregon.     George  T.  Stewart  is    now  living 
on  the  old  homestead  with  his  father.       He 
has  one  child,  Ethel  Vietta,  born  February 


i?>  1899.  (3)  Adam  H.,  born  March  12, 
1856,  married  Ella  Williams,  by  whom  he 
has  nine  children.  He  is  now  a  farmer  and 
stock  raiser  of  Coffey  county,  Kansas.  (4) 
Sarah  E. ,  born  January  2,  1860,  married 
John  Beacham,  a  farmer  of  Indiana,  and 
died  December  26,  1898,  leaving  five  chil- 
dren. (5)  Prudence  E.,  'born  November  25, 
1860,  was  married  October  30,  1883,  to 
Robert  W7ood,  of  Harwood  township,  and 
they  have  five  children.  (6)  Thomas  P., 
the  oldest  of  the  family  died  in  infancy. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stewart  are  earnest 
and  consistent  Christians,  the  former  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  church,  the  latter  of 
the  Baptist  church.  He  is  a  stanch  support- 
er of  the  Republican  party,  but  has  never 
cared  for  office. 


JOHN  E.  NYE.  Prominent  among  the 
business  men  of  Thomasboro  is  num-- 
bered  the  gentleman  whose  name  introduces 
this  sketch.  No  one  in  the  vicinity  is  better 
known,  for  there  almost  his  entire  life  has 
been  passed,  and  all  his  interests  from  boy- 
hood have  been  closely  identified  with  those 
of  that  locality.  In  his  special  line  of  busi- 
ness he  has  met  with  success,  and  by  the 
energy  and  zeal  which  he  has  manifested 
he  has  won  the  confidence  and  esteem  of 
the  public. 

Mr.  Nye  was  born  on  the  7th  of  April, 
1855,  in  Springfield  township,  Gallia  coun- 
ty, Ohio,  near  the  town  of  Porter.  His 
father  was  Arius  Nye,  a  native  of  Ohio,  and 
a  prosperous  farmer,  who  was  married  April 
ii,  1853,  to  Rebecca  Gardner,  also  a  native 
of  Ohio.  In  September,  1857,  the  family 
moved  to  Champaign  county,  Illinois,  and 
located  in  Somer  township,  where  the  father 
engaged  in  farming  on  rented  land  until 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


309 


1864,  and  then  purchased  a  farm  on  section 
10,  the  same  township.  He  made  that 
place  his  home  until  the  spring  of  1899, 
when  he  moved  to  Urbana,  where  he  is  now 
living  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine  years.  His 
estimable  wife  died  on  the  home  farm  Janu- 
ary ii,  1899.  They  had  three  children,  of 
whom  our  subject  is  the  eldest.  (2)  Lewis 
E.,  born  in  Ohio,  May  6,  1857,  taught 
in  the  district  schools  of  Somer  township, 
this  county,  for  nine  years,  and  died  upon 
his  farm  there  April  10,  1895.  He  married 
Effie  Grundendyke,  of  Marion  county,  Illi- 
nois, and  they  had  two  children:  Lois,  de- 
ceased; and  Maurice.  (3)  Mary  E.,  born 
in  Somer  township,  October  2,  1863,  is  the 
wife  of  Specs  N.  Prather.who  was  for  many 
years  a  prosperous  farmer  of  that  township, 
but  is  now  living  retired  in  Urbana.  They 
have  three  children,  Arius,  Darley  and  Car- 
lisle. 

On  reaching  man's  estate  our  subject 
engaged  in  farming  in  Somer  township  until 
March,  1891,  when  he  moved  to  Thomas- 
boro,  and  has  since  successfully  engaged  in 
stock  raising,  harness  making  and  the  livery 
business.  On  the  9th  of  December,  1879, 
in  Somer  township,  was  celebrated  his  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Lyda  Ford,  a  daughter  of 
William  and  Catherine  (Bireley)  Ford,  nat- 
ives of  Ohio,  who  came  to  Illinois  at  an 
early  date  and  settled  in  Somer  township, 
Champaign  county,  where  her  father  en- 
gaged in  farming  for  some  years.  On  dis- 
posing of  his  farm,  he  moved  to  Urbana, 
where  he  engaged  in  the  agricultural  imple- 
ment business  and  in  the  importation  of 
draft  horses  from  England,  Scotland  and 
Belgium.  He  was  also  a  large  stockholder 
and  director  of  the  First  National  Bank  of 
that  city,  and  was  serving  as  supervisor  of 
Urbana  township  at  the  time  of  his  death, 


which  occurred  December  13,  1896.  His 
widow  is  still  living  and  continues  to  make 
her  home  in  Urbana.  To  our  subject  and 
his  wife  were  born  four  children:  Nettie 
E.,  born  October  17,  1880,  died  in  Somer 
township  at  the  age  of  nine  months  and 
nine  days;  Katie  M.,  born  in  Somer  town- 
ship, March  9,  1886,  is  still  living;  an  in- 
fant unnamed  died  July  17,  1888;  Maudie 
A.,  born  in  Somer  township,  July  29,  1890, 
is  living. 

Mr.  Nye  is  a  public-spirited  citizen  who 
takes  a  deep  and  commendable  interest  in 
public  affairs;  keeps  will  informed  on  the 
questions  and  issues  of  the  day;  and  casts 
his  ballot  with  the  Republican  party;  but 
has  never  been  a  politician  in  the  sense  of 
office  seeking.  On  coming  to  this  section 
Thomasboro  contained  only  two  or  three 
buildings,  and  there  were  only  four  or  five 
houses  between  that  place  and  Rantoul.  It 
was  not  an  uncommon  sight  to  see  deer 
feeding  with  the  cattle  on  the  prairie.  The 
land  was  scarcely  tillable  on  account  of  the 
water  which  covered  much  of  it,  but  it  has 
been  gradually  redeemed  by  drainage  and 
converted  into  rich  farming  land.  Mr.  Nye 
has  watched  with  interest  these  changes, 
and  has  ever  borne  his  part  in  the  work  of 
development  and  improvement. 


M 


of  the  men  of  the  present  generation 
whose  lives  have  become  an  integral  part  of 
the  history  of  this  county,  would  be  incom- 
plete were  there  failure  to  make  prominent 
reference  to  the  one  whose  name  heads  this 
paragraph.  No  man  has  been  more  inti- 
mately associated  with  the  upbuilding  of 
Urbana  or  has  contributed  in  more  direct 


3io 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


manner  to  its  progress  along  material  and 
moral  lines.  The  study  of  the  life  of  the 
representative  American  never  fails  to  offer 
much  of  pleasing  interest  and  valuable  in- 
struction, developing  a  mastering  of  expe- 
dients that  has  brought  about  most  wonder- 
ful results.  The  subject  of  this  sketch 
belongs  to  that  class  and  is  of  the  type  of 
progressive  men  who  promote  public  good 
in  advancing  individual  prosperity  and  con- 
serving popular  interests.  He  is  now  ex- 
tensively and  successfully  engaged  in  the 
real  estate  and  insurance  business,  and 
through  his  identification  with  the  building 
and  loan  interests  of  this  section  of  the 
state  has  contributed  in  no  small  degree  to 
the  substantial  growth  of  the  city  in  which 
he  makes  his  home. 

Mr.  Parks  was  born  near  Columbus, 
Ohio,  December  31,  1851,  and  is  a  son  of 
Andrew  and  Sarah  (Eyre)  Parks.  The 
father,  who  was  born  in  1799,  was  probably 
a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  but  in  his  early 
boyhood  removed  to  the  Buckeye  state 
where  he  drove  a  team  on  the  pike.  He 
remained  in  Ohio  until  the  spring  of  1852, 
when  he  took  up  his  abode  on  a  farm  near 
Georgetown,  Vermilion  county,  Illinois, 
making  his  home  there  until  1860,  when  he 
removed  to  the  village.  There  he  spent  his 
last  days  in  honorable  retirement  from  busi- 
ness life,  his  death  occurring  in  1883.  His 
wife,  who  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  of  German  lineage,  died  in  18  .  They 
attended  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
and  Mr.  Parks  was  a  stanch  Whig  in  his 
political  affiliations  until  after  the  dissolu- 
tion of  the  party,  when  he  became  a  Repub- 
lican. He  left  a  family  of  two  children  by 
his  first  wife,  while  by  the  second  union 
there  were  six  children,  three  sons  of  the 
Utter  family  still  surviving. 


Milton  Scott  Parks  pursued  his  educa- 
tion in  the  common  and  high  schools  of 
Georgetown  and  entered  upon  his  business 
career  as  a  clerk  in  a  dry  goods  store,  in 
April,  1869,  at  that  place.  There  he  re- 
mained until  February  7,  1876,  and  in  the 
meantime  gained  an  excellent  knowledge  of 
the  methods  of  mercantile  life.  He  then 
accepted  the  position  of  deputy  in  the  office 
of  the  circuit  clerk,  in  Urbana,  the  clerk 
being  a  warm  personal  friend.  Faithfully 
discharging  the  duties  of  the  position,  he 
continued  in  the  office  until  April  i,  1887, 
when  he  became  manager  of  the  abstract 
office  of  Frank  Wilcox,  and  continued  in 
that  position  for  two  years.  On  account 
of  the  close  confinement  which  threatened 
to  injure  his  eyesight,  he  resigned,  and  later 
began  the  real  estate  and  insurance  business, 
for  himself.  His  experience  in  the  abstract 
business  was  of  great  service  to  him  and  he 
soon  took  rank  among  the  leading  represen-r 
tative-s  of  the  real  estate  business  in  this 
section  of  the  state.  By  a  system  of  judi- 
cious advertising  he  secured  a  very  large 
patronage,  and  not  only  handled  property 
for  others,  but  also  became  the  possessor  of 
much  property  in  his  own  name,  continually 
buying  and  selling.  He  sold  much  of  his 
real  estate  on  the  installment  plan,  thus 
enabling  many  to  gain  homes  who  otherwise 
could  not  have  done  so.  For  eleven  years 
he  has  carried  on  a  large  and  profitable 
business,  and  has  been  the  owner  of  much 
farm  land  in  Champaign  county.  He  has 
recently  become  largely  interested  in  real 
estate  both  in  southern  Illinois,  where  he 
has  a  half  interest  in  two  hundred  and  ten 
acres  of  land.  He  also  has  a  half  interest 
in  thirty-two  hundred  acres  of  land  in  Mis- 
sissippi, and  is  sole  owner  of  sixteen  hun- 
dred acres  in  the  latter  state.  His  property- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


there  is  rapidly  increasing  in  value  on  ac- 
count of  the  drainage  and  other  improve- 
ments he  is  placing  upon  it,  and  in  behalf  of 
securing  better  drainage  laws  for  the  state 
he  is  putting  forth  strong  efforts. 

Mr.  Parks  is  a  man  of  resourceful  busi- 
ness ability  who  carries  forward  to  success- 
ful completion  whatever  he  undertakes. 
He  is  a  man  of  public-spirit  and  broad 
sympathy  and  takes  delight  in  advancing 
business  interests  which  will  also  contribute 
to  the  general  prosperity  as  well  as  his  in- 
dividual success.  He  was  the  principal 
factor  in  the  organization  of  the  Urbana 
Home  Loan  Association,  which  was  es- 
tablished in  July,  1887,  and  was  its  first 
secretary  and  a  member  of  the  board  of 
directors,  which  position  he  has  held  con- 
tinuously since.  He  has  seen  the  develop- 
ment of  the  business  from  collections  of  a 
few  hundred  dollars  each  month  to  a  month- 
ly collection  of  about  five  thousand  dollars, 
and  the  enterprise  has  been  the  means  of 
helping  to  build  many  homes,  thus  promot- 
ing the  rapid  growth  of  the  city.  Mr.  Parks 
has  matured  seven  systems  to  the  entire 
satisfaction  of  every  stockholder,  so  far  as 
is  known,  and  this  has  meant  the  handling 
of  more  than  one  hundred  and  forty  thou- 
sand dollars.  Mr.  Parks  also  aided  in  or- 
ganizing a  Building  and  Loan  Association 
in  Clarksdale,  Mississippi,  conducted  after 
the  manner  of  the  one  in  Urbana,  and  it  has 
proved  of  great  benefit  to  that  community. 
He  has  also  written  much  insurance  and  in 
that  way  has  added  materially  to  his  in- 
come. 

On  the  1 2th  of  June,  1884,  Mr.  Parks 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Almeda  V. 
Lindley,  the  eldest  daughter  of  Dr.  Mahlon 
Lindley,  and  they  now  have  three  children: 
Paul  L.,  Ralph  M.  and  Frank  A.  Their 


home  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  in  this 
section  of  the  state  and  is  pleasantly  situated 
on  Green  street,  Urbana.  Frescoes  in  oil 
adorn  many  of  the  ceilings,  and  the  interior 
furnishings  and  exterior  adornments  indicate 
the  cultured  and  refined  taste  of  the  in- 
mates. All  who  pass  beneath  its  portals  en- 
joy a  most  warm-hearted  hospitality  and  the 
circle  of  friends  of  the  family  is  very  exten- 
sive. 

In  politics  Mr.  Parks  has  always  been  a 
Republican  and  has  served  as  chairman  of 
the  city  central  committee.  He  has  twice 
been  a  member  of  the  board  of  education 
and  has  done  effective  service  on  behalf  of 
the  schools,  but  has  never  been  an  office 
seeker,  preferring  to  devote  his  time  and 
energies  to  other  interests.  Both  he  and  his 
wife  are  prominent  and  consistent  members 
of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and 
he  has  been  a  member  of  its  board  of  stew- 
ards for  about  twenty  years,  during  which 
time  the  new  house  of  worship  was  erected. 
He  acted  as  one  of  the  solicitors  for  funds, 
was  chairman  of  the  finance  committee  of 
the  board  of  stewards  for  a  number  of  years 
and  has  always  taken  an  active  part  in  the 
work  of  the  church.  He  also  aided  in  organ- 
izing another  church,  and  in  1892  donated  a 
building  site  near  the  university.  In  con- 
sideration of  this  fact  the  trustees  of  the 
Methodist  society  named  the  new  organ- 
ization "Park's  chapel."  He  was  elected  a 
trustee  of  that  church,  which  position  he 
held  until  1898,  and  was  a  member  of  the 
building  committee.  The  first  church  was 
burned  in  1894,  a°d  he  was  then  made  a 
member  of  the  new  building  committee  and 
appointed  to  solicit  for  funds  for  a  new 
house  of  worship.  He  was  made  treasurer 
of  the  building  fund  as  well,  and  saw  the 
church  dedicated  free  from  debt,  with  a 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


small  surplus  in  the  treasury  for  other  im- 
provements. More  recently  he  has  been  act- 
ive in  assisting  in  the  organization  of  a  mis- 
sion in  the  east  part  of  the  city,  which.is  con- 
ducted under  the  auspices  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  and  which  it  is  hoped  will 
grow  into  a  self-supporting  society.  Mrs. 
Parks  has  been  to  her  husband  an  able 
assistant  in  his  work.  She  was  a  member 
of  the  first  board  of  managers  and  is  still  in 
that  capacity  connected  with  the  Cunning- 
barn  Deaconess  Home  and  Orphanage.  She 
has  taken  a  very  active  and  helpful  interest 
in  its  conduct,  looking  after  many  details  of 
the  work.  She  is  also  prominent  in  home 
missionary  work  and  has  been  treasurer  of 
the  local  society  for  a  number  of  years.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Parks  were  prime  movers  in  estab- 
lishing one  of  the  leading  organizations  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  in  this  part 
of  the  state,  and  their  labors  have  been 
most  effective  in  promoting  Christian  work 
in  Champaign  county.  Mrs.  Parks  is  also  a 
member  and  the  first  president  of  the  Tour- 
ists' Club— an  organization  of  ladies — and 
also  belongs  to  other  women's  clubs.  Wher- 
ever Mr.  and  Mrs.  Parks  are  known  they  are 
held  in  the  highest  regard,  having  the  esteem 
and  friendship  of  a  large  circle  of  acquaint- 
ances. He  sustains  an  unassailable  repu- 
tation in  business  circles  and  in  private  life 
has  gained  that  warm  personal  regard  which 
arises  from  true  nobility  of  character,  defer- 
ence for  the  opinions  of  others,  kindliness 
and  geniality. 


FJREDERICK  PELL  is  one  of  the  hon- 
1  ored  pioneers  of  Champaign  county, 
with  whose  history  his  own  has  been  inti- 
mately connected  for  considerable  more  than 
half  a  century.  In  the  agricultural  world  of 


this  region  he  has  been  foremost  in  the  race 
for  many  years,  and  wherever  his  influence 
could  avail  it  has  been  used  freely  for  prog- 
ress and  improvements.  His  record  is  sin- 
gularly devoid  of  spot  or  blemish,  and  to 
his  posterity  he  will  leave  an  honored  name 
— a  far  better  heritage  than  wealth. 

The  father  of  Frederick  Pell  bore  the 
Christian  name  of  Henry,  and  he  was  born 
in  Virginia,  June  4,  1801.  His  wife,  the 
mother  of  our  subject,  Sarah  (Orme)  Pell, 
was  a  native  of  Lewis  county,  Kentucky, 
her  birth  having  occurred  June  10,  1800. 
Henry  Pell,  who  was  of  English  descent, 
removed  with  his  widowed  mother  to  Lewis 
county,  Kentucky,  where  he  later  wedded 
the  lady  of  his  choice.  They  subsequently 
dwelt  on  the  old  Orme  estate,  buying  out 
the  interests  of  the  other  heirs,  and  there 
this  worthy  couple  spent  the  remaining  years 
of  their  busy,  useful  lives.  They  reared 
.four  sons  and  six  daughters  to  maturity,  of 
whom  the  eldest,  Serena,  became  the  wife 
of  John  Pool,  and  died,  leaving  two  children; 
Brunetta,  still  a  resident  of  Lewis  county, 
is  the  widow  of  Dr.  J.  D.  Secrest;  Charles 
B.  is  a  farmer  of  Kingman,  Kansas;  Eliza- 
beth wedded  Jackson  Secrest,  of  Lewis 
county;  Christopher  C.  is  a  farmer  of  La- 
bette  county,  Kansas;  George  owns  the  old 
homestead  in  Lewis  county;  Axcey  is  the 
wife  of  James  Luman,  of  Labette  county, 
Kansas;  Amy,  unmarried,  died  in  Kentucky; 
and  Maria  became  the  second  wife  of  John 
Pool.  She  survived  him  and  later  married 
Amos  Ree,  of  Lewis  county. 

Frederick  Pell  was  born  on  the  old  Lewis 
county  homestead,  September  8,  1832,  and 
in  the  old-time  subscription  schools,  in  ses- 
sion only  a  short  time  each  winter,  he 
learned  the  rudiments  of  knowledge.  After 
working  for  his  father  until  he  reached  his 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


313 


majority,  he  was  employed  as  an  agricultur- 
ist in  the  vicinity,  until  the  spring  of  1856, 
when  he,  in  company  with  his  brother 
Christopher  and  E.  A.  Shaw,  started  for 
Champaign  county.  The  latter  had  an 
uncle,  Archie  Hensley,  living  here,  and  the 
township  of  Hensley  was  named  in  honor  of 
this  relative.  The  Pell  brothers  rented  a 
farm  of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  half 
a  mile  south  of  Urbana,  and  sometime  after- 
wards our  subject  leased  a  farm  on  section 
33,  managing  this  place  for  three  years.  In 
1 86 1,  he  bought  eighty  acres  in  Philo  town- 
ship, from  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Com- 
pany, and  energetically  proceeded  to  break 
the  land,  which  was  wild  prairie.  He  con- 
tinued to  reside  on  his  rented  place,  how- 
ever, for  some  time.  After  his  return  from 
the  war,  he  resumed  his  farming  enterprises, 
and,  having  sold  his  property  at  a  good 
figure,  invested  his  means  in  a  quarter-sec- 
tion of  land  on  section  7,  and  here  he  dwelt 
for  seventeen  years,  adding  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  adjoining  property.  In  1887 
he  built  a  commodious  modern  house  on  his 
farm  on  section  20,  Urbana  township. 
Within  its  hospitable  walls  he  made  his 
abode  for  ten  years,  anid  in  1898  he  erected 
a  handsome  modern  house  in  Urbana.  It  is 
fitted  with  a  furnace  and  hot  and  cold  water, 
and,  in  short,  all  of  the  accessories  and  com- 
forts of  a  complete  modern  home.  In  ad- 
dition to  owning  five  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  splendid  land  in  Champaign  county,  he 
owns  eight  hundred  acres  in  Grand  county, 
Kansas. 

In  July,  1862,  Mr.  Pell  went  forth  from 
his  home  to  do  battle  for  his  imperiled 
country.  Becoming  a  member  of  Company 
G,  Seventy-sixth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry, 
under  command  of  Captain  Parks  and  Col- 
onel Mack,  he  was  assigned  with  his  regi- 


ment to  the  Seventeenth  Army  Corps  of  the 
Army  of  the  Tennessee.  He  served  through- 
out the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  the  battle  of  Jack- 
son, where  the  Union  forces  were  out- 
numbered four  to  one,  and  half  of  his  com- 
pany was  captured,  and  later,  he  participated 
in  many  other  severe  engagements.  During 
the  last  months  of  the  war,  his  regiment  was 
commanded  to  patrol  the  lower  Mississippi, 
and  after  Lee's  surrender,  as  the  news  had 
not  reached  them,  he  took  part  in  the  battle 
of  Blakeley,  Alabama.  His  record  as  a  sol- 
dier is  one  of  which  he  may  justly  be  proud. 
He  never  lost  a  day  on  account  of  illness, 
and  there  never  was  a  time  when  his  regi- 
ment was  called  into  action  that  he  was  not 
promptly  found  at  his  post,  ready  to  fight  and 
die,  if  need  be,  for  the  Union.  He  was 
mustered  out  at  Galveston,  Texas,  July  20, 
and  honorably  discharged,  August  5,  1865, 
at  Chicago. 

When  Mr.  Pell  arrived  at  home,  he  found 
no  wife  to  welcome  him  back,  for  she  had 
been  summoned  to  the  better  land  during  his 
absence,  on  the  2Oth  of  March,  1865.  It 
was  on  September  24,  1858,  that  he  had 
married  Martha  Jones,  whose  birth  had 
taken  place  in  Brown  county,  Ohio,  in  1830* 
Two  of  their  sons  grew  to  maturity,  Charles 
J.,  who  is  employed  in  the  shops  of  the  Pull- 
man Company  at  Pullman,  Illinois,  and 
James  R.,  who  manages  his  father's  farm  in 
Urbana  township.  In  September,  1867, 
Mr.  Pell  was  united  in  marriage  to  Mrs.  Mary 
A.  Cover,  daughter  of  John  and  Rebecca 
Kiler  and  widow  of  John  F.  Cover.  She 
died  in  August,  1890,  and  left  two  children, 
Henry  N.,  who  is  living  upon  one  of  his 
father's  farms,  and  Mary  M.,  wife  of  Osmer 
G.  Mosier,  of  Wingate,  Indiana.  On  the 
8th  of  February,  1893,  Mr.  Pell  married 
Sarah  J.,  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Mary 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


(Comber)  Parkin,  both  natives  of  England. 
She  was  born  in  Peoria  county,  this  state, 
one  of  six  children,  of  whom  three  are  de- 
ceased. A.  J.  resides  in  Peoria,  and  Thomas 
is  a  farmer  of  Philo  township. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Pell  has  sided 
with  the  Democratic  party  for  years.  A 
friend  to  education,  he  has  been  a  member 
of  the  school  board  for  nine  years,  and  three 
years  held  the  office  of  commissioner  of  high- 
ways. Socially,  he  is  connected  with  Black 
Eagle  Post,  No.  29,  G.  A.  R.  He  has  been 
the  architect  of  his  own  fortunes,  and  at  the 
same  time  that  he  has  labored  to  acquire  a 
competence,  he  has  sought,  no  less  earnestly, 
to  perform  his  whole  duty  as  a  citizen. 


LEWIS  A.  McLEAN.  One  of  the  prom- 
inent representatives  of  the  journalis- 
tic profession  is  the  gentleman  whose  name 
heads  this  brief  notice,  the  well-known  edi- 
tor and  manager  of  the  Champaign  County 
Herald  of  Urbana.  He  was  born  May  4, 
1843,  in  Grafton,  Illinois,  a  small  town  on 
the  Mississippi  river,  and  is  a  son  of  Dr. 
John  H.  and  Mary  B.  (Anderson)  McLean. 
The  father,  who  was  of  Scotch  descent, 
died  at  the  early  age  of  twenty-four  years, 
but  had  already  given  promise  of  being 
prominent  in  his  profession.  The  mother, 
a  native  of  Tennessee,  is  still  living  and  is 
now  one  of  the  oldest  citizens  of  Cham- 
paign county.  On  the  i$th  of  April,  1853, 
the  family  came  to  Urbana,  and  have  since 
been  residents  of  this  county. 

Mr.  McLean  received  a  good  public 
school  education,  being  for  two  years  a  stu- 
dent in  the  high  school  at  New  Orleans, 
Louisiana.  In  1862,  he  entered  the  cir- 
cuit clerk's  office  of  Champaign  county  as 


deputy  and  remained  there  for  seven  years, 
after  which  he  served  for  some  time  as  dep- 
uty United  States  internal  revenue  assessor. 
He  then  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  for 
the  next  eight  years,  and  at  the  end  of  that 
time  accepted  the  position  of  associate  edi- 
tor of  the  Champaign  County  Gazette,  of 
Champaign.  He  resigned  in  October,  1882, 
and  accepted  a  similar  position  on  the 
Champaign  County  Herald,  of  which  the 
late  Senator  M.  W.  Mathews  was  editor 
and  proprietor,  and  on  the  death  of  that 
gentleman  became  editor  and  manager,  in 
which  capacity  he  has  since  served. 

On  the  1 2th  of  May,  1864,  Mr.  McLean 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Jennie 
Russell,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Elias  L.  Russell, 
for  many  years  a  prominent  physician  of 
Des  Moines,  Iowa.  Three  children  have 
been  born  to  them,  namely:  Nellie,  now 
the  wife  of  Dr.  C.  C.  Lumley,  of  Chicago; 
Albert  H.,  a  machinist  and  air  brake  in- 
spector of  the  Peoria  division  of  the  Big 
Four  Railroad;  and  Claire  F.,  a  pharma- 
ceutical chemist  of  Chicago. 

Politically  Mr.  McLean  has  been  -an  ar- 
dent Republican  since  casting  his  first  pres- 
idential vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln  in  1864, 
and  is  an  active  worker  for  his  party's  in- 
terests, now  serving  as  a  member  of  the 
executive  committee  of  the  county  Repub- 
lican committee.  For  many  years  he  has 
been  secretary  of  the  Champaign  County 
Old  Settlers'  Association,  and  in  1886  and 
1888  was  instrumental  in  securing  the  por- 
traits and  biographies  of  two  hundred  old 
settlers;  publishing  the  same  in  the  Herald 
and  later  in  book  form,  together  with  a  his- 
tory of  the  county  from  its  organization  to 
that  date,  making  a  valuable  addition  to  the 
pioneer  records  of  the  county.  He  has  been 
prominently  identified  with  the  union  Sun- 


L.  A.  McLEAN. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


317 


day  school  work  of  the  county  for  the  past 
eighteen  years,  during  which  time  he  has 
served  either  as  president,  secretary  or 
member  of  the  executive  committee.  He 
has  since  1863  been  a  member  of  the  First 
Baptist  church  and  for  many  years  served 
as  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school  and 
has  always  taken  an  active  part  in  church 
matters,  being  now  and  for  several  years 
past  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of 
said  church.  He  joined  the  Masonic  order 
in  June,  1864,  and  was  made  a  Knight  Tem- 
plar in  October,  1866,  and  served  as  emi- 
nent commander  for  two  years  of  Urbana 
Comrnandery,  No.  16,  K.  T. ,  and  now  is 
and  has  been  for  the  past  fourteen  years 
(except  the  two  years  above  mentioned)  the 
prelate  of  said  Commandery. 


/^>EORGE  L.  WILLIAMSON,  M.  D. 
V_J  In  reviewing  the  history  of  men  who 
have  made  their  mark  on  the  period  in 
which  they  flourished,  it  is  truly  wonderful 
to  find  such  a  large  proportion  whose  youth 
was  devoted  to  heroic  struggling  with  ad- 
verse circumstances,  and  whose  education 
was  obtained  only  through  persistent,  in- 
domitable courage  and  perseverance.  There 
can  be  little  question  that  all  of  the  sturdiest 
traits  of  character  are  developed  and 
strengthened  by  such  contention,  and  if  the 
mind  is  not  allowed  to  become  imbittered 
in  the  process,  a  wholesome,  heartfelt  sym- 
pathy with  struggling  humanity  results,  and 
untold  good  can  be  accomplished.  The 
student  of  human  nature,  in  tracing  the 
career  of  the  gentleman  whose  name  heads 
this  article,  cannot  but  feel  that  his  kindly 
consideration  and  sympathy  for  the  suffer- 
ing and  afflicted  has  beendeepened  and  made 


more  practical  and  helpful  by  the  trying 
ordeals  through  which  he  passed  in  his 
early  manhood. 

Dr.  Williamson,  now  an  honored  physi- 
cian of  Homer,  Champaign  county,  comes 
of  a  fine  old  Virginia  family.  Both  pa- 
ternal and  maternal  grandfathers  were  re- 
spected business  men  of  Petersburg,  that 
state,  the  former  being  a  manufacturer  of 
carriages  there  for  many  years,  and  the 
latter  being  engaged  in  general  merchandis- 
ing. The  paternal  grandmother  of  the  Doc- 
tor lived  to  reach  the  extreme  age  of  eighty- 
seven  years.. 

His  parents,  Rev.  J.  E.  and  Samantha 
O.  (Perkinson)  Williamson,  are  natives  of 
Petersburg.  The  father  possesses  an  ex- 
cellent education,  being  a  graduate  of  Ran- 
dolph College,  a  theological  university  at 
Macon,  Georgia.  During  the  Civil  war  he 
accepted  the  office  of  chaplain  in  one  of  the 
Confederate  regiments,  and  later  he  was 
pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  church  at  Parks- 
burg,  for  several  years.  In  1872  he  came 
to  the  north,  locating  in  Jacksonville,  Illi- 
nois, where  he  preached  for  a  number  of 
years,  then  going  to  Viola,  Illinois,  and  at 
present  living  in  Assumption,  Illinois.  Three 
children  were  born  to  himself  and  wife, 
namely:  Emma,  who  married  W.  R.  Verian, 
and  makes  her  home  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio; 
George  L.,  of  this  sketch;  and  James  H.  , 
who  is  engaged  iu  the  practice  of  medicine 
at  Assumption,  Illinois. 

The  birth  of  our  subject  took  place  dur- 
ing the  Civil  war,  at  Richmond,  Virginia, 
October  2,  1862,  and  consequently,  he  was 
about  ten  years  of  age  when  his  parents  re- 
moved to  Illinois.  Much  of  his  elementary 
education  was  acquired  in  the  public  schools 
of  Clarinda,  Iowa,  and  when  he  was  eight- 
een years  of  age  he  entered  the  office  of 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Noble  &  Corboy,  of  Winchester,  Ohio,  and 
commenced  the  study  of  medicine.  When 
he  had  been  thus  occupied  for  about  a 
year  he  accompanied  Dr.  Noble  when  he 
he  was  called  to  attend  W.  W.  Young, 
who  was  at  the  head  of  the  civil  engine- 
ering work  on  the  Cincinnati  &  Eastern  Rail- 
road, and  had  had  a  sunstroke.  During  the 
two  or  more  weeks  of  Mr.  Young's  illness, 
Dr.  Williamson  became  well  acquainted 
with  him,  and  finally  was  persuaded  to  ac- 
cept a  place  on  the  civil  engineering  corps, 
as  he  had  not  sufficient  funds  to  enable  his 
continuance  in  the  course  of  study  he  had 
embarked  upon.  For  two  years  he  re- 
mained in  the  employ  of  the  railroad,  and, 
incidentally,  it  may  be  remarked,  that,  as 
he  possessed  a  large  pair  of  dental  forceps, 
he  extracted  about  two  hatfulls  of  teeth. 

In  1893  the  Doctor  matriculated  in  the 
Missouri  Medical  College,  of  St.  Louis,  and 
with  high  hopes  of  soon  reaching  the  goal 
he  had  so  long  had  in  view,  he  finished  the 
first  year's  work.  But  here  new  trouble 
awaited  him — money  which  he  had  de- 
pended upon  and  had  placed  in  the  hands 
of  friends  was  not  forthcoming  when  he 
needed  it,  but  he  wasted  no  time  in  re- 
pining. Going  to  the  trustees  of  Bellefoun- 
tain  cemetery,  he  obtained  the  work  of 
drafting  a  survey  of  the  grounds,  and  when 
he  had  finished  the  task  received  three  hun- 
dred dollars. 

On  the  5th  of  August,  1884,  Dr.  Wil- 
liamson married  Mary  Moffatt,  a  native  of 
Clinton  county,  'Illinois,  and  daughter  of 
Joseph  W.  Moffatt,  a  farmer  of  that  sec- 
tion. The  young  couple  located  in  Union, 
Indiana,  where  the  Doctor  opened  an  office 
and  .began  practicing.  He  had  made  a 
gratifying  start  in  his  professional  career 
when  a  new  stroke  of  misfortune  came  to 


him.  In  the  next  session  of  the  state  Leg- 
islature a  law  was  enacted  by  which  no  one 
was  entitled  to  practice  save  those  posses- 
sing a  diploma  from  a  recognized  medical 
college,  or  those  who  had,  at  the  time  of  the 
enactment  of  the  law,  been  engaged  in  prac- 
tice two  or  more  years.  Thus  our  subject  was 
excluded,  and  had  to  seek  other  means  of 
providing  his  wife  and  infant  child  with  a 
livelihood.  Returning  to  St.  Louis,  he  man- 
aged to  obtain  a  situation  as  keeper  of  the 
records  of  the  Bellefountain  cemetery,  and 
for  five  years  he  industriously  economized 
his  means  in  order  to  complete  his  medical 
education.  In  1891  he  resumed  his  long  in- 
terrupted studies  in  the  Missouri  Medical  Col- 
lege, and  had  the  honor  of  ranking  third  in 
the  large  class  which  was  graduated  in  that 
institution,  in  March,  1893.  Soon  after- 
wards he  came  to  Homer,  where  he  estab- 
lished himself  in  practice,  and  since  that 
time  he  has  steadily  advanced  in  the  esteem 
of  the  general  public  and  of  his  professional 
brethren.  He  takes  considerable  interest 
in  the  improvement  and  prosperity  of  the 
town  and  vicinity,  and  is  associated  with 
Homer  Lodge,  No.  199,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and 
Homer  Camp,  No.  311,  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America.  In  his  political  faith  he  is  a 
Democrat. 

The  marriage  of  the  Doctor  and  his  es- 
timable wife  was  blessed  with  a  son  and 
daughter:  Paul,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eight 
years,  and  Mary,  who  is  attending  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  Homer. 


THE  TWIN  CITY  ICE  &  COLD  STOR- 
AGE CO.  of  Champaign   is  one  of  the 
most  progressive  and  enterprising  business 
firms  of  that  city.      This  company  was  in- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


3'9 


corporated  in  April,  1894,  and  is  among  the 
pioneers  in  the  manufacture  of  ice  and  the 
cold  storage  business  in  the  state.  J.  \V. 
Wetrnore  is  the  president  and  G.  B.  Storer, 
secretary  and  manager.  Their  capital 
stock  has  been  twice  increased  and  is  now 
$5,000.00.  The  cold  storage  part  of  their 
business  was  started  in  a  very  small  way 
and  the  capacity  of  their  plant  has  been  in- 
creased from  time  to  time  as  it  became  nec- 
essary, so  that  now  they  can  carry  about 
two  hundred  cars  of  perishable  products. 

In  1899  they  erected  a  five-story  brick 
building  for  cold  storage  exclusively,  and  it 
is  a  model  of  its  kind.  Their  system  of  re- 
frigeration and  ventilation  is  under  com- 
plete control.  They  have  their  own  electric 
light  plant  as  well  as  a  complete  system  of 
telephone  connection  throughout  their 
buildings.  All  the  machinery  is  in  dupli- 
cate, so  that  in  case  of  an  accident  to  one 
machine  the  other  may  be  used  in  its  place. 

This  company  was  selected  by  the 
United  States  Commission  of  the  Paris  Ex- 
position to  store  the  fruit  from  the  state  of 
Illinois,  which  will  be  on  exhibition  in 
Paris  this  summer.  Both  Mr.  Wetmore 
and  Mr.  Storer  were  born  and  reared  in 
northern  Ohio,  Mr.  Wetmore  having  been 
educated  at  Adelbert  College,  Cleveland, 
and  Mr.  Storer  at  Oberlin.  They  are  en- 
terprising young  business  men,  and  it  is 
only  by  strict  attention  to  their  business 
that  they  enjoy  the  degree  of  success  which 
has  come  to  them. 


/->EORGE  KARCHER.  The  Karcher 
V_J  family  is  numbered  among  the  sterling 
pioneer  settlers  of  Illinois,  and,  possessing 
the  best  characteristics  of  their  hardy,  in- 


dustrious ancestors,  they  not  only  made  a 
financial  success  of  their  endeavors  to  make 
a  competence  in  a  strange  land,  but  at  the 
same  time  proved  themselves  to  be  honor- 
able, patriotic  citizens  of  the  land  of  their 
adoption. 

The  'parents  of  George  Karcher,  a 
prominent  retired  farmer  of  Champaign 
county,  now  residing  in  Tolono,  were  na- 
tives of  Alsace,  France,  their  birthplace 
being  near  the  celebrated  city  of  Strasburg. 
The  father,  John  Karcher,  was  born  in 
1812,  and  the  mother,  whose  maiden  name 
was  Salome  Stoskopf,  was  born  in  1821. 
After  their  marriage  they  decided  to  cast  in 
their  fortunes  with  the  United  States,  and 
accordingly  came  to  Illinois,  where  they 
purchased  land  in  Stephenson  county  in 
1841,  and  proceeded  to  cultivate  the 
property,  for  they  were  farmers,  coming  of 
a  race  of  the  peaceful,  independent  tillers 
of  the  soil.  Energy  and  concentration  of 
purpose,  economy  and  diligence,  pursued 
through  a  long  period,  resulted  in  their  be- 
coming wealthy,  for  that  day,  and,  in  addi- 
tion to  owning  fine  farms  and  real  estate, 
they  had  an  enviable  bank  account.  The 
father  early  espoused  the  principles  of  the 
Republican  party,  and  thoroughly  believed 
in  its  superiority.  He  was  one  of  the  lead- 
ing and  highly  respected  citizens  of  Ridott 
township  for  many  years  prior  to  his  death, 
and  was  looked  up  to  for  advice  and  assist- 
ance by  his  neighbors  and  friends.  Three 
of  his  eight  children  died  when  young,  and 
those  living  are  John  W. ,  retired,  and  mak- 
ing his  home  in  Freeport;  George;  Sarah, 
who  resides  with  her  mother  in  Freeport; 
Louis,  a  well  known  Chicago  attorney;  and 
Henry,  who  is  engaged  in  the  live  stock 
business  in  Pierre,  South  Dakota. 

George  Karcher  was  born  on  his  father's 


320 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


homestead  in  Ridott  township,  Stephenson 
county,  July  II,  1845.  In  his  boyhood  he 
acquired  a  practical  education  in  the  dis- 
trict schools,  and  on  the  farm  he  mastered 
agriculture.  After  reaching  his  majority  he 
went  to  Logan  county,  where  he  cultivated 
rented  land  for  some  time,  and  succeeded 
in  making  a  good  start  on  the  road  to  pros- 
perity. In  1870  he  came  to  this  county 
and  bought  a  quarter-section  of  prairie  land 
in  Tolono  township.  Here  he  instituted 
substantial  improvements  and  greatly  in- 
creased the  value  of  the  farm  in  various 
ways  until  to-day  it  is  considered  one  of  the 
best  in  this  section  of  the  county.  As  he 
could  afford  it,  he  purchased  other  land, 
until  he  now  owns  four  hundred  acres,  sit- 
uated on  sections  21,  27  and  28.  After 
years  of  active  and  indefatigable  work,  he 
determined  to  retire,  as  he  had  amassed  an 
ample  competence,  and  since  1888  he  has 
dwelt  in  a  pleasant  home  in  the.  village  of 
Tolono.  He  leases  his  farms  and  has  the 
income  from  a  store  in  Freeport  and  four 
cottages  in  Tolono,  all  of  which  he  owns. 

March  n,  1869,  was  the  date  of  the 
marriage  of  George  Karcher  and  Jane  Stew- 
art, who  was  born  in  Dumbartonshire, 
Scotland,  February  14,  1850,  a  daughter  of 
Charles  and  Mary  (Griffin)  Stewart,  natives 
of  the  land  of  heather.  They  came  to  Illi- 
nois in  1858,  settling  on  a  farm  in  Pike 
county,  and  later  removed  to  Logan  county. 
Thence  they  went  to  Council  Grove,  Kan- 
sas, where  the  father  engaged  in  preaching 
until  shortly  before  his  death.  Three  of 
his  six  children  died  in  infancy;  James  re- 
sides in  Texas,  and  Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of 
M.  Barber,  of  Decatur,  Illinois.  One  son 
and  two  daughters  bless  the  union  of  our 
subject  and  wife.  Salome,  born  in  Logan 
county,  in  1869,  is  the  wife  of  F.  W.  Busey, 


of  Champaign,  and  they  have  one  son,  Earl. 
William  H.,  born  in  this  county  in  1871, 
and  now  employed  as  clerk  in  a  store  in 
Champaign,  is  married  and  has  one  child, 
Eunice.  Jemima,  born  December  7^  1872, 
married  Edward  Buckles,  of  Tolono,  April 
1 6,  1900. 

Mr.  Karcher  has  steadfastly  adhered  to 
a  determination  which  he  formed  early  in 
his  career — that  he  would  not  officiate  in 
public  positions  or  accept  political  prefer- 
ment. He  is  a  loyal  Republican  and  active 
in  every  enterprise  calculated  to  benefit  this 
community  or  the  country  at  large.  For 
years  he  was  a  teacher  in  the  Sunday- 
school  of  the  Tolono  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  and  his  family  are  zealous  workers 
in  the  congregation. 


AB.  GLASCOCK,  a  prominent  and  in- 
fluential citizen  of  St.  Joseph,  Illinois, 
now  serving  as  supervisor  of  his  township, 
is  a  worthy  representative  of  an  honored 
pioneer  family  of  Champaign  county.  His 
father,  Mahlon  Glascock,  was  born  in  Fau- 
quier  county,  Virginia,  December  28,  1815, 
and  was  of  Scotch  descent.  His  ancestors 
were  among  the  early  Virginian  colonists. 
Moses  and  Rebecca  (Bishop)  Glascock,  the 
paternal  grandparents  of  our  subject  were 
both  natives  of  the  Old  Dominion,  and  were 
among  the  first  settlers  of  Ross  county, 
Ohio,  but  after  about  one  year's  residence 
there  the  grandfather  died  aged  fifty-nine 
years.  His  wife  survived  him  many  years, 
dying  in  1875.  She  possessed  one  of  those 
resolute,  determined  characters  which  the 
early  pioneer  days  developed.  Some  time 
after  the  removal  of  the  family  to  Ohio, 
she  returned  to  Virginia  alone  on  horseback 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


32  r 


to  attend  to  the  settlement  of  her  father's 
estate.  Her  horse  died  on  the  way,  but  she 
procured  another  and  proceeded  on  her 
journey  and  accomplished  her  object. 

Mahlon  Glascock  grew  to  manhood  in 
Ohio,  and  in  Ross  county  was  married,  in 
1845,  to  Miss  Hester  A.  Jester,  who  was 
born  in  Delaware,  in  1826,  and  died  in 
Champaign  county,  Illinois,  July  20,  1858. 
By  this  union  were  born  five  sons,  of  whom 
our  subject  is  the  oldest;  Albert  E.  was  a 
soldier  of  the  Civil  war  and  died  in  1865; 
Aquilla,  also  one  of  the  boys  in  blue  during 
the  Rebellion,  is  now  engaged  in  the  imple- 
ment business  in  Champaign;  William  died 
in  1876;  and  Hanson,  born  in  March,  1855, 
died  in  July,  1859.  In  1860  the  father  mar- 
ried Miss  Mary  Gill,  who  died  in  the  year 
1862,  and  he  was  again  married  in  1865,  his 
third  union  being  with  Mrs.  Mary  Rankin, 
nee  Strong,  widow  of  S.  S.  Rankin.  By 
this  marriage  he  had  four  children:  Grant, 
who  married  Alta  Swearingen,  and  resides 
on  a  portion  of  his  father's  estate;  Jesse  R. , 
who  married  Myrtle  Curry,  and  is  also  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  pursuits  on  a  part  of 
the  home  farm;  Lida,  who  married  Allen 
Hasty  and  resides  on  the  old  homestead; 
and  Alta,  wife  of  John  V.  Swearingen,  a 
druggist  and  undertaker  of  St.  Joseph,  this 
county. 

In  1850  the  father  removed  with  his 
family  from  Ross  to  Fayette  county,  Ohio, 
where  he  remained  until  1854.  In  1844  he 
first  came  west,  walking  to  Cincinnati,  a 
distance  of  seventy  miles  from  his  home, 
and  there  took  a  boat  and  proceeded  down 
the  Ohio  and  up  the  Mississippi  rivers  to 
Burlington,  Iowa,  whence  he  crossed  the 
country  to  Mt.  Pleasant,  that  state,  with  the 
view  of  selecting  a  location.  He  was  well 
pleased  with  that  region  and  decided  to 


move  west  as  soon  as  he  could  arrange  his 
affairs  satisfactorily,  but  did  not  find  that 
opportunity  until  ten  years  later.  In  the 
fall  of  1854  he  disposed  of  his  Ohio  prop- 
erty, which  had  became  quite  valuable,  and 
with  about  five  or  six  thousand  dollars  he 
started  west  intending  to  go  to  Iowa,  but  on 
reaching  Champaign  county,  Illinois,  he 
was  so  favorably  impressed  with  this  sec- 
tion that  he  concluded  to  go  no  further,  and 
bought  five  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land, 
principally  on  sections  24  and  25,  St.  Joseph 
township,  which  was  his  home  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life.  He  immediately  com-  , 
menced  the  cultivation  and  improvement  of 
the  place,  and  soon  converted  it  into  one  of 
the  finest  farms  of  the  locality.  He  car- 
ried on  the  farm  quite  successfully  up  to 
within  about  ten  years  of  his  death,  when 
our  subject  took  charge  of  it,  operating  it 
until  1895,  when  the  estate  was  divided  and 
is  still  in  possession  of  his  children.  In< 
early  days  when  there  was  plenty  of  range, 
the  father  was  quite  extensively  engaged  in 
stock  raising,  but  later  in  life  devoted  his  at- 
tention principally  to  the  raising  of  grain. 
He  was  an  ardent  admirer  of  Henry  Clay 
and  a  stanch  supporter  of  the  Whig  party 
until  its  dissolution,  when  he  became  a  Re- 
publican. He  cast  his  first  presidential  vote 
for  General  Harrison,  and  attended  the  cel- 
ebrated rally  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  in  1840, 
during  the  log  cabin  and  hard  cider  cam- 
paign, going  from  Bainbridge  to  Chillicothe 
by  wagon  and  thence  by  canal  boat  to  Co- 
lumbus. His  love  for  the  old  flag  was  deep 
and  sincere,  and  he  was  a  most  loyal  and 
patriotic  citizen.  He  took  quite  an  active 
and  prominent  part  in  local  affairs,  and  in 
1860  he  was  elected  to  succeed  Samuel 
Rankin,  the  first  supervisor  elected  after  the 
organization  of  St.  Joseph  township,  and  so. 


322 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


creditably  did  he  fill  that  office  that  he  was 
re-elected,  serving  four  consecutive  terms. 
From  his  youth  he  was  an  earnest  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  took 
special  interest  in  Sunday  school  work. 
During  the  Civil  war  he  contributed  liber- 
ally toward  the  support  of  war  measures  and 
the  families  of  those  at  the  front.  In  pri- 
vate life  he  was  charitable  and  generous  to 
those  whom  he  considered  deserving,  and 
took  especial  satisfaction  in  assisting  worthy 
people  to  procure  homes  for  themselves. 
He  died  at  his  home  in  St.  Joseph  town- 
ship, March  21,  1892,  honored  and  re- 
spected by  all  who  knew  him. 

A.  B.  Glascock,  whose  name  introduces 
this  sketch,  was  born  in  Ross  county,  Ohio, 
and  was  but  a  child  when  the  family  came 
to  this  county,  traveling  by  wagon.  His 
boyhood  and  youth  were  passed  upon  his 
father's  farm  in  St.  Joseph  township,  and 
his  education  was  acquired  in  the  district 
schools  of  the  locality.  On  the  3Oth  of  Sep- 
tember, 1 86 1,  although  only  sixteen  years 
of  age,  he  entered  the  Union  army  for  service 
in  the  Civil  war,  as  a  member  of  Company 
E,  Fifty-first  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry, 
and  went  to  Camp  Douglas,  Chicago,  De- 
cember 24,  and  was  mustered  in.  The  regi- 
ment was  ordered  to  Cairo,  February  14, 
1862,  and  on  the  2/th  of  that  month  crossed 
the  river  to  Camp  Cullom.  On  the  4th  of 
March  they  went  to  Bertram,  Missouri,  and 
from  there  to  Sykestown  and  New  Madrid. 
They  were  in  the  engagement  at  Island  No. 
10,  April  17;  on  the  8th  pursued  General 
Michael  and  captured  four  thousand  prison- 
ers; on  the  9th  returned  to  New  Madrid,  and 
on  the  nth  embarked  and  proceeded  down 
the  Mississippi  river  to  Osceola,  Arkansas, 
disembarking  at  Hamburg  Landing  on  the 
1 7th.  They  participated  in  the  battles  of 


Farmington  and  the  siege  of  Corinth.  On 
the  4th  of  June  they  advanced  to  a  point 
near  Baldwin,  Miss.,  but  fell  back  to  Boon- 
ville  on  the  iith  and  encamped  at  Corinth, 
June  14.  On  July  20  they  left  Big  Spring 
and  marched  to  Tuscumbia,  Alabama.  The 
regiment  was  assigned  to  guard  the  railroad 
from  Hillsboro  to  Decatur,  and  on  the  24th 
of  August  concentrated  at  the  latter  place, 
and  September  4  crossed  the  Tennessee  river 
and  moved  by  way  of  Athens,  Alabama,  to 
Nashville.  November  6  they  engaged  in  re- 
pelling the  attack  of  Breckenridge,  Morgan 
and  Forrest.  From  September  1 1  to  No- 
vember 6  Nashville  was  cut  off  from  com- 
munication with  the  north  and  the  troops 
were  on  half  rations;  December  26  they 
moved  against  the  enemy  under  General 
Bragg,  and  December  30  were  in  an  engage- 
ment. December  31  the  Fifty-first  was  in 
the  thickest  of  the  battle  of  Stone  River  and 
lost  fifty-seven  men;  January  6,  1863,  they 
moved  three  miles  south  of  Murfreesboro 
and  encamped.  On  the  4th  of  March  they 
proceeded  to  Eagleville;  on  the  8th  to  Spring 
Hill;  on  the  loth  reached  Duck  river;  and 
on  the  i  ith  crossed  that  stream  on  pontoons. 
June  24th  they  moved  down  Shelbyville 
Pike;  on  the  27th  they  marched  to  Beach's 
Grove;  July  I  entered  Tullahoma;  then  pur- 
sued the  enemy  to  Elk  river,  Winchester 
and  Cowan,  where  they  remained  until  the 
9th.  Ascending  the  mountains,  they  en- 
camped on  the  summit,  now  the  site  of  the 
Southern  University.  They  took  part  in  the 
battle  of  Chickamauga,  September  19,  where 
he  received  a  wound  and  was  separated  from 
his  regiment.  They  were  also  in  the  battle 
of  Missionary  Ridge,  November  24;  and  on 
the  28th  of  November  went  to  the  relief  of 
Burnside  at  Knoxville.  They  veteranized 
February  10,  1864,  and  on  the  I7th  were 


THE  BIOGRAHPICAL    RECORD. 


323 


granted  a  veteran  furlough.  Returning  to 
the  front,  they  entered  upon  the  Atlanta 
campaign,  May  3;  took  part  in  the  engage- 
ment at  Rocky  Face  Ridge,  on  the  9th; 
Resaca  on  the  Hth;  the  eleven  days  engage- 
ment at  Dallas;  and  the  battles  of  Kenesaw 
Mountain,  June  27,  and  Peach  Tree  Creek, 
July  20.  They  were  in  the  siege  of  Atlanta, 
and  the  skirmishes  at  Jonesboro  and  Love- 
joy;  the  engagements  at  Spring  Hill  and 
Franklin;  the  battle  of  Nashville,  December 
15  and  16;  and  then  pursued  the  enemy  to 
Huntsville,  Alabama.  Later  they  went  to 
Texas,  and  at  Camp  Irwin,  that  state,  were 
mustered  out  September  25,  1865.  On  the 
1 5th  of  October,  1865,  they  arrived  at  Camp 
Butler,  Illinois,  where  they  were  finally  paid 
off  and  discharged,  after  over  four  years  of 
arduousand  faithful  service  on  southern  battle 
fields.  Mr.  Glascock  received  two  severe 
wounds  which  incapacitated  him  for  active 
duty  for  some  time,  but  he  remained  in  the 
service  until  January  16,  1865. 

Returning  home,  he  has  since  been  act- 
ively engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits.  He 
lived  with  his  father  and  carried  on  the 
home  farm  until  the  settlement  of  the  es- 
tate, but  for  the  past  four  years  has  resided 
in  the  village  of  St.  Joseph  and  rents  his 
farm.  He  is  one  of  the  most  enterprising 
and  progressive  men  of  the  county,  and  his 
practical  knowledge  and  good  business 
judgment  are  appreciated  by  his  associates. 
In  1895  he  was  elected  supervisor,  and  has 
most  ably  and  satisfactorily  represented  his 
township  on  the  county  board  for  three  con- 
secutive terms.  During  the  erection  of  the 
new  court  house  he  was  a  member  of  the 
committee  on  grounds  and  buildings.  Pub- 
lic-spirited and  progressive,  he  is  always  in- 
terested in  any  worthy  enterprise  for  the 
improvement  or  benefit  of  the  community. 


He  is  charitable  and  benevolent  almost  to  a 
fault,  no  worthy  person  or  deserving  cause 
ever  seeking  his  assistance  in  vain;  and  in 
his  office  of  supervisor  the  deserving  appli- 
cants for  public  assistance  have  become 
well  acquainted  with  this  trait  in  his  char- 
acter. A  man  of  pronounced  character,  he 
has  his  likes  and  dislikes,  and  has  the  cour- 
age of  his  convictions.  Politically  he  is  a 
zealous  advocate  and  supporter  of  the  Re- 
publican party  and  its  principles;  and  relig- 
iously, although  not  a  member  of  any  or- 
ganization, his  sympathy  is  with  the  church 
of  his  parents — the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church — to  which  he  contributes  liberally, 
and  was  one  of  the  foremost  in  building  the 
new  church  of  that  denomination  in  St. 
Joseph.  He  is  a  Mason,  a  member  of  Og- 
den  Lodge,  No.  754,  F.  &  A.  M.;  Homer 
Chapter,  R.  A.  M. ;  Urbana  Commandery, 
K.  T. ;  and  Mohammed  Temple,  A.  A.  O. 
N.  M.  S. ,  of  Peoria.  He  is  also  an  hon- 
ored member  of  St.  Joseph  Post,  No.  220, 
G.  A.  R. 


WILLIAM  W.  MUDGE.  This  well 
known  citizen  of  Homer  needs  no  in- 
troduction to  the  inhabitants  of  this  locality 
and  to  the  residents  of  Champaign  county 
in  general.  By  years  of  straightforward 
dealing  and  correct  business  methods  he  has 
won  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  every  one 
in  commercial  circles,  and  his  popularity  in 
social  and  local  circles  is  unquestioned. 

Coming  from  fine  old  New  England  an- 
cestry, Mr.  Mudge  possesses  the  sterling 
traits  of  character  and  the  keen  business 
ability  for  which  the  people  of  that  section 
are  celebrated.  He  is  a  son  of  J.  T.  and 
Mary  E.  (Gilman)  Mudge,  the  former  a 
native  of  Connecticut,  and  the  latter  of 


324 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


New  Hampshire.  The  father  was  a  teacher 
in  Connecticut  for  some  years,  and  was 
married  in  Defiance,  Ohio,  where  he  dwelt 
for  a  number  of  years.  In  1838  he  became 
a  pioneer  of  Carroll  county,  Indiana,  there 
engaging  in  merchandising  until  1869,  when 
he  located  in  Homer,  and  continued  to 
make  his  home  here  until  his  death,  in  1885. 
His  widow  departed  this  life  in  March,  1887, 
and  of  their  four  children  only  two  survive, 
W.  W.  and  E.  T. ,  who  is  a  druggist  of  this 
place. 

The  nativity  of  W.  W.  Mudge  occurred 
in  Carroll  county,  Indiana,  November  n, 
1848.  His  common  school  education  was 
supplemented  by  a  course  in  the  Humiston 
University,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  after 
his  return  home  he  became  a  clerk  in  the 
general  store  of  Robertson  &  Fairchild,  in 
Pittsburg,  Indiana,  remaining  with  them  six 
years.  His  next  position  was  with  C.  T. 
Hasbrook,  a  dry  goods  merchant  of  Cleve- 
land, with  whom  he  continued  for  a  year, 
then  coming  to  Homer.  Here  the  young 
man  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  for  a 
couple  of  years,  after  which  he  was  in  part- 
nership with  his  brother,  E.  T. ,  in  the  drug 
business,  until  1880.  That  year  witnessed  his 
embarkation  in  another  venture,  the  hard- 
ware business,  in  connection  with  which  he 
carried  a  full  line  of  implements,  farm 
machinery,  buggies  and  wagons.  For  twelve 
years  he  prospered  in  this  enterpise,  but  on 
the  1 9th  of  March,  1892,  his  place  of  busi- 
ness was  destroyed  by  fire,  and  the  small 
amount  of  stock  saved  was  sold  by  him  to 
Conkey  Brothers. 

As  early  as  1877,  W.  W.  Mudge  com- 
menced his  dealings  in  grain,  but  other  busi- 
ness interests  occupied  his  chief  attention 
until  1884,  when,  in  partnership  with  Mil- 
mine,  Bodman  &  Company,  of  Chicago,  he 


became  extensively  concerned  in  the  buying 
and  sale  of  cereals.  They  have  three  head- 
quarters in  this  county,  one  at  Ogden, 
another  at  Broadlands,  and  the  third  at 
Homer.  Here  the  immense  corn-cribs 
owned  by  the  company  have  a  capacity  of 
three  hundred  and  eighty-five  thousand, 
six  hundred  bushels,  while  those  at  Ogden 
hold  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  bushels 
of  corn. 

In  everything  pertaining  toi  the  good  of 
his  community,  Mr.  Mudge  has  always  taken 
a  vital  interest.  In  1888  the  County  Fair 
Association  was  organized,  and  he  was 
made  its  president,  as  he  was  correctly 
judged  to  be  the  most  energetic  and  best 
qualified  man  for  that  important  office  that 
could  be  found.  The  splendid  succegs  which 
he  made  of  the  fair  is  a  matter  of  history  and 
needs  no  comment  aside  from  the  high 
praise  which  he  receives  upon  every  hand. 
Suffice  it  to  say  here,  that  he  spared  himself 
no  effort  and  worked  indefatigably,  expend- 
ing as  much  care  upon  it  as  though  it  had  been 
a  personal  enterprise.  With  the  exception 
of  some  four  years,  when  he  declined  to 
serve,  save  as  a  director,  he  has  been  at  the 
head  of  the  association  since  its  inception. 
He  also  has  been  largely  responsible  for  the 
success  of  the  Homer  Building  &  Loan  As-, 
sociation,  of  which  he  was  the  president  for 
seven  years. 

Another  enterprise  which  may  be  at- 
tributed to  Mr.  Mudge  is  that  of  the  Masonic 
building.  In  order  to  induce  the  local  lodge 
to  build  this  structure,  which  was  obviously 
needed  by  them,  he  guaranteed  the  rent  of 
it  and  by  his  own  persistence  succeeded  in 
convincing  the  more  conservative  members. 
The  lower  floor  is  occupied  by  the  hardware 
store  of  Conkey  Brothers,  the  Citizens' 
Bank  and  two  offices,  while  above  are  the 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


lodge-room,  forty-six  by  forty-eight  feet  in 
dimensions,  together  with  a  preparation 
room,  ante-room,  property  room,  smoking 
room,  banquet  hall  and  kitchen  and  pantry. 
Mr.  Mudge  is  highly  esteemed  in  Masonic 
circles,  being  affiliated  with  Homer  Lodge, 
No.  199,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Homer  Chapter,  No. 
194,  R.  A.  M.;  Homer  Council,  of  Homer; 
Athelstan  Commandery,  No.  45,  K.  T.,  of 
Danville;  and  Medinah  Shrine,  of  Chicago. 
He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  has 
taken  an  active  part  in  the  deliberations 
of  his  party  in  county  and  state  conventions 
for  many  years.  Though  he  has  not  been 
desirous  of  holding  public  office,  he  has 
been  president  of  the  village  council,  and  a 
member  of  the  school  board  for  years,  at 
present  being  president  of  the  last-named 
organization. 

On  the  2/th  of  May,  1875,  Mr.  Mudge 
married  Miss  Miranda  Head,  a  native  of  Eu- 
gene, Indiana,  and  daughter  of  Francis  and 
Emeline  (Lucas)  Head,  hsr  father  being  the 
proprietor  of  a  woolen  factory.  Mrs.  Mudge 
is  next  to  the  youngest  of  eight  children,  and 
by  her  marriage  she  is  the  mother  of  a  son 
and  a  daughter,  namely:  Gertrude  E.,  a 
student  in  the  Homer  high  school,  and  Will- 
iam F.,  who  also  is  attending  the  town 
schools.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mudge  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  are 
liberal  contributors  to  religious  and  benevo- 
lent work. 


WILLIAM  H.  MORGAN.  With  per- 
haps one  exception,  this  sterling  citi- 
zen of  Tolono  has  been  longer  engaged  in 
business  here  than  any  one,  and  has  con- 
tributed materially  to  the  prosperity  of  the 
town,  in  whose  progress  he  has  been  vitally 
interested  for  more  than  three  decades.  The 

17 


character  of  a  town  or  community  is  largely 
determined  by  the  standing  of  its  business 
men,  and  in  this  respect  Tolono  has  reason 
to  be  grateful,  as  long  as  such  citizens  as  the 
subject  of  this  article  are  at  the  head  of  her 
enterprises. 

He  comes  of  some  of  the  best  families 
of  Kentucky,  his  father  having  been  the 
Hon.  Woodson  Morgan,  who  was  born  in 
Nicholas  county,  that  state,  in  1804,  and 
his  mother  having  been  Elizabeth  (Bruce) 
Morgan,  also  of  the  Blue  Grass  state.  The 
father  devoted  his  life  to  the  management  of 
his  farms,  in  addition  to  which  he  dealt  in 
live  stock  to  some  extent  for  several  years. 
In  his  own  community  he  was  held  in  high 
esteem,  looked  up  to  and  consulted  in  im- 
portant matters.  Prominent  in  the  affairs 
of  the  Democratic  party,  he  was  elected  to 
the  Legislature  of  his  state,  where  he  served 
for  two  years.  In  the  spring  of  1858  he  re- 
moved with  his  family  to  Champaign  county, 
and  began  the  cultivation  of  a  farm  in  Crit- 
tenden  township.  The  township  had  not 
yet  been  organized,  and  he  it  was  who  sug- 
gested the  name.  In  1882  he  retired  to- 
spend  the  remainder  of  his  days  in  quiet  and 
rest  from  labor,  his  home  being  in  Tolono. 
He  passed  to  his  reward  in  1885,  mourned 
by  a  large  circle  of  friends.  His  first  wife 
had  died  in  1853,  and  he  afterwards  married 
again. 

William  H.  Morgan,  who  was  born  irr 
Fleming  county,  Kentucky,  December  28,. 
1835,  is  the  eldest  of  his  father's  family. 
John,  who  is  retired  from  business,  is  a  resi- 
dent of  Lexington,  Kentucky.  Ellen,  wife  of 
Dr.  ].  F.  Fleming,  lives  in  Fleming  county, 
Kentucky.  George  B.,  whose  home  was  in 
Bradford,  Pennsylvania,  died  in  1896,  in 
Texas,  whither  he  had  gone  on  business. 
James  M.,  who  was  a  farmer  of  Adams- 


326 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


county,  Illinois,  is  deceased.  Anna,  wife  of 
A.  Denman,  of  Leadville,  Colorado.  Mon- 
roe is  a  prosperous  farmer  of  Kansas. 

In  the  common  schools  of  his  native 
county,  William  H.  Morgan  received  a 
liberal  education.  He  became  proficient  in 
agriculture  on  the  parental  farm,  and  after 
reaching  his  majority  settled  upon  a  tract  of 
eighty  acres  in  Crittenden  township,  Cham- 
paign county,  which  place  he  owned  and  im- 
proved. He  also  engaged  in  buying  and 
selling  live  stock  and  grain,  and  of  late  years 
has  been  the  only  shipper  of  stock  from  this 
point.  He  controls  the  major  portion  of 
the  local  grain  trade,  as  well,  and  though  he 
has  met  with  some  serious  reverses — rever- 
ses which  would  have  completely  discour- 
aged many  a  man — he  has  steadily  per- 
severed, and  has  wrested  success  from  what 
•was  well-nigh  defeat,  at  times.  Thrice  his 
:grain  elevators  have  been  destroyed  by  fire, 
and  the  one  he  now  manages  stands  on  the 
site  of  two  others  which  were  burned  to  the 
ground.  He  has  not  been  an  aspirant  to 
public  office,  though  he  has  held  a  few  local 
positions  which  his  neighbors  urged  him  to 
accept,  and  faithfully  performed  the  duties 
thus  devolving  upon  him. 

In  1 869  Mr.  Morgan  married  Lucy  Lowry, 
likewise  a  native  of  Kentucky.  They  have 
one  child,  a  daughter,  Florence  W.,  who 
married  M.  R.  Sturtevant,  a  successful 
attorney  of  Elmwood,  Illinois.  Thus  our 
subject  and  wife  are  left  alone  in  their  pleas- 
ant home,  but  they  have  a  host  of  sincere 
friends  and  acquaintances,  both  here  and 
elsewhere. 


ARTHUR  R.   STEWART,   a  most   pro- 
gressive and  successful   agriculturist,  is 
the  owner  of   a   fine   farm   of  one  hundred 


and  ninety  acres  of  land  on  section  31, 
Somer  township,  Champaign  county,  Illi- 
nois. His  methods  of  farm  management 
show  scientific  knowledge  combined  with 
sound,  practical  judgment,  and  the  results 
show  that  "high  class"  farming  as  an  oc- 
cupation can  be  made  profitable  as  well  as 
pleasant. 

Mr.  Stewart  was  born  in  Ross  county, 
Ohio,  July  25,  1855,  and  is  of  Scotch  de- 
scent. His  father,  S.  G.  Stewart,  was  born 
in  New  York  state,  in  1816,  and  in  early 
life  removed  with  his  parents  to  Ohio, where 
he  was  reared  upon  a  farm,  obtaining  a 
limited  education  in  the  country  schools 
near  his  home.  The  grandfather  of  our 
subject  and  his  sons  all  espoused  the  pro- 
slavery  principles  in  politics  and  became 
connected  with  the  "underground  rail- 
road" prior  to  the  Civil  war,  assisting  a 
colored  man,  who  had  escaped  from  thral- 
dom in  the  slave  state,  to  a  place  of  safety 
across  the  border  in  Canada.  In  1856 
three  of  the  sons,  S.  G.,  J.  P.  and  H.  C. , 
came  to  Illinois,  and  located  on  adjoining 
farms  in  Champaign  county.  They  were 
accompanied  by  their  father,  who  died  in 
this  state  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years.  S. 
G.  Stewart,  the  father  of  our  subject,  oper- 
ated his  farm  for  many  years.  For  some 
time  he  spent  the  winter  months  in  Cham- 
paign and  the  summer  season  upon  the 
farm,  but  finally  located  permanently  in  the 
city,  where  he  died  in  1888,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-two  years.  Politically  he  was  a 
strong  Republican  and  opposed  to  the  liquor 
traffic.  For  many  years  he  served  as  school 
director  in  his  district  and  did  all  in  his 
power  to  advance  the  cause  of  education. 
In  religious  belief  he  was  a  Congregational- 
ist.  taking  an  active  part  in  all  church  work, 
and  serving  as  deacon  for  many  years. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


At  the  age  of  twenty-three  years  S.  G. 
Stewart  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Jane  Evans,  a  native  of  Highland  county, 
Ohio,  who  died  in  1867,  at  the  age  of 
forty-seven  years.  She,  too,  was  a  con- 
sistent member  of  the  Congregational 
church,  and  a  most  estimable  lady.  Some 
years  after  her  death  he  married  Miss  Mar- 
garet Cloyd,  also  a  member  of  the  Congre- 
gational church.  She  died  in  November, 
1875.  By  the  first  union  there  were  ten 
children  who  grew  to  man  and  womanhood: 
(i)  Esther  is  now  the  wife  of  T.  Hunt,  of 
Chicago.  (2)  William  was  one  of  the  brave 
boys  who  was  called  upon  to  sacrifice  his 
life  on  the  altar  of  his  country  during  the 
Civil  war.  He  enlisted  in  Company  I, 
Twenty-sixth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry, 
and  was  in  a  few  skirmishes  but  no  hard 
fought  battles.  After  serving  over  a  year, 
he  was  taken  ill  and  sent  to  a  hospital  in 
Memphis,  Tennessee,  where  he  died  at  the 
age  of  twenty-two  years.  (3)  Martha,  de- 
ceased, was  the  wife  of  S.  I.  Burrill,  now 
a  resident  of  the  state  of  Washington.  (4) 
Lida  married  Frank  Fillmore  and  moved  to 
Monticello,  Minnesota,  where  both  died. 

(5)  A.  J.  is  keeping  house   for  our  subject 
on  the  old  homestead   in  Somer   township. 

(6)  Maggie  died  at   the   age   of  twenty-two 
years.     (7)  Robert    wedded    Mary   Burrill, 
and  is  engaged  in  farming   in   Oregon.      (8) 
Emma  is  the  wife  of  George  H.  Lyman,   of 
Fort  Smith,  Arkansas.     (9)  Arthur  R. ,  our 
subject,    is   next    in    order    of    birth.      (10) 
Walter  X.   married  Carrie    Burrill,  and  fol- 
lows farming  in  Shelby  county,  Nebraska. 

After  attending  the  public  schools  of  his 
county  for  some  years  Arthur  R.  Stewart 
entered  the  State  University,  where  he 
pursued  his  studies  for  two  years.  On  the 
completion  of  his  education  he  turned  his 


attention  to  agricultural  pursuits,  and  has 
since  carried  on  general  farming  and  stock 
raising  with  marked  success.  For  the  past 
few  years  he  has  made  a  specialty  of  fruit 
growing,  and  now  raises  large  quantities  of 
various  kinds  of  fruit  for  which  he  finds  a 
ready  market  in  the  twin  cities  of  Cham- 
paign and  Urbana.  He  also  gives  consid- 
erable attention  to  the  raising  of  poultry. 
He  heartily  endorses  the  principles  of  the 
Republican  party,  but  takes  no  active  part 
in  political  affairs  aside  from  voting, 'pre- 
ferring to  give  his  undivided  attention  to  his 
business  interests.  He  served  as  assessor, 
however,  for  one  term.  Fraternally,  he  is 
a  member  of  Twin  City  Tent,  No.  168,  K. 
O.  T.  M. ,  and  religiously  is  a  member  of  the 
Congregational  church,  to  which  the  family 
all  belong. 


FL.  &  C.  W.  DALE,  editors  and  pro- 
prietors of  the  St.  Joseph  Record,  are 
well  known  throughout  eastern  Illinois  and 
western  Indiana,  as  well  as  in  Champaign 
county,. and  it  is  almost  unnecessary  to  add 
that  their  reputation,  both  as  journalists 
and  as  business  men  and  public  spirited  citi- 
zens, is  of  the  best.  The  following  outline 
.of  their  careers  may  be  of  interest  to  many 
of  their  friends  here  and  elsewhere. 

Moses  Dale,  the  paternal  grandfather  of 
these  gentlemen,  was  one  of  the  earliest 
settlers  in  this  county,  coming  here,  as  he 
did,  in  1847.  His  former  home  was  in  the 
Buckeye  state,  but  from  1847  until  his 
death  he  was  thoroughly  identified  with  the 
development  of  this  region.  His  son, 
Thomas,  father  of  F.  L.  and  C.  W.  Dale, 
was  born  March  19,  1834,  in  Ohio,  and 
there  spent  thirteen  years  of  his  life.  Since 
then  he  has  been  associated  with  the  up- 


328 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


building  and  progress  of  Champaign  county, 
and  to-day  is  numbered  among  the  well-to- 
do  and  influential  agriculturists  of  Mahomet 
township.  Having  abundant  means  for  his 
declining  years,  he  has  practically  retired 
from  active  labors.  For  many  years  he  has 
been  an  official  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  and  always  has  liberally 
supported  religious  and  charitable  move- 
ments. His  estimable  wife,  who  shared  his 
pioneer  labors  and  was  a  devoted  helpmate, 
departed  this  life  in  1883.  She  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Mary  E.  Meade,  and  was  a 
daughter  of  John  and  Ann  Meade,  natives 
of  New  Jersey. 

F.  L.  and  C.  W.  Dale  obtained  their 
initial  experience  as  newspaper  publishers 
in  Hebron,  Indiana,  where  they  published 
the  Hebron  News  and  Kouts  (Indiana) 
Banner.  They  spent  their  early  boyhood 
days  amidst  the  healthful  surroundings  of 
country  life,  and  early  learned  lessons  of 
industry  and  integrity  which  have  been  the 
foundation  of  their  success.  For  the  past 
eleven  years  F.  L.  Dale  has  devoted  his 
whole  attention  to  his  present  line  of  busi- 
ness, working  in  various  capacities  in  towns 
of  Illinois,  Indiana,  Kansas  and  Missouri. 
Rising,  step  by  step,  to  more  important  po- 
sitions, he  served  as  foreman  and  manager 
of  several  newspapers,  thus  thoroughly 
equipping  himself  for  his  chosen  life-work. 
The  St.  Joseph  Record,  which  was  estab- 
lished by  J.  A.  Noble  in  1894,  was  turned 
over  to  the  Dale  Brothers  in  October,  1897, 
and  under  their  able  management  has  con- 
tinued to  prosper.  The  Record  is  a  six- 
column  paper,  devoted  to  the  progress  of 
the  county  and  this  immediate  locality.  In 
concise  manner  all  of  the  news  of  the  day 
and  of  matters  pertaining  to  this  vicinity  are 
given,  and  no  space  is  afforded  to  party  dis- 


cussions, as  the  paper  is  strictly  non-par- 
tisan. On  its  pages  appear  many  keen,, 
crisp  articles  and  editorials,  written  in  a 
distinctly  humorous  vein,  which  are  highly 
appreciated  by  the  public.  The  circulation 
is  increasing  in  a  gratifying  degree,  and 
there  is  every  indication  that  the  Record  has 
come  to  stay,  for  it  fills  a  void  hitherto  un- 
occupied. Conscientious  efforts  on  the  part 
of  the  proprietors  to  make  this  a  first-class 
local  journal  are  now  meeting  with  just  re- 
ward, and  it  is  safe  to  prophesy  a  brilliant 
future,  both  for  the  paper  and  for  the  young 
men  who  stand  at  the  head  of  the  enter- 
prise. 

The  Dale  brothers  are  widely  known  for 
their  musical  talent,  as  well  as  for  their 
journalistic  ability,  and  for  a  decade  they 
have  been  proficient  members  of  a  brass 
band.  C.  W.  Dale  has  acquired  special 
distinction  during  the  past  seven  years  as 
an  instructor  and  leader  of  bands,  and  is- 
considered  one  of  the  best  cornet  players  in 
this  section  of  the  state.  He  added  to  his 
already  bright  laurels  by  the  composition  of 
what  is  known  as  the  "Company  M,  Fourth 
Illinois,"  March  and  Two-step,  dedicated  to 
the  brave  soldier  boys  of  that  company, 
who  saw  service  in  Cuba,  and  upon  the  last 
page  of  the  printed  sheet  the  names  of  all 
members  of  the  company  are  given.  The 
arrangement  of  this  march  for  the  piano 
was  published  by  the  Dale  Brothers  in  St. 
Joseph,  in  July,  1899,  and  the  copyrighted 
arrangement  of  the  same,  for  the  use  of 
bands,  made  such  an  immediate  hit  that  it 
was  promptly  purchased  by  H.  E.  McMil- 
len,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio. 

Socially,  the  brothers  are  very  popular, 
and  have  hosts  of  friends  wherever  they  are 
known.  C.  W.  Dale  is  a  member  of  the 
Odd  Fellows'  order  and  is  identified  with. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


329 


the  Tribe  of  Ben  Hur,  while  F.  L.  Dale  is 
connected  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and 
with  the  Tribe  of  Ben  Hur  also.  They 
were  reared  in  the  tenets  of  the  Republican 
party,  and,  personally,  vote  for  the  nom- 
inees and  principles  of  that  political  body. 


JOHN  H.  ALPERS,  M.  D.,  a  prominent 
homeopathic  physician  of  Rantoul, 
Champaign  county,  Illinois,  is  a  native  of 
Hanover,  Germany,  born  June  10,  1836, 
and  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Mary  (Miller) 
Alpers,  also  natives  of  Germany,  where  the 
father,  a  mason  by  trade,  died  when  our 
subject  was  about  fourteen  years  of  age. 
In  1859  the  mother  came  to  America  and 
located  in  Wyandot  county,  Ohio,  where 
she  had  two  sons  and  a  daughter  living,  and 
where  she  died  in  1861.  Our  subject  has 
two  brothers:  Christ,  a  mason  of  Danville, 
Illinois;  and  Frederick,  a  homeopathic  phy- 
sician of  St.  Louis,  Missouri;  but  his  only 
sister,  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Christ  Walter, 
a  dairyman  of  Danville,  Illinois,  died  in 
that  place,  leaving  four  children. 

Dr.  Alpers,  of  this  review,  was  educated 
in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  land 
and  in  the  Gymnasium  of  Hanover,  from 
which  institution  he  was  graduated,  and 
later  took  a  three  years'  course  at  the  Med- 
ical College  of  Anhalt  Gothen,  a  small  prov- 
ince of  Germany.  After  receiving  his  di- 
ploma from  that  college  he  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1860,  and  began  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession  in  Wyandot  county, 
Ohio,  where  he  remained  until  1865.  Dur- 
ing that  year  he  moved  to  Danville,  Illinois, 
where  he  soon  built  up  a  large  practice,  re- 
maining there  a  little  over  five  years.  He 
next  came  to  Champaign  county  and  pur- 
chased a  farm  in  East  Bend  township, 


which  he  operated  in  connection  with  the 
practice  of  medicine  for  about  four  years, 
when  he  moved  to  the  village  of  Rantoul, 
where  he  has  since  successfully  engaged  in 
practice,  and  is  now  the  leading  homeopathic 
physician  of  the  place.  He  has  his  office 
in  his  residence  on  Penfield  street. 

On  the  1 5th  of  April,  1860,  Dr.  Alpers 
was  married  in  Hanover,  Germany,  to  Miss 
Christina  Klages,  a  native  of  that  city,  and 
to  them  were  born  seven  children,  as  fol- 
lows: Jennie,  born  in  Wyandot  county, 
Ohio,  is  now  the  wife  of  Henry  Steffler,  a 
dry  goods  merchant  of  Rantoul,  and  vice- 
president  of  the  First  National  Bank  of 
that  place;  Louisa,  born  in  the  same  county, 
is  the  wife  of  Herbert  West,  president  of 
the  First  National  Bank  of  Rantoul;. Will- 
iam, born  in  Vermilion  county,  Illinois, 
died  at  the  age  of  two  months;  Louis,  born 
in  Vermilion  county,  married  Ada  Kennady, 
and  is  a  farmer  of  Rantoul;  Mary,  born  in 
the  same  county,  is  the  wife  of  William  La 
Fallett,  a  stock  buyer  of  Rantoul;  Maude 
C. ,  born  in  this  county,  is  clerking  in  Stef- 
fler's  dry  goods  store  and  resides  at  home; 
Charles,  born  in  Champaign  county,  died  at 
the  age  of  six  months. 

As  a  physician  Dr.  Alpers  ranks  among 
the  ablest  in  this  section  of  the  county, 
and  his  skill  and  ability  being  widely  recog- 
nized he  enjoys  a  large  and  lucrative  prac- 
tice. He  is  also  one  of  the  prominent  and 
influential  citizens  of  Rantoul,  and  has  been 
called  upon  to  serve  two  terms  as  president 
of  the  village,  being  elected  to  that  office 
in  1893  and  again  in  1895.  In  his  political 
views  he  is  a  Democrat,  and  in  religious  be- 
lief is  a  Methodist.  Fraternally  he  is  a 
member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America. 


330 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


WILLIAM  A.  MURPHY  .is  one  of  the 
leading  business  men  and  politicians 
of  Tolono,  and  has  long  been  recognized  as 
one  of  the  loyal,  progressive  citizens  of  this 
place.  His  influence  has  always  been  cast 
on  the  side  of  improvement  and  advance- 
ment along  all  lines,  and  to  his  genuine 
ability  and  enthusiasm  much  of  the  pros- 
perity of  this  place  may  be  justly  attributed. 

He  was  born  July  12,  1850,  in  Berkshire 
county,  Massachusetts,  a  son  of  Patrick 
and  Bridget  (Lynch)  Murphy,  who  were  na- 
tives of  Ireland.  They  emigrated  to  Ameri- 
ca about  1828,  and  at  first  resided  in  Colum- 
bia county,  New  York,  later  moving  across 
the  state  line  into  Berkshire  county,  Massa- 
chusetts. The  father  was  accidentally  killed 
by  a  runaway  team  about  1860,  but  his  wid- 
ow survived  until  1892.  Three  of  their  sev- 
en children  are  living  at  this  writing,  name- 
ly: Mary,  widow  of  John  Connor,  of  Ran- 
toul,  Illinois;  William  A.,  and  James  H., 
whose  home  is  in  Pittsfield,  Massachusetts. 

William  A.  Murphy  received  a  common- 
school  education  in  his  native  county,  and 
later  was  graduated  in  the  Lebanon  (New 
York)  high  school.  In  1868  he  was  gradu- 
ated in  the  Poughkeepsie  Business  College, 
and  in  1870  he  came  to  Illinois.  For  about  a 
year  he  made  his  home  with  his  married  sis- 
ter in  Rantoul,  and  taught  school  for  a  few 
terms,  also  giving  some  time  to  agriculture. 
In  the  winter  of  1871  he  pursued  a  course 
of  study  at  the  Normal,  after  which  he  again 
took  charge  of  a  school,  in  order  to  obtain 
the  means  for  further  education.  He  final- 
ly completed  the  course  he  had  undertaken 
in  the  Normal  in  the  fall  of  1873,  and  com- 
ing to  Tolono  taught  school  for  nine  terms, 
to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  everyone  con-, 
cerned.  -  By  economy  and  strict  attention 
to  business,  he  managed  to  lay  aside  some 


means,  and  in  1880  he  embarked  in  the 
grocery  business  in  company  with  James 
Stephenson.  In  September  of  the  follow- 
ing year  he  assumed  the  management  of  the 
entire  business,  and  succeeded  in  building 
up  an  extensive  and  lucrative  trade. 

At  an  early  day  in  his  career,  Mr.  Mur- 
phy came  before  the  public  as  a  wide-awake 
politician,  and  strong  advocate  of  the  Dem- 
ocratic party.  His  numerous  friends  hon- 
ored him  with  various  local  positions,  and 
at  one  time  or  another,  he  has  occupied 
about  all  of  the  township  offices,  with  the 
exception  of  supervisor,  for  which  he  was  a 
nominee,  though  not  elected.  In  1884  he 
was  a  candidate  for  county  superintendent 
of  schools.  Two  years  later  he  was  his 
party's  nominee  for  the  Legislature,  before 
the  senatorial  convention,  and  was  defeated 
by  only  one  ballot.  In  1897  he  was  nom^ 
inated  for  the  office  of  circuit  clerk  by  his 
indefatigable  Democratic  friends,  but,  as 
usual,  the  Republicans  carried  the  day. 
In  the  spring  of  1900  he  served  as  chairman 
of  the  Demcocratic  county  convention  and 
the  delegates  to  the  congressional  conven- 
tion were  instructed  to  vote  for  him  for 
member  of  the  state  board  of  equali- 
zation. His  popularity  is  undoubted,  and  his 
good  nature  in  thus  .  allowing  his  name  to 
be  used,  even  when  defeat  seems  a  foregone 
conclusion,  is  something  remarkable  and 
praiseworthy.  His  friends  are  importunate, 
and  feel  certain  that  his  financial  ability, 
rare  judgment  and  devotion  to  the  policy 
to  which  he  has  loyally  pledged  himself 
will,  sooner  or  later,  find  fitting  recognition 
from  the  public. 

Since  casting  in  his  lot  with  the  people, 
of  Tolono  he  has  been  a  firm  believer  in  the 
bright  future  of  the  town,  and  has  spared 
no  effort  to  promote  its  interests.  At  the 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


time  when  the  matter  of  putting  in  the  city 
water-works  was  being  agitated  here  he 
was  a  member  of  the  council,  and  visited 
other  places,  inspecting  the  systems  in  use. 
After  making  a  thorough  study  of  the  sub- 
ject, he  presented  plans  and  specifications 
for  the  plant  now  in  working  order,  and 
after  a  year's  delay  and  considerable  opposi- 
tion the  citizens  adopted  his  ideas,  and  are 
sincerely  pleased  with  the  result.  When 
the  Tolono  Building  &  Loan  Association  was 
incorporated  he  was  one  of  the  organizers 
of  the  company,  which  has  grown  and 
flourished  until  it  ranks  with -the  leading 
ones  of  the  state.  Since  its  organization  he 
has  been  one  of  the  directors  and  also  served 
as  president  and  vice-president. 

In  1879  Mr.  Murphy  married  Miss  Mary 

O'Brien,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  Tolono. 

t 

She  was  a  lady  of  education  and  refinement, 
and  when  death  claimed  her,  on  the  I4th  of 
January,  1885,  her  loss  was  felt  to  be  almost 
a  public  one  in  this  community.  She  left 
one  daughter,  Mary  Gertrude,  who  gradu- 
ated in  the  Tolono  high  school  in  the  class 
of  1899.  She  is  keeping  house  for  her 
father,  and  is  very  popular  with  young  and 
old,  and  loved  for  her  amiable  disposition. 


O  AMUEL  GRAVES,  of  Rantoul,  Illinois, 
O  is  well  known  as  a  successful  educator 
through  several  years  of  faithful  and  effi- 
cient service.  Although  he  has  recently  re- 
tired from  the  profession,  his  work  will  not 
be  readily  forgotten  by  the  many  who  have 
been  helped  by  him  in  the  steep  and  some- 
times weary  path  of  knowledge,  and  his 
former  pupils  consider  him  one  of  the  very 
best  teachers  ever  employed  in  the  village. 
He  is  now  devoting  his  time  and  attention 
to  the  dairy  business. 


A  native  of  Illinois,  he  was  born  in  Del- 
evan,  Tazewell  county,  February  14,  1863, 
and  is  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Hannah  Graves. 
The  father,  who  was  a  native  of  Massachu- 
setts, spent  his  entire  life  as  a  teacher.  On 
coming  to  Illinois  in  1852,  he  located  in 
Tazewell  county,  and  for  a  number  of  years 
taught  school  at  Fremont.  He  died  Novem- 
ber 28,  1891,  and  his  widow  now  makes  her 
home  with  our  subject  in  Rantoul. 

Mr.  Graves,  of  this  review,  remained  in 
Delevan  until  twenty-six  years  of  age,  at- 
tending the  district  and  high  schools,  and 
later  teaching  in  the  district  schools  of  that 
county  for  eight  years.  In  1888  he  came  to 
Champaign  county,  and  accepted  the  posi- 
tion of  teacher  in  the  grammar  department 
of  the  public  schools  of  Rantoul,  with  which 
he  was  connected  for  ten  years.  On  sever- 
ing his  connection  with  the  schools  in  the 
fall  of  1898,  he  at  once  turned  his  attention 
to  the  dairy  business  and  farming.  He 
owns  and  operates  a  well  improved  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  section 
10,  Ludlow  township,  but  leaves  its  culti- 
vation largely  to  a  competent  man  in  his 
employ,  while  he  devotes  his  energies  to  the 
dairy  business. 

On  the  2Oth  of  June,  1895,  Mr.  Graves 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Isabella 
Thompson,  daughter  of  T.  J.  Thompson, 
of  Rantoul,  and  they  now  have  two  children: 
Samuel,  born  August  23,  1896;  and  Harold, 
born  June  21,  1897.  Religiously  Mr.  Graves 
is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  church,  and 
socially  belongs  to  the  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America,  the  Masonic  fraternity,  the 
Eastern  Star  Chapter,  and  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  in  which  he  has 
filled  all  the  chairs.  His  political  support 
is  always  given  the  men  and  measures  of 
the  Republican  party,  and  he  has  been 


332 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


called  upon  to  serve  as  member  of  the  vil- 
lage board  two  years,  and  as  president  of 
the  same  one  year,  during  which  time  he 
was  instrumental  in  having  the  village 
lighted  by  electricity  and  in  making  many 
other  improvements.  He  is  public  spirited 
and  progressive,  and  takes  an  active  interest 
in  any  enterprise  calculated  to  prove  of 
public  benefit. 


HON.  JAIRUS  CORYDON  SHELDON. 
There  are  in  every  community  men  of 
great  force  of  character  and  exceptional 
ability,  who  become  recognized  as  foremost 
citizens,  and  bear  a  most  important  part  in 
the  development  and  progress  of  the  local- 
ity with  which  they  are  connected.  Such  a 
man  is  Mr.  Sheldon,  of  Urbana,  who  has 
been  prominently  identified  with  the  inter- 
ests of  Champaign  county  for  almost  half  a 
century. 

He  was  born  in  Clarence,  Erie  county, 
New  York,  November  2,  1827,  and  is  a  son 
of  Corydon  and  Eunice  (Brown)  Sheldon, 
natives  of  New  York  and  Vermont,  respect- 
ively. Losing  his  father  when  only  a  year 
old,  the  mother  was  married  a  year  later  to 
H.  W.  Cunningham,  and  when  our  subject 
was  six  years  of  age  the  family  removed  to 
Huron  county,  Ohio,  where  he  spent  the 
years  of  his  childhood  upon  a  new  forest 
farm,  aiding  in  the  various  duties  of  the 
same.  When  twenty-one  he  apprenticed 
himself  to  the  ship  carpenter's  trade  at 
Huron,  Ohio,  and  for  about  four  years  fol- 
lowed that  occupation  there  and  at  Milan, 
Cleveland  and  Buffalo,  becojming  proficient 
in  the  work.  Often  when  a  craft  had  been 
completed,  he  shipped  as  one  of  the  sailors 
for  a  season,  and  thus  became  something  of 
a  seaman. 


Mr.  Sheldon  received  such  an  education 
as  the  common  schools  of  his  day  and  local- 
ity afforded,  and  later  spent  several  terms  in 
an  academy  at  Berea,  Ohio,  where  he  en- 
joyed better  opportunities  than  he  had  been 
provided  with  in  earlier  life.  In  the  autumn 
of  1852  he  went  to  Vermillion  county,  In- 
diana, where  he  taught  school  for  one  year, 
and  then,  being  pleased  with  the  country, 
he  settled  in  Champaign  county,  Illinois, 
which  has  since  been  his  home. 

In  1854  Mr.  Sheldon  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Eunice  M.  Mead,  of  Clarks- 
field.  Ohio,  and  by  this  union  were  born  five 
children,  but  only  one  is  now  living,  Nellie, 
wife  of  Rev.  C.  B.  Taylor,  presiding  elder 
of  Bloomington  district.  Their  eldest  son, 
C.  C.  Sheldon,  died  in  1891,  at  about  the 
age  of  thirty-six  years,  greatly  lamented  by 
his  fellow-citizens  of  every  class  in  Urbana — 
the  family  home. 

During  his  early  residence  here  Mr.  Shel- 
don began  to  invest  in  the  rich  lands  of 
Champaign  county,  having  great  faith  in 
them,  when  others  predicted  that  they  would 
never  be  all  settled.  This  wise  policy  has 
resulted  in  his  now  being  the'  owner  of  more 
than  one  thousand  acres  of  land,  divided 
into  productive  farms.  His  faith  in  the  lo- 
cality has  been  more  than  realized,  while 
others,  doubting,  have  failed. 

Before  leaving  Ohio  Mr.  Sheldon  spent 
about  a  year  in  the  office  of  an  attorney, 
studying  law,  a  profession  he  had  long  de- 
sired to  follow.  After  coming  to  Illinois,  he 
renewed  his  studies  in  the  office  of  Colonel 
Coler,  one  of  Champaign  county's  pioneer 
lawyers,  and  after  the  requisite  term  and 
examination  was  admitted  to  practice  in  all 
of  the  courts  of  the  state  by  a  license  issued 
by  the  supreme  court.  He  followed  the  pro- 
fession for  several  years  in  partnership  with 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


335 


his  preceptor,  Colonel  Coler,  and  afterward 
with  Frank  G.  Jaques,  also  of  Urbana,  but 
in  1866  he  retired,  desiring  to  devote  his 
time  and  energies  to  the  real  estate  busi- 
ness, which  he  has  since  followed.  His 
practice  as  a  lawyer  often  brought  him  in 
contact  with  Abraham  Lincoln,  of  whom  he 
was  a  great  admirer,  and  with  whom  he  was 
often  associated  in  cases. 

Mr.  Sheldon  was  reared  in  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  church  and  fully  believes  in 
its  doctrines,  having  been  a  consistent  mem- 
ber of  the  same  for  thirty-five  years.  He 
has  contributed  most  liberally  to  its  support 
and  to  the  support  of  all  its  many  benev- 
olences in  the  meantime.  In  1 893  his  church 
society  seriously  needing  more  and  better 
facilities  for  public  worship,  and  after 
months  of  fruitless  effort  in  trying  to  raise 
the  necessary  amount  to  build  a  new  church, 
Mr.  Sheldon  proposed  to  the  trustees  that 
he  and  his  wife  would  erect  the  walls  and 
put  upon  it  the  roof  contemplated  by  the 
plans  already  adopted,  leaving  the  balance 
of  the  work  to  be  done  by  the  subscription 
already  taken,  provided  only  that  they  be 
permitted  to  place  within  the  same  a  tablet 
with  the  name  of  their  deceased  and  much 
mourned  son,  Clarence,  as  a  memorial  of 
his  life  spent  in  the  business  circles  of  Ur- 
bana. The  proposition  was  gladly  and 
thankfully  accepted  by  the  board  of  trustees, 
and  the  plan  was  fully  carried  out  within 
the  next  few  months  at  an  expense  to  Mr. 
Sheldon  of  ten  thousand  dollars,  and  greatly 
to  the  gratification  of  the  church  which  has 
ever  since  enjoyed  one  of  the  neatest  places 
of  worship  in  the  state.  The  following  quo- 
tation is  taken  from  the  report  of  the  secre- 
tary and  treasurer  of  the  board  of  trustees  of 
the  church,  made  at  the  dedication  of  the 
new  church,  March  25,  1894:  "As  to  the 


chairman  of  the  committee,  no  parent  could 
have  been  more  devoted  to  a  loving  child 
than  he  to  his  work.  No  day  so  hot,  no 
day  so  cold  or  stormy  but  that  he  could  be 
found  on  this  ground  in  the  thickest  of  the 
dust  and  grime,  watching  the  placing  of 
every  stone,  brick  and  timber  from  the 
foundation  to  the  steeple  top,  from  the  door- 
steps to  the  pulpit.  A  full  year  has  been 
spent  by  him  in  this  work,  to  him  a  labor  of 
love  as  well  as  of  duty.  Every  department, 
from  furnace  to  belfry,  has  been  scanned  by 
his  ever  watchful  eye.  Not  only  has  he 
given  his  undivided  time  and  attention  to 
this  enterprise,  freely,  but  has  contributed 
liberally  of  his  means  and  made  it  possible 
for  this  edifice  to  be  erected  and  enjoyed  by 
this  community. 

•'  While  we  recognize  the  fact  that  many 
others  made  sacrifices  just  as  great  as  he, 
by  paying  their  single  dollars  to  this  cause, 
yet  the  fact  remains  that  to  him  more  than 
to  any  other  are  we  indebted  for  this  beau- 
tiful temple  of  worship.  It  was  he  who 
made  the  undertaking  possible  when  failure 
stared  us  in  the  face  for  the  want  of  funds. 
Fortunate,  indeed,  were  we  to  have  one  in 
our  society  possessed  of  means  and  a  dispo- 
sition to  use  them  for  the  benefit  of  the 
Methodist  church  in  Urbana.  No  towering 
monument,  however  high  or  costly,  erected 
in  the  city  of  the  dead,  could  ever  speak  or 
record  the  noble  impulses  of  a  generous 
heart  as  this  temple  does,  standing  in  the 
city  of  the  living.  This  society  appreciates 
this  generous  act,  and  coming  generations 
that  will  worship  here  in  future  years  will 
rise  up  and  bless  the  name  of  Bro.  J.  C. 
Sheldon  and  his  noble  wife." 

Mr.  Sheldon  cast  his  first  presidential 
vote  for  General  Zachary  Taylor  on  the  day 
he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age.  He  allied 


336 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


himself  with  the  Republican  party  upon  its 
organization  and  voted  for  all  of  its  candi- 
dates up  to  and  including  James  G.  Elaine, 
in  1884,  but  since  then  has  acted  with  the 
Prohibition  party  from  a  high  sense  of  duty 
to  God  and  humanity.  Upon  that  ticket  he 
ran  for  Congress  in  1888. 

In  November,  1870,  at  the  first  election 
after  the  adoption  of  the  constitution  of  that 
year,  he  was  chosen  as  a  Republican  mem- 
ber of  the  Twenty-seventh  General  Assem- 
bly, from  the  Champaign  district,  Hon.  R. 
C.  Wright,  of  Homer,  being  his  colleague. 
Soon  after  his  election,  the  regent  and  trus- 
tees of  the  Illinois  Industrial  University, 
located  near  his  home  in  Urbana,  needing 
more  and  better  buildings,  began  to  plan 
for  an  appropriation  from  the  Legislature  for 
the  construction  of  a  main  university  build- 
ing, contemplating  the  erection  of  a  building 
two  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet  by  one 
hundred  feet,  and  four  stories  in  height  with 
a  basement.  They  also  wanted  a  mechan- 
ical and  drill  hall,  together  with  liberal 
appropriations  for  machinery  and  apparatus, 
the  maximum  sum  running  up  to  many 
thousand  dollars,  much  more  than  the  Legis- 
lature had  ever  appropriated  to  any  state 
institution.  The  burden  of  securing  this 
appropriation  naturally  fell  upon  the  local 
member,  and  without  any  previous  expe- 
rience or  tact  in  legislative  matters,  Mr. 
Sheldon  bravely  assumed  the  responsibility. 
He  was  expected  to  take  the  lead  in  intro- 
ducing and  managing  the  bills,  and  to  push 
them  to  a  final  passage.  The  senate  con* 
sisted  of  fifty  members,  the  house  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty-six,  making  it  necessary  to 
have  seventy-nine  affirmative  votes  to  pass 
a  bill  in  the  house.  At  that  time  the  state 
house,  the  Southern  Normal  and  the  insane 
asylums  at  Elgin  and  Anna  were  being  built, 


besides  large  expenditures  upon  other  state 
buildings,  making  in  all  enormous  sums  for 
public  institutions.  In  the  midst  of  it  all 
came  the  effort  of  Peoria,  with  a  big  follow- 
ing, to  arrest  the  work  upon  the  new  state 
building  at  Springfield  and  remove  it  to  the 
bluffs  at  Peoria.  To  stand  in  with  all  these 
interests  in  such  a  way  as  to  retain  the  sup- 
port of  the  members,  or  at  least  not  provoke 
their  opposition  to  the  university  bill,  was  a 
problem  that  required  wise  and  constant 
effort  on  the' part  of  Mr.  Sheldon.  At  that 
time  the  university  had  but  little  to  show 
when  a  committee  from  the  legislature  visit- 
ed the  institution.  A  three-story  brick 
building  which  had  been  donated  to  the 
state  by  Champaign  county,  and  which  has 
since  been  torn  down,  and  a  two-story 
frame  building  constituted  the  mechanical 
department.  There  was  a  small  board 
stable  for  the  veterinary  department,  with  a 
fairly  good  frame  barn  out  on  the  farm. 
These  compared  with  the  magnificent  group 
of  buildings  now  occupied  by  the  university 
were  a  mere  nothing.  The  bill  met  with 
opposition  from  many,  indifference  from 
others  and  cordial  support  from  a  good  num- 
ber. At  last,  after  various  references, 
mostly  for  delay  and  amendments,  the  final 
vote  was  reached  in  April,  1871,  and  the  bill 
passed  by  the  hard  and  earnest  work  of  its 
friends,  led  by  Mr.  Sheldon.  It  had  passed 
the  senate  several  weeks  before. 

Mr.  Sheldon  was  elected  to  the  senate 
in  November,  1872,  for  a  period  of  four 
years,  serving  through  two  sessions  as  a 
member  of  the  upper  branch  of  the  General 
Assembly.  During  the  first  session  further 
appropriations  were  made  to  complete  the 
buildings  before  named  and  to  make  other 
important  improvements.  The  total  appro- 
priations for  buildings  secured  by  Mr.  Shel- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


337 


don  for  the  university  during  his  legislative 
career  aggregated  one  hundred  and  sev- 
enty-five thousand  dollars.  During  these 
sessions  and  the  one  in  the  house,  an  entire 
revision  of  the  statute  was  made  to  conform 
to  the  provisions  of  the  new  constitution. 
In  the  passage  of  these  amendments  he  took 
a  prominent  part,  and  they  are  still  the  law 
of  the  state.  Throughout  his  life  Mr.  Shel- 
don has  been  actuated  by  noble,  yet  practi- 
cal principles,  and  has  been  of  important 
service  to  his  fellow  citizens  through  various 
avenues  of  usefulness.  His  career  has  ever 
been  such  as  to  warrant  the  trust  and  confi- 
dence of  the  business  world,  for  he  has  ever 
conducted  all  transactions  on  the  strictest 
principles  of  honor  and  integrity,  and  his 
devotion  to  the  public  good  is  unquestioned, 
arising  from  a  sincere  interest  in  the  welfare 
of  his  fellow  men. 


JACOB  R.  DILLING,  who  is  now  living  a 
retired  life  in  the  village  of  St.  Joseph, 
Champaign  county,  Illinois,  needs  no  special 
introduction  to  the  readers  of  this  volume, 
but  the  work  would  be  incomplete  without 
the  record  of  his  life.  Until  recently  he  was 
actively  identified  with  the  agricultural  in- 
terests of  the  county,  arid  he  has  ever  borne 
a  prominent  part  in  its  upbuilding  and  prog- 
ress. His  name  is  a  synonym  for  honorable 
business  dealing,  and  he  is  always  mentioned 
as  one  of  the  invaluable  citizens  of  his  com- 
munity. 

Mr.  Dilling  was  born  in  Greenfork,  In- 
diana, March  20,  1852,  and  is  a  son  of 
George  Dilling,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania. 
The  paternal  grandfather,  Jacob  Dilling, 
was  also  a  Pennsylvanian  by  birth,  and  mar- 
ried Susannah  Hoover,  of  that  state.  About 


1827  they  moved  to  Wayne  county,  Indiana, 
of  which  they  were  pioneers,  and  which  con- 
tinued to  be  their  home  until  called  from 
this  life.  The  grandfather  was  a  large  land 
owner,  having  three  thousand  acres  of  land 
in  that  county,  and  through  life  gave  his  at- 
tention to  farming  and  stock  raising.  In  his 
family  were  fourteen  children,  of  whom 
twelve  reached  maturity,  namely:  George, 
the  father  of  our  subject,  was  the  oldest; 
Henry,  who  died  January  17,  1900,  was  a 
resident  of  Hagerstown,  Indiana,  and 
an  active  member  of  the  Dunkard  church, 
with  which  he  was  prominently  identified 
throughout  life;  David  came  to  Champaign 
county,  Illinois,  in  1852,  enlisted  in  the 
Twentieth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry  dur- 
ing the  Civil  war,  and  lost  his  life  in  the  ser- 
vice; William  died  in  Hagerstown,  Indiana, 
at  the  age  of  twenty-four  years;  John  died 
at  the  age  of  ten  years;  Daniel  died  in 
Hagerstown  at  the  age  of  thirty-two. 

George  Dilling,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
wasten  years  of  age  when  the  family  removed 
to  Indiana,  where  he  grew  to  manhood  and 
married  Miss  Margaret  Rhodes,  a  native  of 
Darmstadt,  Germany,  who  came  to  this 
country  when  a  child  of  seven  years  with 
her  half  brother,  John  H.  Nagle,  who  was  two 
years  younger.  They  were  orphans  and  were 
broughtto  the  United  Statesby  friends.  They 
were  then  bound  out  and  reared  in  Wayne 
county,  Indiana.  When  about  twenty-one 
years  of  age  Mr.  Nagle  went  to  Washington 
territory,  where  he  took  up  a  quarter-section 
of  land.  He  "kept  up  communications  with 
his  sister  until  1864,  when  these  ceased,  and 
no  trace  of  him  could  be  found  until  1893, 
when  it  was  learned  that  he  had  been  an  in- 
mate of  an  insane  asylum  for  twenty  years. 
The  land  he  entered  is  now  in  the  heart  of 
Seattle  and  very  valuable. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


After  his  marriage  George  Billing  located 
upon  land  received  from  his  father,  and  re- 
mained there  until  1857,  when  with  his  fam- 
ily of  seven  children  he  dame  to  Champaign 
county,  Illinois.  While  purchasing  railroad 
land  on  section  7,  Somer  township,  he  made 
his  home  until  1875,  in  St.  Joseph  town- 
ship, and  during  that  time  acquired  five 
hundred  acres  of  valuable  land,  which  he 
then  sold  and  removed  to  Macon  county, 
Illinois.  There  he  bought  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land  and  to  its  cultivation  and 
improvement  devoted  his  time  and  attention 
until  his  death  in  1882.  He  was  an  ener- 
getic and  progressive  man,  and  in  his  under- 
takings met  with  well-deserved  success.  In 
connection  with  general  farming  he  handled 
a  large  amount  of  stock.  Politically  he  was 
first  a  Whig  and  later  a  Republican,  and 
religiously  was  a  member  of  the  German 
Baptist  church.  His  widow  is  still  living 
and  now  makes  her  home  in  Cerro  Gordo, 
Illinois.  They  had  eleven  children,  all  of 
whom  lived  to  maturity:  Susannah,  wife  of 
John  B.  Roe.  of  McPherson  county,  Kan- 
sas; Mary,  wife  of  Frank  Bellows,  of  Marys- 
ville,  Missouri;  Aaron,  who  was  a  member 
of  an  Illinois  regiment  in  the  Civil  war,  and 
died  at  a  hospital  in  Murfreesboro,  in  1864; 
Sarah,  deceased  wife  of  A.  W.  Kirkpatrick, 
of  St.  Joseph  township,  this  county;  Maria, 
wife  of  J.  L.  Kuntz,  of  McPherson  county, 
Kansas;  Jacob  B.,  our  subject;  Lydia  E., 
wife  of  Frank  C.  Shode,  of  St.  Joseph  town- 
ship, this  county;  John  P.,  a  resident  of 
Macon  county,  Illinois;  Dollie,  deceased 
wife  of  William  Doyle,  of  Marysville,  Mis- 
souri; Dora,  wife  of  James  Minick,  who 
lives  on  the  old  homestead  in  Macon  county; 
and  George  WT.,  who  is  in  the  real  estate 
business  in  Seattle,  Washington. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch   was   a  child 


of  five  years  when  he  accompanied  his  par- 
ents on  their  removal  to  this  county,  and 
upon  the  home  farm  he  grew  to  manhood, 
aiding  in  the  labors  of  the  farm  during  the 
summer  season  and  attending  the  common 
schools  of  the  neighborhood  through  the 
winter  months.  On  attaining  his  majority 
his  father  gave  him  a  team  of  horses,  and 
informed  him  that  the  world  was  before  him 
and  told  him  to  go  in  and  win.  For  several 
years  thereafter  he  operated  rented  land. 

On  the  5th  of  September,  1875,  Mr. 
Dilling  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Kirkpatrick, 
who  was  born  July  23,  1856,  in  Champaign, 
her  parents,  J.  C.  and  Mary  C.  (Busey) 
Kirkpatrick,  being  early  settlers  of  the 
county.  At  one  time  her  father  was  the 
owner  of  the  site  of  Champaign,  and 
platted  several  additions  to  that  city,  which 
now  bear  his.  name.  Our  subject  and  his 
wife  are  the  parents  of  three  children: 
Mary,  Clara  and  Lela. 

After  renting  land  for  several  years  Mr. 
Dilling  bought  a  tract  of  forty  acres  on 
section  4,  St.  Joseph  township,  which  to- 
gether with  the  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
which  his  wife  received  from  her  father's 
estate  made  a  fine  farm  of  two  hundred 
acres.  He  successfully  engaged  in  agricult- 
ural pursuits  until  his  removal  to  the  vil- 
lage of  St.  Joseph  in  1899,  carrying  on 
stock  raising  as  well  as  general  farming. 
His  present  home  is  one  of  the  best  resi- 
dences in  the  place,  being  supplied  with 
hot  water  and  all  modern  conveniences. 

As  a  Republican  Mr.  Dilling  takes  quite 
an  influential  part  in  local  politics,  and  does 
all  in  his  power  to  advance  the  interests  of 
his  party  and  insure  its  success.  For  twelve 
consecutive  years  he  has  most  efficiently 
served  as  township  commissioner,  and  he 
cheerfully  gives  his  support  to  those  enter- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


339' 


prises  which  tend  to  public  development. 
Fraternally  he  is  a  charter  member  of  St. 
Joseph's  Camp,  No.  222,  M.  W.  A.,  and 
has  wisely  provided  for  the  future  by  taking 
out  policies  in  different  life  insurance  com- 
panies. He  is  a  man  of  more  than  ordi- 
nary intelligence  and  worth,  is  straightfor- 
ward and  honorable  in  all  his  dealings,  and 
is  one  of  the  most  thoroughly  respected 
and  honored  citizens  of  St.  Joseph. 


HEMAN  CHAFFEE,  M.  D.  The  pio- 
neer physician  has  always  been  one  of 
the  most  important  factors  in  American 
civilization,  and  too  much  cannot  be  said  in 
his  praise.  Dr.  Chaffee,  now  one  of  the 
most  venerable  of  the  pioneers  of  Cham- 
paign county,  has  the  honor  of  being  the 
oldest  citizen  of  Tolono,  in  years  of  contin- 
uous residence,  and  few,  if  any,  of  the  mem- 
bers of  his  profession  are  more  widely  or 
favorably  known  throughout  this  section  of 
the  state.  He  takes  great  pleasure  in  re- 
viewing the  past,  and  in  noting  the  great 
changes  which  have  taken  place,  changes 
which  have  been  for  the  better  in  nearly 
every  instance.  In  this  respect  he  himself 
d'eserves  high  credit,  for  in  addition  to  at- 
tending to  the  duties  of  his  profession,  he 
set  an  example  of  progress  and  enterprise 
which  was  emulated  by  many  of  his  neigh- 
bors. 

Now  in  his  eighty-fourth  year,  Dr.  Chaf- 
fee was  born  in  Rutland  county,  Vermont, 
June  18,  1816,  the  second  son  of  Simeon 
and  Fanny  (Pearsons)  Chaffee,  natives  of 
Massachusetts.  The  father  was  born  in 
Rehobeth  village  in  1772,  and  departed  this 
life  in  August,  1859,  his  wife  following  him 
to  the  grave  in  the  following  October.  They 


were  thrifty  farmers,  and  passed  nearly  all 
of  their  married  life  in  the  Green  Mountain 
state.  Simeon  Chaffee  had  previously  been 
married  and  had  nine  children  by  that 
union,  but  all  of  that  family  have  entered 
the  silent  land.  Warren,  his  eldest  child 
by  the  second  marriage,  died  in  the  midst 
of  an  active  career.  A  little  daughter  died 
in  infancy,  and  Susan  lived  until  1897. 
Christopher  is  deceased,  and  Nathaniel  died 
in  1864,  in  Memphis,  Tennessee,  where  he 
was  a  well-known  physician.  He  had  taken 
a  special  course  of  instruction  in  Paris, 
France,  in  company  with  our  subject,  re- 
maining abroad  for  about  one  year,  and, 
after  his  return,  had  first  located  at  Holly 
Springs,  Mississippi,  and  later  settling  in 
Memphis. 

Dr.  Heman  Chaffee  thus  left  as  the  sole 
survivor  of  a  once  large  family,  received  the 
usual  training  of  country  lads  in  his  youth, 
and  at  an  early  day  he  decided  to  enter  the 
medical  profession.  He  was  married  in 
1840,  and  for  some  time  thereafter  dwelt 
in  Poultney,  Vermont,  later  removing  to 
Waterford,  and  eventually  to  Troy.  In 
1854  he  was  graduated  in  the  Albany 
Medical  College,  and  engaged  in  practice, 
but,  wishing  to  further  qualify  himself 
in  special  branches  of  the  healing  art,  he 
went  with  his  brother  to  Paris,  where 
he  had  fine  opportunities  for  improve- 
ment: At  the  end  of  fifteen  months  he  re- 
turned home,  and  in  March,  1857,  came  to 
Tolono,  his  family  following  him  the  fol- 
lowing May.  Their's  was  the  fourth  frame 
house  erected  in  the  village,  and  as  far  as 
the  eye  could  see  there  was  not  a  tree  or 
house  in  any  direction  on  the  monotonously 
undulating  prairie.  The  Doctor  planted 
the  first  trees  and  made  the  first  sidewalk 
and  fence  in  the  town,  and  for  twelve  years 


340 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


he  was  the  postmaster,  his  own  house 
serving  as  a  repository  for  the  mail  until 
he  built  a  small  office,  which  then  answered 
the  double  purpose.  The  record  of  the 
years  which  followed  would  show  what  it 
means  to  be  a  pioneer  physician,  riding  to 
distant  places,  no  matter  how  inclement  the 
weather,  going  to  the  aid  of  suffering  human- 
ity when  nearly  prostrated  with  illness  or 
grief  over  personal  misfortuue,  perhaps,  yet 
always  striving  to  carry  cheer  and  help. 
Dr.  Chaffee  was  of  the  highest  type  of  the 
Christian  physician,  placing  himself  in  the 
background  always  and  considering  the 
needs  of  others  first,  and  thus  he  won  the 
sincere  love  of  all  who  knew  him.  At  one 
time  he  owned  half  a  block  of  land  in  the 
center  of  the  town,  and  ten  acres  of  land 
which  he  planted  with  fruit  trees,  and  after- 
wards sold  at  a  fair  profit.  In  1884  he  re- 
tired from  active  practice,  though  some  of 
his  old  patients  continued  to  call  upon  him, 
feeling  that  they  could  not  give  him  up. 
For  one  of  his  advanced  age  he  is  exceed- 
ingly well  preserved,  erect  in  carriage  and 
keen  and  bright  in  his  views  of  life. 

The  marriage  of  Dr.  Chaffee  and  Myra 
A.  Nobles  took  place  in  1840.  She  was 
born  in  Poultney,  Vermont,  in  1822,  while 
her  parents  were  natives  of  New  York  state, 
where  their  forefathers  were  numbered 
among  the  pioneers.  The  only  son  of  our 
subject,  Emmett,  died  when  six  years  of 
age.'  Addie,  the  eldest-born,  is  the  wife  of 
F.  M.  Wardall,  of  Tuscola,  Illinois,  and 
mother  of  three  children,  namely:  Edna 
A.,  Lillian  M.  and  Frank  C.  Annetta  is 
the  wife  of  Warren  M.  Hill,  of  Tolono,  and 
they  have  three  children:  Nettie  A.,  War- 
ren W.,  and  Clarence  C.,  deceased.  Mr. 
Hill  has  been  employed  in  the  railway  pos- 
tal service  on  the  Wabash  road  for  the  past 


eighteen  years,  and  his  son  W.  W.  also  is  a 
postal  clerk. 

Religiously,  the  Doctor  and  wife  have 
been  earnest  members  of  the  Baptist  church 
for  many  years,  contributing  liberally  of 
their  means  and  time  to  the  work  of  that 
denomination.  They  have  a  host  of  friends 
in  this  vicinity,  to  whom  they  have  endeared 
themselves  by  innumerable  acts  of  fraternal 
sympathy  and  consideration.  Their  lives 
have  flowed  along  harmoniously  together 
for  almost  three-score  jears,  and,  as  they 
have  faithfully  and  conscientiously  per- 
"forrned  their  entire  duty  toward  God  and 
man  they  will  surely  hear  the  verdict  some 
day,  "  Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servant, 
enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord." 


MORTIMER  KILBURY,  one  of  the  pro- 
gressive farmers  and  representative 
citizens  of  Champaign  county,  just  inside 
the  corporate  limits  of  St.  Joseph,  on 
section  11,  St.  Joseph  township,  was  born 
near  Plain  City,  in  Darby  township,  Madi- 
son county,  Ohio,  June  I,  1852,  and  is  a 
son  of  Asa  and  Ruth  (Clark)  Kilbury.  The 
father  was  born  in  Vermont,  June  24,  1806, 
and  died  in  Union  county,  Ohio,  January 
5,  1884,  while  the  mother  was  born  in 
Ohio,  February  27,  1815,  and  died  at  the 
home  of  her  son  James  in  Ogden  town- 
ship, Champaign  county,  Illinois,  Septem- 
ber 20,  1885,  the  same  minister  officiating 
at  both  funerals. 

During  his  boyhood  Asa  Kilbury  had  ac- 
companied his  parents  on  their  removal 
from  Vermont  to  Ohio,  first  located  in 
Cleveland.  In  youth  he  learned  the  black- 
smith's trade,  but  later  gave  his  attention 
to  farming  and  stockraising,  in  which  occu- 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


34i 


pations  he  was  extensively  and  successfully 
engaged,  accumulating  a  fine  property 
of  six  hundred  acres  in  Madison  and  Union 
counties,  Ohio.  He  early  foresaw  the  great 
possibilities  of  the  Illinois  prairies  and 
swamps,  and  at  a  time  when  most  eastern 
people  thought  that  the  broad  prairies  and 
marshes  of  Champaign  county  would  never 
be  settled  he  wisely  invested  in  some  twelve 
hundred  acres  of  land  in  Ogden  and  Somer 
townships.  The  subsequent  development 
of  this  region  proved  his  sound  judgment  and 
keen  foresight.  He  wasa  man  of  sterlingchar- 
acter  and  superior  business  ability,  and  was 
a  prominent  and  active  member  of  the  New- 
light  church.  In  his  family  were  nine  chil- 
dren, namely:  Rachel,  wife  of  Solomon  Hill, 
died  in  1855;  Emily  and  Amanda  died  in 
childhood;  James  S.  is  a  retired  farmer  and 
stock  raiser  of  Champaign;  Robert  is  a  re- 
tired citizen  of  Plain  City,  Madison  county, 
Ohio;  Erastus  is  deceased;  Mortimer,  our 
subject,  is  next  in  order  of  birth;  Dunbar 
C.  is  a  farmer  and  stock  raiser  of  Aurora 
county,  South  Dakota;  and  Solomon  H. 
removed  to  South  Dakota  with  his  brother, 
and  from  there  went  to  Minnesota,  where 
he  now  resides. 

The  early  life  of  Mortimer  Kilbury  was 
spent  under  the  parental  roof,  and  he  re- 
ceived a  good  practical  education  in  the  dis- 
trict schools  of  his  native  township  and  the 
Pleasant  Valley  high  school.  He  first  came 
to  Champaign  county,  Illinois,  in  February, 
1873,  but  at  the  end  of  two  months  returned 
to  Ohio,  and  did  not  locate  permanently 
here  until  the  spring  of  1874.  His  brother, 
James  S. ,  had  married  and  came  to  this 
county  some  four  years  previously,  and  with 
him  our  subject  made  his  home  until  his 
own  marriage. 

On  the  23rd  of  September,    1877,    Mr. 


Kilbury  wedded  Miss  Mary  L.  Fredrich, 
the  second  daughter  of  R.  A.  and  Permelia 
(Allhands)  Fredrich,  of  Vermilion  county, 
Illinois.  Mrs.  Kilbury  was  born  in  Oak- 
wood  township,  that  county,  February  11, 
1857.  Her  father  was  a  native  of  Prussia, 
Germany,  born  in  the  little  village  of  Dan- 
kerode,  in  the  Hartz  mountains,  August  15, 
1830,  and  was  a  son  of  Sophus  (Lipert) 
Fredrich,  the  latter  the  daughter  of  a 
Leipsic  merchant.  She  was  born  April  8, 
1800,  and  died  in  Dankerode,  November  2, 
1848.  After  her  death,  Sophus  Fredrich, 
was  born  in  Stolburg,  Prussia,  March  6, 
1796,  emigrated  to  the  United  States,  and 
died  in  Prince  William  county.  Virginia, 
March  30,  1851.  Mrs.  Kilbury 's  mother 
was  born  in  Montgomery  county,  Indiana, 
November  6,  1835,  and  was  left  motherless 
at  the  age  of  four  years.  In  1841  she  re- 
moved with  her  father,  Andrew  Allhands,  to 
Vermilion  county,  Illinois,  where  she  mar- 
ried R.  A.  Fredrich,  who  came  to  America 
in  1848.  He  departed  this  life  October  24, 
1887,  but'she  is  stilhliving  and  continues  to 
reside  in  Vermilion  county.  To  them  were 
born  ten  children,  as  follows:  Julia,  wife  of 
Wilson  Green,  of  Ogden  township,  Cham- 
paign township,  Mary  L.  .wife  of  our  subject; 
William  E.,  a  resident  of  Winamac,  Indi- 
ana; Sophus  A.,  of  Madaryville,  Indiana; 
Rebecca  A., wife  of  George  Hays,  of  Ogden 
township,  this  county;  Sarah  L. ,  who  mar- 
ried Milton  Luman,  of  Oakvvood  township, 
Vermilion  county,  and  died  July  28.  1887; 
Herman  G.,  of  Vermilion  county;  Florence 
J.,wife  of  Howard  Blue,  of  Vermilion  coun- 
ty; Luna  O.,  at  home;  and  Richard  E., 
who  operates  the  home  farm  in  Vermilion 
county. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Kilbury   took  up 
his  residence   on  the  north   half  of  section 


342 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


31,  Ogden  township,  and  to  the  cultivation 
and  improvement  of  his  farm  he  devoted 
his  energies  for  some  years.  When  he  lo- 
cated thereon  a  large  portion  of  his  prop- 
erty as  well  as  other  low  land  in  the  county 
was  swampy  and  covered  with  water,  and 
though  a  young  man,  he  took  a  very  active 
part  in  interesting  the  citizens  and  land 
owners  in  the  measures  which  finally  re- 
sulted in  the  passage  of  drainage  laws, 
which  have  been  the  means  of  converting 
the  marshes  into  highly  cultivated  and  pro- 
ductive fields.  Mr.  Kilbury  continued  to 
successfully  engage  in  farming  and  stock 
raising  in  Ogden  township  until  the  spring 
of  1885,  when  he  left  the  farm  and  moved 
to  St.  Joseph,  where  for  two  years  he  car- 
ried on  business  as  a  dealer  in  lumber  and 
agricultural  implements.  At  the  end  of 
that  time  he  purchased  one  hundred  acres 
of  land  on  section  11,  St.  Joseph  township, 
to  which  he  has  since  added  forty  acres, 
and  is  now  following  farming  and  stock 
raising  with  marked  success.  Within  the 
corporate  limits  and  near  the  northern 
boundary  of  the  village  of  St.  Joseph,  he 
erected,  in  1895,  an  elegant  residence, 
which  is  heated  by  a  furnace  and  equipped 
with  all  the  comforts  and  conveniences  of 
the  modern  city  home.  Located  as  it  is, 
the  inmates  of  this  pleasant  abode  have  all 
the  liberties  of  the  country  and  the  privi- 
leges of  the  town. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kilbury  were  born  six 
children,  whose  names  and  dates  of  birth 
are  as  follows:  Asa,  August  5,  1878;  Edna 
P.,  September  15,  1880;  Frederick  E., 
July  1 8,  1885;  Mabel  R. ,  March  13,  1890; 
Winnifred,  August  18,  1891;  and  Jennetta 
Fay,  February  24,  1899.  All  are  living 
with  the  exception  of  Edna  P.,  who  died  in 
infancy,  June  7,  1881.  The  oldest  son  is 


now  a  student  at  the  University  of  Illinois, 
and  is  interested  in  journalism,  doing  local 
work  for  the  Urbana  Herald. 

Religiously  both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kilbury 
are  earnest  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church,  and  since  coming  to  St.  Jo- 
seph he  has  been  an  officer  of  the  church 
and  one  of  its  most  active  workers.  Al- 
though not  a  politician  in  any  sense,  he  has 
been  an  active  worker  in  public  affairs,  and 
is  especially  interested  in  educational  mat- 
ters, having  most  capably  and  satisfactorily 
served  as  a  member  of  the  board  of  direct- 
ors in  his  district,  both  in  St.  Joseph  and 
Ogden  townships.  By  his  ballot  he  sup- 
ports the  men  and  measures  of  the  Repub- 
lican party.  Fraternally  he  is  a  Mason,  a 
member  of  Ogden  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Ur- 
bana Chapter,  R.  A.  M.;  Urbana  Com- 
mandery,  K.  T. ;  and  Mahommed  Temple, 
A.  A.  O.  N.  M.  S.  He  is  a  man  of  recog- 
nized ability,  and,  with  his  wife,  stands  high 
in  the  community  where  they  make  their 
home.  Mrs.  Kilbury  is  a  member  of  the 
Eastern  Star  of  Ogden,  and  a  member  of 
the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society. 
Those  who  know  them  best  are  numbered 
among  their  warmest  friends,  and  no  citi- 
zens in  the  county  are  more  honored  or 
highly  respected. 


WILLIAM  PULLIAM,  one  of  the  hon- 
ored pioneer  settlers  of  Illinois,  has 
witnessed  vast  changes  here  during  the  more 
than  three  score  and  ten  years  of  his  resi- 
dence in  the  Prairie  state.  He  is  a  worthy 
representative  of  the  fine  old  southern  stock 
of  a  century  ago,  possessing  at  the  same 
time  many  of  the  sturdy  traits  of  character 
which  pioneer  life  in  the  west  necessarily 
developed  in  .men  who  braved  its  vicissitudes. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


343 


Drury  Pulliam,  the  father  of  the  above, 
was  a  native  of  Virginia,  while  his  wife, 
Elizabeth  (Cole)  Pulliam,  was  born  in 
Maryland.  He  was  a  wealthy  and  influen- 
tial man,  owning  large  tracts  of  cultivated 
land  and  operating  mills  in  different  locali- 
ties. Believing  in  the  future  greatness  of 
Illinois,  he  removed  to  Morgan  county  at  an 
early  day,  and  later  engaged  extensively  in 
farming  in  Macoupin  county.  At  length  he 
retired  and  made  his  home  in  Waverly, 
where  he  was  called  to  his  reward.  He  had 
purchased  considerable  property  in  various 
parts  of  this  state,  but  before  his  death  he 
disposed  of  everything  save  his  homestead. 
He  was  twice  married,  his  second  wife  being 
Mrs.  Maria  Halliday,  of  Waverly.  By 
the  first  union  he  reared  eleven  children  to 
maturity,  namely:  Rebecca,  who  died  in 
Macoupin  county,  in  1861;  Benjamin,  a 
former  farmer  of  Champaign  county  and  for 
the  past  decade  a  resident  of  Minneapolis; 
William;  John  W.,  deceased,  who  served  in 
the  Union  army  during  the  Civil  war; 
Martha  A.,  who  died  in  Macoupin  county; 
Elijah  C.,  who  served  throughout  the  Mexi- 
can war  in  Wyatt's  company,  Buchanan's 
regiment,  and  later  was  in  an  Illinois  regi- 
ment for  several  years,  during  the  Civil  war, 
being  wounded  at  Shiloh,  and  died  at  his 
home  in  Kansas,  in  1897;  Mrs.  Nancy  Gra- 
ham, formerly  of  Jacksonville,  Illinois,  and 
now  living  in  Ohio;  Mary  E. ,  wife  of  Rev. 
Droke,  formerly  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  conference  of  this  county,  and  now 
of  Waverly,  Illinois;  Drury  A.,  a  retired 
farmer  of  Macoupin  county;  Sarah  J.,  wife 
of  George  Kiplinger,  a  retired  farmer  of 
Macoupin  county;  and  James,  deceased. 
The  father  was  prominent  in  the  work  of  the 
Methodist  church,  occupying  official  posi- 
tions, and  contributing  liberally  of  his  time 

18 


and  means  to  the  spreading  of   righteous- 
ness. 

The  birth  of  William  Pulliam  occurred 
in  Lawrenceburg,  Kentucky,  September  18, 
1817,  and  when  he  was  ten  years  of  age  he 
came  with  the  family  to  Illinois.  He  attend- 
ed the  school  in  the  first  log  school  house 
erected  in  Jacksonville,  and  when  he  was 
twenty  years  of  age  he  commenced  working 
at  the  carpenter's  trade,  and  for  five  years 
gave  his  entire  attention  to  that  calling. 
Then  he  resumed  agricultural  labors,  and  ir> 
Macoupin  county  purchased  the  first  land 
ever  owned  by  him.  He  improved  this 
place  and  continued  to  cultivate  the  farmi 
for  a  score  of  years,  buying  additional  land 
as  his  capital  accumulated. 

In  1842  Mr.  Pulliam  and  Mary  J.  Cole 
were  united  in  marriage  in  Macoupin  county. 
She  was  likewise  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and 
for  nearly  twenty  years,  or  until  her  death 
in  1 86 1,  she  was  a  devoted  wife  and  mother.. 
The  eldest  son,  John  D.,  now  a  resident  of 
Pensacola,  Florida,  has  three  sons,  Delmar, 
who  is  married  and  has  a  son,  Paul;  Leon, 
who  has  one  daughter,  Le  Mamye;  and 
Guy.  Sarah  E.,  wife  of  Charles  Carpenter, 
of  this  county,  is  the  eldest  daughter  of  our 
subject.  She  has  three  children,  George, 
Mary  E.  and  Nellie.  Thomas,  the  second 
son,  is  a  well  known  physician  of  Tuscola,. 
Illinois.  Millard,  who  died  in  Hannibal,. 
Missouri,  and  formerly  lived  in  Denver,. 
Colorado,  was  married,  and  had  one  son,. 
Albert.  Dudley,  who  lives  on  his  father's 
farm  in  section  14,  Tolono  township,  has 
four  children,  Earl,  Scott,  Willard  and 
Reid.  Mary  J.,  wife  of  Wilson  Williams, 
now  makes  her  home  in  Pensacola,  Flor- 
ida. By  her  previous  marriage  with  Clay- 
Miller  she  had  three  children,  Clyde,  Glenn 
and  Myra.  Edward,  unmarried,  assists  his. 


344 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


father    in    the   management  of    the    home- 
stead. 

In  1863  William  Pulliam  married  Mary 
E.,  daughter  of  Orrin  and  Phoebe  (Miner) 
Smith,  pioneers  of  Morgan  county.  Mrs. 
Pulliam  was  born  in  New  York  state  in 
1834,  and  the  following  year  her  parents 
joined  a  colony  who  came  to  this  state  to 
found  new  homes.  She  has  two  sisters  liv- 
ing, namely,  Caroline,  widow  of  Charles 
Clark,  of  Waverly,  Illinois,  and  Sarah, 
widow  of  James  McCormick,  of  Waverly, 
Illinois.  The  latter  has  four  children, 
namely:  May,  Orrin,  Ralph  and  Ella.  Or- 
rin Smith  departed  this  life  in  1846,  but  his 
widow  lived  until  1884,  and  was  loved  and 
honored  by  all  who  knew  her.  Six  children 
\vere  born  to  the  second  union  of  Mr. 
Pulliam,  two  of  the  number  dying,  one  at 
the  age  of  four  years  and  the  other  at  the 
age  of  eighteen  years.  Arthur  M. ,  telegraph 
operator  at  Cheyenne,  Wyoming,  has  a  nice 
family,  his  four  children  being  named  Or- 
rin, Lynn,  Anna  and  Harold.  Herbert  G., 
of  this  township,  is  married  and  has  one 
child,  Herbert  Brown.  Anna  is  the  wife  of 
J.  E.  Hartleb,  who  is  engaged  In  the  butch- 
er's business  at  Tolono,  and  their  only  child 
is  Edward  M.  Ernest  M.,  unmarried,  re- 
sides with  his  parents. 

For  about  two  years  subsequent  to  his 
second  marriage,  Mr.  Pullman  remained  on 
the  old  home  place  in  Macoupin  county, 
and  in  1865  removed  to  Champaign  county. 
Here  he  purchased  three  hundred  and  twen- 
ty acres  of  partly  improved  land,  and  pro- 
ceeded with  characteristic  energy  to  make 
a  model  farm.  For  over  thirty  years  he 
made  a  specialty  of  manufacturing  sorghum 
on  the  place.  Later  he  sold  a  quarter-sec- 
tion, and  at  present  owns  one  hundred  and 
seventy-eight  acres,  situated  on  sections  14 


and  23,  Tolono  township.  Notwithstanding 
his  advancing  years,  which  entitled  him  to 
rest  from  active  labors,  he  would  not  resign 
to  younger  and  stronger  ones  the  tasks  he 
has  so  long  and  faithfully  performed,  until 
about  ten  years  ago,  since  which  he  has 
been  practically  retired.  Several  winters 
of  late  years  he  has  spent  some  time  with  his 
children  in  Florida,  thus  escaping  the  severe 
northern  season.  His  life  record  is  that  of 
a  citizen  who  has  earnestly  sought  to  do  his 
whole  duty  toward  his  country,  community 
and  family,  and  all  who  have  had  dealings 
with  him  unite  in  praise  of  his  honorable, 
straightforward  methods.  He  has  given  his 
ballot  to  the  Republican  party  for  years, 
but  has  quietly  declined  the  temptation  of 
public  office.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are 
sterling  members  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal church,  and  at  various  times  he  has  oc- 
cupied official  positions  in  the  congregation, 
at  present  being  a  trustee.  They  have 
justly  merited  the  peace  and  happiness 
which  they  now  enjoy,  and  the  evening- 
time  of  life  brings  to  them  few  regrets  and 
much  of  hope  and  pleasure. 


JOHN  W.  TURNER,  M.  D.  Among 
the  prominent  members  of  the  medical 
profession  of  Champaign  county  is  the 
gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  sketch, 
now  located  at  Homer.  He  is  a  native  of 
Clay  county,  Indiana,  his  birth  having  oc- 
curred March  24,  1839.  He  is  a  son  of 
John  T.  and  Catherine  (Shane)  Turner,  the 
former  a  native  of  Maryland  and  the  latter 
of  Virginia.  The  father  settled  in  Bowling 
Green,  Indiana,  about  1828,  and  engaged  in 
the  business  of  manufacturing  buggies  and 
wagons,  also  carrying  on  a  blacksmith  shop. 
He  owned  a  farm  but  had  no  time  to  attend 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


345 


to  its  cultivation.  In  1854  he  sold  out  and 
settled  in  Cumberland  county,  Illinois,  where 
he  dwelt  until  his  death  in  1860.  The  wife 
and  mother  lived  until  1876,  and  of  their 
nine  children  seven  have  passed  away, 
namely:  Almira,  Andrew  H.,  Sarah,  Will- 
iam W.,  Susanna,  Harvey  and  Catherine. 
Joseph  H.,  who  served  throughout  the  Civil 
war  in  the  Forty-eighth  Illinois  Infantry,  is 
now  sheriff  of  Pacific  county,  Washington, 
and  has  acted  in  this  office  for  four  terms 
previously.  To  himself  and  wife,  Martha, 
eight  children  were  born. 

Dr.  John  W.  Turner  received  an  excel- 
lent education  and  made  the  best  of  his 
privileges,  for  at  seventeen  we  find  him  en- 
gaged in  teaching  in  Cumberland  county, 
Illinois,  and  he  continued  to  devote  himself 
to  that  calling  until  1865.  His  desire  to  see 
something  of  the  great  west  led  to  his  join- 
ing a  party,  one  of  the  number  being  Judge 
W.  E.  Smith,  who  crossed  the  plains  to 
Oregon,  the  trip  taking  about  six  months. 
From  Omaha  westward  the  party  had  great 
trouble  with  the  Indians,  and  for  weeks  at  a 
time  some  one  had  to  act  as  guard  while  the 
others  slept.  Several  times  they  were 
obliged  to  remain  behind  their  barricades 
two  or  three  days,  and  at  South  Pass, 
Dakota,  where  the  Sioux  Indians  were  on  the 
war-path,  the  entire  company  to  which  our 
subject  belonged  narrowly  escaped  slaughter. 
They  were  timely  rescued  by  some  friendly 
miners  and  prospectors  of  the  locality,  but 
learned  later,  with  horror,  that  the  very 
night  following  a  caravan  of  eight  wagons, 
men,  women  and  children,  were  massacred 
in  South  Pass.  Upon  arriving  in  Oregon, 
Mr.  Turner  resumed  his  former  occupation 
of  teaching,  for  teachers  were  in  great  de- 
mand, and  for  six  years  he  was  thus  em- 
ployed in  Washington  county,  about  seven 


miles  from  Portland.  He  then  entered 
Willamette  University  at  Salem,  and,  after 
taking  a  course  in  the  sciences,  took  up  the 
study  of  medicine,  which,  indeed,  he  had 
formerly  made  a  beginning  in  at  his  old  Illi- 
nois home  with  Dr.  L.  A.  Smith.  Imme- 
diately after  his  graduation,  he  was  urged  to 
accept  a  position  in  St.  Elizabeth's  Hospital, 
at  Vancouver,  and  for  four  years  he  was 
connected  with  that  institution. 

In  the  Centennial  year,  Dr.  Turner  came 
back  to  Illinois,  and  for  some  five  years  was 
located  in  Oakland,  Coles  county.  Then 
selling  out  his  practice,  he  removed  to  Fair- 
mount,  Illinois,  and  during  the  fifteen  years 
of  his  stay  there  built  up  a  large  and 
remunerative  business.  He  was  one  of  the 
most  popular  citizens  there,  and  served  as 
mayor  five  terms,  besides  being  chosen  mas- 
ter of  the  local  Masonic  lodge  five  terms. 
In  1896  he  gave  up  his  practice  to  his  part- 
ner, Dr.  J.  W.  Wright,  and  came  to  Homer, 
where  his  reputation  for  skill  had  preceded 
him.  He  is  rapidly  gaining  the  confidence 
of  the  public,  and  bids  fair  to  become  the 
family  physician  of  as  many  families  as  in 
other  places  where  he  has  dwelt  for  any 
length  of  time.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Champaign  County  Medical  and  the  Illinois 
State  Medical  Associations. 

Dr.  Turner  was  married  July26,  1895,10 
Miss  Celia  Furguson,  of  Parksburg,  Iowa. 
By  a  former  marriage  he  has  five  children, 
namely:  Alvah  M.,  a  traveling  salesman 
for  the  Goshen  Pharmaceutical  Company, 
with  his  home  in  Rockford,  Illinois;  Sharon 
C. ,  shipping  clerk  for  the  Oregon  Steam 
Navigation  Company,  at  Astoria,  Oregon; 
Nancy  C.,  wife  of  J.  E.  Busby,  of  Homer 
township;  Mary,  music  teacher,  living  at 
home;  and  John  W. ,  who  is  a  student  in 
the  Homer  high  school. 


346 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


For  many  years  Dr.  Turner  has  taken  a 
very  active  part  in  the  work  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church,  and  while  a  resident 
of  Fairrnount  not  only  served  as  a  member 
of  the  official  board  of  the  church,  but  also 
acted  as  superintendent  of  the  Sunday- 
school.  He  is  a  Republican,  and  socially  is 
connected  with  Homer  Lodge,  No.  199,  F. 
&  A.  M.,  and  the  Order  of  the  Eastern 
Star. 


HUBERT  CHESTER,  deceased,  late  of 
the  Chester  Transfer  Line  of  Cham- 
paign, is  descended  from  an  old  English 
family  of  Chester,  England,  that  traced  their 
ancestry  back  to  the  Romans,  who  settled 
in  that  country  prior  to  the  time  of  William 
the  Conqueror.  John  Chester,  the  pro- 
genitor of  the  family  in  America,  came  to 
New  England  with  two  brothers  and  bought 
the  Governor  Winthrope  property,  but  made 
his  home  in  the  Gore  house  at  Groton,  Con- 
necticut, where  he  lived  many  years  and 
which  was  in  the  family  for  more  than 
seventy  years.  Simeon  Chester,  the  sixth 
son  of  John,  first  married  a  Miss  Bent,  of 
Boston,  and  soon  afterward,  in  company 
with  John  Starr  and  wife,  he  removed  to 
Nova  Scotia,  but  when  the  Revolutionary 
war  broke  out  they  returned  to  the  United 
States.  They  were  pursued  by  adherents 
of  the  British  crown  and  had  to  secret  them- 
selves in  the  woods, where  they  were  fed  by 
their  wives  until  they  found  an  opportunity 
to  escape,  aided  by  friendly  Indians  who 
acted  as  guides  through  the  forests.  With 
their  wives  they  made  the  entire  distance  to 
Groton.  Connecticut,  on  foot.  They  lost 
all  their  property  in  Nova  Scotia.  Elias 
Chester,  the  second  child  of  Simeon,  moved 
to  Franklin  county,  Ohio,  and  located  on  a 


tract  of  land  given  his  father  to  reimburse 
him  for  his  losses  during  the  Revolutionary 
war.  He  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of 
that  locality  and  to  the  improvement  and 
cultivation  of  his  place  he  at  once  turned 
his  attention.  He  married  Hannah  Vin- 
cent Freeman,  and  in  their  family  was  Elias 
Chester,  the  father  of  our  subject,  who 
spent  his  entire  life  as  a  farmer  on  the  old 
homestead  in  Franklin  county,  Ohio,  al- 
though shortly  before  his  deatrT  he  visited 
Champaign  and  made  preparations  to  re- 
move here.  He  was  a  man  of  considerable 
prominence  in  public  affairs,  and  an  influ- 
ential member  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 
He  married  Anna  M.  Smith. 

Hubert  Chester  was  born  in  Franklin 
county,  Ohio,  in  1841,  and  remained  on  the 
farm  until  twenty  years  of  age,  acquiring  a 
good  common-school  education.  He  then 
went  to  Columbus,  Ohio,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed as  bookkeeperby  the  Columbus  Trans- 
fer Company,  and  while  there  obtained  his 
first  knowledge  of  the  transfer  business.  After 
a  short  time  spent  with  that  firm,  he  came  to- 
Champaign  county,  Illinois,  in  1867,  where 
his  brother,  Ezra  E. ,  had  located  two  or 
three  years  previously.  Here  he  purchased 
a  half  section  of  wild  land  from  the  govern- 
ment, and  at  once  turned  his  attention  to 
the  improvement  and  development  of  his 
place  after  erecting  a  house  there.  Before 
leaving  Ohio,  he  had  married  Miss  Melvina 
S.  Needless,  of  that  state,  and  here  they 
commenced  life  in  true  pioneer  style.  He 
continued  to  reside  upon  his  farm  until  1885. 
and  converted  it  into  one  of  the  most  attract- 
ive and  desirable  places  of  its  size  in  the 
county.  He  took  particular  interest  in  edu- 
cational affairs  and  held  several  school  offices, 
but  would  not  accept  political  positions,  al- 
though he  was  a  man  of  considerable 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


347 


prominence  in  his  community.  In  1885  he 
removed  to  Champaign  to  educate  his  chil- 
dren, and  the  following  year  purchased  the 
bus  and  transfer  business  now  carried  on  by 
the  estate  and  managed  by  his  son  H.  F.  At 
that  time  the  business  was  small,  but  he 
soon  built  it  up,  carrying  passengers,  bag- 
gage, mail,  etc.  He  had  all-  the  business  in 
that  line  in  the  city,  having  a  contract  with 
the  railroad  companies,  which  made  it  im- 
possible for  others  to  solicit  passengers,  as 
the  railroads  issued  tickets  over  his  line. 
He  successfully  engaged  in  that  business  up 
to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred 
January  20,  1897.  His  wife  died  October 
30,  1885,  soon  after  the  removal  of  the 
family  to  Champaign.  She  was  a  consistent 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
while  he  was  reared  in  the  Presbyterian  faith. 
In  the  family  of  this  worthy  couple  were  eight 
children,  four  sons  and  four  daughters, 
namely:  Charles  E.,  a  prominent  civil  en- 
gineer now  connected  with  the  mineral  sur- 
vey of  New  Mexico;  John  N.,  chief  engineer 
of  the  American  Water  Works  Company  of 
Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania;  Hubert  F.,  our 
subject;  Gertrude  A.,  at  home;  Nell,  wife  of 
Willis  A.  Graves,  of  Ottumwa,  Iowa;  Will 
ford  D.,  who  is  connected  with  the  company 
manufacturing  the  Babcock-Wilcox  boilers 
at  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania;  and  Edith  and 
Virginia,  both  at  home. 

Hubert  F.  Chester  began  his  education 
in  the  schools  near  his  boyhood  home,  and 
completed  it  in  the  Champaign  high  school, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1887.  His 
brothers  graduated  from  the  University  of 
Illinois.  After  leaving  school  he  traveled 
for  a  jewelry  house  for  six  years  and  a  half, 
and  was  connected  with  other  jewelry 
houses  until  his  father's  death  in  1897,  when 
he  took  charge  of  the  transfer  business  and 


is  still  manager  of  the  estate.  He  is  a  pro- 
gressive, enterprising  and  energetic  busi- 
ness man,  and  is  doing  quite  a  large  and 
profitable  business.  He  supports  the  Pres- 
byterian church,  is  a  member  of  the  Benevo- 
lent and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  is  an 
active  Republican,  though  not  an  aspirant 
for  office. 


WADE  LENINGTON,  an  enterprising 
young  business  man  of  St.  Joseph,  is 
one  of  the  native  sons  of  Champaign  county, 
his  birth  having  occurred  upon  his  father's 
homestead  in  Condit  township,  July  29, 
1864.  His  grandfather,  Truman  Lening- 
ton,  born  in  1800,  was  one  of  the  pioneers 
of  Licking  county,  Ohio,  going  to  that  lo- 
cality about  1832,  and  there  clearing  a 
farm  in  the  depths  of  the  forest.  He  was 
an  upright,  intelligent  citizen,  doing  his  full 
duty  toward  his  family  and  neighbors,  and 
death  did  not  claim  him  until  he  had  reached 
the  ripe  age  of  seventy-five  years. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  are  William 
and  Lucinda  J.  (French)  Lenington.  The 
father  was  born  in  New  Jersey,  April  17, 
1825,  and  with  his  parents  settled  in  the 
wilds  of  the  Buckeye  state  when  he  was  a 
child.  There  he  was  reared  to  maturity  and 
then  married  Julia  Condit,  and  a  few  years 
later  came  to  Champaign  county.  Locat- 
ing in  Condit  township  he  has  since  been 
actively  identified  with  its  welfare  and  up- 
building, and  from  time  to  time  was  called 
upon  to  fill  positions  of  honor  and  responsi- 
bility. He  now  lives  retired  in  Champaign, 
having  amassed  a  goodly  fortune  by  industry 
and  the  exercise  of  his  business  ability.  He 
still  owns  some  five  hundred  acres  in  Con- 
dit township,  and  has  other  good  invest- 
ments. For  many  years  he  has  been 


348 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


actively  connected  with  the  work  of  the 
Presbyterian  church.  After  the  death  of 
the  wife  of  his  youth,  he  married  Mrs. 
Lucinda  (French)  Pierson,  and  four  chil- 
dren were  born  to  them:  Ira,  who  died  in 
childhood;  Wade;  Dr.  James  T. ,  a  dentist 
of  Springfield,  Illinois;  and  Allen  S.,  who 
resides  with  his  parents.  Grant  E. ,  a  son 
of  the  first  marriage,  is  the  proprietor  of 
the  hotel  at  Tolono,  this  county,  and  Helen 
M.,  his  sister,  is  the  wife  of  J.  R.  Trevett,  of 
the  firm  of  Trevett  &  Mattis,  loan  brokers 
and  bankers  of  Champaign. 

Wade  Lenington  received  a  good  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  of  his  neighbor- 
hood, completing  with  a  course  of  instruc- 
tions at  the  Collegiate  Institute,  at  Paxton, 
Illinois.  He  remained  upon  the  homestead 
after  attaining  his  majority,  and  was  em- 
ployed at  a  fixed  salary  by  his  father  until 
the  latter's  removal  to  Champaign,  when 
the  young  man  assumed  full  charge  of  the 
place  and  managed  it  successfully  for  two 
years.  Then,  yielding  to  a  strong  desire  to 
see  something  of  the  great  west,  he  went  to 
Colorado,  and  at  Trinidad  he  entered  into 
partnership  with  B.  L.  Beatty,  and  estab- 
lished a  store  where  second-hand  goods 
were  handled  and  sold  to  miners.  Qn  the 
1st  of  July,  1888.  the  store  was  destroyed  by 
fire  and  most  of  the  stock  met  the  same  fate. 
Selling  out  his  interest  in  the  remainder,  Mr. 
Lenington  decided  to  engage  in  agricultural 
pursuits,  and  going  to  Las  Animas  county, 
Colorado,  he  entered  a  quarter  section  of 
government  land,  and  stayed  there  long 
enough  to  obtain  a  title  to  the  property.  He 
then  entered  the  employ  of  the  government, 
being  connected  with  the  geological  survey 
corps  of  Colorado  for  some  time. 

At  length,  returning  to  his  native  coun- 
ty, Mr.  Lenington  accepted  a  position  with 


J.  Hamilton  &  Sons,  lumber  merchants  of 
Champaign.  At  the  expiration  of  six 
months  he  took  a  similar  place  with  a 
Charleston  (Illinois)  firm,  with  which  he 
continued  for  two  years,  later  being  em- 
ployed by  the  Ft.  Howard  (Wisconsin) 
Lumber  Company.  In  August,  1894,  he 
purchased  the  St.  Joseph  branch  of  the 
business  of  J.  Hamilton  &  Sons,  of  Cham- 
paign, and  by  strict  attention  to  the  needs 
of  the  local  trade,  and  a  genuine  desire  to 
please  his  customers,  he  has  succeeded  in 
building  up  a  profitable  business.  He  keeps 
a  complete  line  of  lumber  and  building  ma- 
terial, in  addition  to  which  he  has  con- 
stantly in  stock,  paints,  oil,  lime  and  cement. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Lenington  and 
Marie  L.  Palmer  took  place  January  28, 
1895.  She  is  a  daughter  of  I.  S.  and  The- 
resa (Smith)  Palmer,  the  former  a  resident 
of  Muncie,  Indiana.  Mrs.  Lenington  was 
born  in  New  York  state  and  was  but  a  child 
when  she  came  to  Illinois.  Her  mother 
died  when  she  was  in  her  sixteenth  year. 

Since  casting  his  lot  with  the  residents 
of  St.  Joseph,  Mr.  Lenington  has  taken  an 
active  part  in  everything  pertaining  to  its 
improvement.  He  has  served  the  people 
as  a  member  of  the  town  board,  and  that  he 
is  a  firm  believer  in  the  future  of  the  place 
is  shown  from  the  fact  that  he  erected  a 
comfortable  residence  here,  and  is  one  of 
the  directors  of  the  Building,  Loan  &  In- 
vestment Association  of  St.  Joseph.  Polit- 
ically he  is  a  Republican,  while  in  the  fra- 
ternities he  has  been  an  officer  in  both  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  and  Ben  Hur  lodges. 


L  WILSON    PORTERFIELD.       Prom- 
inent among  the  energetic,  enterprising 
and  successful  business  men  of  St.  Joseph  is, 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


349 


the  subject  of  this  sketch — a  well-known 
grain  and  coal  dealer  of  that  village.  He 
is  a  native  of  Champaign  and  was  educated 
in  the  schools  of  that  city,  completing  his 
education  by  a  course  in  civil  engineering  at 
the  University  of  Illinois.  On  starting  out 
in  life  for  himself,  he  embarked  in  the  grain 
business  at  Fairmount,  Illinois,  where  he 
remained  two  years,  and  during  the  follow- 
ing year  was  associated  in  business  with  his 
brother,  E.  N.  Porterfield,  then  city  engin- 
eer of  Kearney,  and  county  surveyor  of 
Buffalo  county,  Nebraska.  Returning  to 
Illinois,  in  September,  1892,  he  purchased 
the  elevator  and  grain  business  at  St.  Joseph 
and  has  since  been  prominently  identified 
with  the  interests  of  that  place.  Soon  after 
locating  here  his  elevator  was  destroyed  by 
fire,  but  with  characteristic  energy  he  at 
once  rebuilt,  and  now  has  a  substantial  ele- 
vator with  a  capacity  of  thirty-five  thousand 
bushels  and  equipped  with  facilities  for 
handling  grain  to  the  best  advantage.  He 
is  a  wide-awake,  progressive  business  man 
and  is  meeting  with  well-deserved  success  in 
his  undertakings.  In  politics  he  supports 
Republican  principles,  and  in  his  social  re- 
lations is  a  member  of  the  Benevolent  and 
Protective  Order  of  Elks. 

J.  B.  Porterfield,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, for  many  years  one  of  the  most  honored 
and  highly  respected  citizens  of  this  county, 
was  born  on  the  loth  of  August,  1826,  in 
Armstrong  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  was  a 
son  of  Samuel  and  Nancy  Porterfield,  also 
natives  of  the  Keystone  state.  He  was 
reared  to  manhood  upon  a  farm,  and  was 
married  in  Worthington,  Pennsylvania,  May 
4, 1848,  to  Miss  Elvira  H.  Elaine,  a  daughter 
of  John  Elaine,  who,  in  1 863,  came  to  Cham- 
paign county,  Illirtois,  and  made  his  home  in 
Sidney,  where  he  died,  February  20,  1890. 


In  early  life  J.  B.  Porterfield  developed 
an  inclination  to  engage  in  an  occupation 
which  would  furnish  a  wider  field  for  oper- 
ations than  farming,  and  soon  after  reach- 
ing his  majority  he  took  up  railroad  con- 
tracting. His  first  contract  was  on  the 
Allegheny  Valley  railroad  in  Pennsylvania. 
After  completing  that  contract  he  came  to 
Illinois,  and  in  April,  1857,  located  in  West 
Urbana,  now  Champaign,  where  he  made 
his  home  until  his  removal  to  the  farm  in 
1866.  As  a  contractor  he  began  work  on 
the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad 
soon  after  coming  to  this  state,  and  subse- 
quently was  with  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road, having  lor  a  period  of  eleven  years, 
from  1857  to  1868,  the  contract  for  fence 
building  and  furnishing  wood  and  ties  for 
that  road.  In  1882  he  assisted  in  construct- 
ing the  Eureka  Springs  Railroad  in  Arkansas. 
In  1884  he  organized  the  Sidney  Coal  Com- 
pany and  sunk  the  first  shaft  ever  sunk  in 
the  county.  He  become  extensively  inter- 
ested in  farming  property,  owning  some 
twelve  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land  in 
Sidney  and  Raymond  townships,  and  after 
1858  carried  on  large  farming  operations 
besides  his  various  other  enterprises.  He 
was  a  man  of  superior  executive  ability  and 
great  energy,  possessed  of  keen  foresight  and 
sound  judgment,  and  at  an  early  day  fore- 
saw the  possibilities  of  this  county,  and 
wisely  invested  in  unimproved  land,  and  in 
improving  it  he  contributed  his  full  share 
toward  the  development  of  the  county. 

Mr.  Porterfield  was  a  man  of  fine  phy- 
sique and  commanding  personal  appearance, 
and  was  recognized  as  one  of  the  leading 
citizens  of  Champaign  county.  Progress- 
ive and  public-spirited,  his  influence  was  al- 
ways given  to  any  public  enterprise  and  for 
the  development  and  advancement  of  the 


350 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


county  and  its  interests.  In  early  life  he 
affiliated  with  the  Republican  party,  but 
later  became  independent  in  politics  and 
supported  by  his  ballot  and  influence  such 
men  and  measures  as  would  in  his  judgment 
be  for  the  best  interest  of  the  whole  coun- 
try. During  his  early  manhood  he  was  an 
active  worker  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  and  contributed  liberally  to  the 
erection  of  the  first  church  of  that  denom- 
ination in  Champaign.  He  belonged  to  that 
class  of  broad-minded  men  who  ignore 
the  boundaries  set  by  partisan  prejudice  and 
use  the  true  dignity  of  American  citizenship 
and  vote  as  their  best  judgment  dictates.  If 
there  were  more  such  in  this  day  a  purer, 
healthier  government  for  the  people  and  by 
the  people  would  be  the  result.  Mr.  Por- 
terfield  was  in  sentiment  and  practice  a 
strong  temperance  man  and  would  never 
vote  for  a  man  in  any  party  whose  influence 
was  not  for  temperance  and  good  morals. 
In  the  organization  of  the  Farmers  Associa- 
tion of  this  county,  he  was  one  of  its  most 
active  promoters,  and  spent  both  time  and 
money  in  the  interest  of  the  organization. 
He  was  also  a  prominent  member  of  the 
Farmers'  Association  of  the  state,  and  for 
some  time  served  as  state  purchasing  agent 
and  secretary.  This  was  the  first  attempt  on 
the  part  of  the  farmers  at  mutual  protection 
and  organization,  and  he  was  a  "most  zeal- 
ous worker  for  their  interests.  His  last 
days  were  spent  in  retirement  from  active 
labor  in  the  village  of  Sidney,  where  he  passed 
away  February  20,  1890,  after  a  useful  and 
well-spent  life.  His  wife  survived  him  some 
time,  dying  December  1 8,  1896.  She  was  a 
consistent  and  faithful  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church,  and  was  universally 
liked  and  respected  for  for  her  many  good 
qualities  and  exemplary  character. 


To  this  worthy  couple  were  born  thirteen 
children,  of  whom  three  died  in  infancy. 
The  others  are  as  follows:  M.  F.,  a  banker  of 
Fairmount,  Illinois;  E.  N.,  who  was  for 
several  years  city  engineer  of  Kearney,  Ne- 
braska, but  is  now  engaged  in  the  real  estate 
business  at  Kearney,  Nebraska;  S.  Emmet, 
a  grain  dealer  of  Sidney,  Illinois;  J.  Curtis, 
who  is  in  the  government  employ  as  in- 
spector at  the  Union  Stock  Yards,  Chicago; 
L.  Wilson,  our  subject;  J.  Burt,  grain 
dealer,  Sidney,  Illinois;  Mary  B.,  a  resident 
of  Sidney,  Illinois;  Carrie,  wife  of  C.  J. 
Freeman,  of  Decatur,  Illinois;  Nettie  M., 
wife  of  John  A.  Largent,  an  attorney  of 
Great  Falls,  Montana;  and  Robert  H.,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years  at  Sidney, 
Illinois. 


THOMAS  JONATHAN  BURRILL.  The 
name  Burrill,  or  as  it  is  more  commonly 
spelled,  Burrell,  presumably  originated  in 
England,  sometime  after  the  thirteenth  cen- 
tury, from  bur  or  burr,  the  dry  fruit  of  a 
plant.  The  spine-covered  bur  of  the  Euro- 
pean teasel  was,  during  several  centuries, 
the  sole  tool  used  in  combing  or  raising  a 
nap  on  woolen  goods,  and  the  process  was 
called  burring  the  cloth;  the  operators  were 
called  burrers.  It  is  well  known  that  sur- 
names like  Smith,  Carpenter,  Brewer,  etc. 
were  first  names  of  occupations  rather  than 
of  persons,  and  it  can  scarcely  be  doubted 
that  Burr,  Burritt,  Burwell,  Burrill,  and 
others  have  been  similarly  derived  from  the 
older  terms  used  by  makers  of  woolen  cloth. 
At  all  events  the  family  with  which  we  are 
now  concerned  were  very  generally  weavers 
and  carried  on  their  manufactories  in  the 
north  of  England  from  the  earliest  time  of 
which  any  trace  can  be  found  in  their  history. 


THOMAS  J.   HURR1LL,   LL.  D. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


353 


Like  the  other  north-countrymen  they  were 
a  race  of  hardy,  vigorous,  strong-bodied, 
and  strong-minded  people,  who  paid  small 
attention  to.  the  softer  refinements  of  life, 
but  who  were  early  and  resolute  combatants 
for  civil  freedom,  and  for  religious  liberty. 
In  the  later  generations  they  were  artisans 
skilled  in  their  crafts,  citizens  who  supported 
constituted  authority,  and  soldiers  who 
shrunk  not  from  service  on  the  battlefield. 
They  were  mostly  adherents  of  the  Estab- 
lished church. 

On  the  maternal  side  in  the  history  now 
in  hand,  the  name  was  Francis,  and  the 
family  lived  in  and  near  Belfast,  Ireland. 
For  some  generations  they  were  Irish  by 
nativity,  though  Scotch  by  ancestry.  There 
is  some  evidence  that  the  line  runs  back  to 
the  followers  of  William  the  Conqueror  and 
that  the  name  still  preserves  its  connection 
with  that  of  the  founders  of  the  French 
monarchy. 

In  the  spring  of  1818  Thomas  Burrill 
left  Penrith,  England,  with  his  five  mother- 
less children  to  find  a  home  in  America. 
The  youngest  of  these  children  was  John, 
then  in  his  ninth  year,  and  of  him  more  is 
to  be  said.  Passage  was  secured  in  a  sail- 
ing vessel  destined  for  New  York.  The  voy- 
age proved  a  very  tempestous  one  and  the 
somewhat  disabled  ship  was  driven  from  her 
course  and  was  at  length  completely  wrecked 
on  rocks  off  Machias  bay,  Maine.  The 
lives  of  all  on  board  were  fortunately  saved 
by  the  use  of  a  line  sent  to  the  shore  of  an 
island,  but  everything  else  was  lost.  The 
passengers  found  themselves  among  strapg- 
ers  with  nothing  whatever  of  material  kind 
to  help  themselves.  However,  a  hospitable 
home  for  his  children  was  secured  and  the 
father  started  afoot  for  Boston,  and  by  sim- 
ilar means  subsequently  reached  New  York, 


where  he  was  afterwards  joined  by  those 
whom  he  had  left  in  Maine.  In  1822  re- 
moval was  made  to  Rhode  Island,  where 
the  father  and,  after  the  custom  of  the  time, 
the  children  as  well  found  employment  in 
the  first  successfully  established  cotton  mills 
on  the  continent. 

Here  John,  of  whom  mention  has  been 
made  above,  married,  in  1828,  Mary  Fran- 
cis, eldest  daughter  of  Jonathan  Francis, 
then  a  resident  of  Pawtucket.  This  man, 
distinguished  locally  for  his  remarkable 
physical  and  mental  vigor,  had  left  Mile 
Cross,  near  Belfast,  Ireland,  where  he  had 
been  engaged  in  the  manufacture  and  sale 
of  linen  goods,  and,  also  in  1818,  had  started 
for  the  New  World  with  a  family  of  the 
mother  and  seven  children.  When  well  out 
at  sea,  smallpox  broke  out  among  the  pas- 
sengers, and  the  ship  headed  for  the  nearest 
port,  St.  Johns,  New  Brunswick.  Here 
they  stayed  several  weeks,  though  not  in 
quarantine,  and  until  the  disease  had  run 
its  course,  when  the  survivors  sailed  away 
for  Rhode  Island. 

John  and  Mary  (Francis)  Burrill  became 
the  parents  of  six  sons  and  four  daughters, 
of  whom  three  of  the  latter  early  died,  and 
one  of  the  sons,  the  eldest,  was  killed  in 
middle  manhood  by  a  team  of  frightened 
horses.  The  others  are  living  ( 1 900),  widely 
scattered  through  the  United  States.  Five 
of  these  sons — all  except  the  special  subject 
of  this  sketch — were  soldiers  in  the  Civil 
war,  and  all  returned,  after  honorable 
careers,  to  civil  life,  howbeit  with  scars  of 
battle,  and  one,  Robert  F. ,  living  in  Ur- 
bana?  Illinois,  with  an  indelible  memory  of  a 
year  in  Libby  prison. 

The  family  having  some  time  previously 
removed  to  Pittsfield,  Massachusetts,  there 
occurred  in  that  mountain-screened  town, 


354 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


on  the  25th  of  April,  1839,  the  birth  of  the 
sixth  child  and  third  son,  Thomas  Jonathan, 
of  whom  we  now  write.  Nine  years  after- 
ward the  parents  took  their  flock,  consisting 
at  the  time  of  seven  living  children,  to  a  new 
home  in  Illinois.  This  journey  was  made 
by  rail  to  Albany,  by  canal  to  Buffalo,  by 
steamer  around  the  lakes,  and  by  teams  120 
miles  west  of  Chicago,  to  a  sparsely  settled 
region  in  Stephenson  county.  There  two 
years  before  land  for  a  farm  had  been  en- 
tered from  the  general  government.  Every- 
thing was  in  a  very  primitive  condition.  All 
the  people  were  recent  arrivals.  All  lived 
in  log  houses.  The  frame  structure  soon 
erected  for  the  Burrill  family  was  the  first 
of  its  kind  for  many  miles  around  and  most 
of  the  sawed  stuff  for  this  house  was  drawn 
by  teams  from  Chicago.  There  was  no 
money  in  circulation.  Everything  in  trade 
was  by  barter.  Almost  the  only  cash  re- 
ceived was  for  wheat  delivered  in  Chicago, 
perhaps  five  to  ten  dollars  as  the  net  pro- 
ceeds of  thirty  bushels  of  grain,  and  a  trip 
of  ten  to  twelve  days  with  a  team.  The 
farmers  raised  their  own  provisions  and 
made  their  own  clothing,  living  an  inde- 
pendent but  laborious  life  for  young  and  old 
alike.  The  new  land  had  to  be  cleared  of 
trees  and  underbrush  and  the  tough  sod  was 
to  be  turned  by  a  home-made  breaking 
plow,  ironed  in  the  country  blacksmith 
shop.  Oxen  were  used  as  teams.  All  cul- 
tivated lands  had  to  be  fenced  with  rails, 
hammered  out  of  the  native  timber. 

Here  on  this  farm,  under  these  rugged 
conditions,  subject  to  the  privations  and  dis- 
advantages as  well  as  to  the  advantages  of 
pioneer  life,  the  lad  Thomas,  with  the  oth- 
ers, grew  to  young  manhood.  During  about 
four  months  in  winter  he  attended  the 
schools  organized  in  the  neighborhood,  at 


first  by  private  enterprises  and  then  by  pub- 
lic law.  He  subsequently  completed  a  course 
of  study  in  the  Rockford  high  school,  and 
became  a  teacher  in  the  country  near  his  old 
home.  The  success  of  these  early  efforts 
turned  his  attention  towards  future  prep- 
ation  for  teaching  as  a  life  employment,  and 
in  1865  he  graduated  from  an  unusually  full 
course  in  the  Illinois  State  Normal  Univers- 
ity, near  Bloomington.  Here  his  intuitive 
love  for  the  study  of  the  things  of  nature 
was  quickened  into  ardent  activity,  and  it 
is  probable  that  the  course  pursued  was  for 
him  better  in  results  than  if  he  had  followed 
an  earlier  expectation  of  entering  a  classical 
college,  such  as  it  was  possible  for  him  to 
reach. 

Immediately  after  graduation  he  was 
made  superintendent  of  the  public  schools 
of  Urbana,  Illinois.  Here,  besides  satis- 
factorily performing  his  official  duties,  he 
continued  his  scientific  studies  and  soon  at- 
tracted attention  for  his  enthusiasm  and 
ability  in  these  branches.  In  1867  he  be- 
came botanist  to  Powell's  Rocky  mountain 
exploring  expedition,  and  spent  the  sum- 
mer in  Colorado.  His  connection  with  the 
Urbana  schools  continued  until,  on  the  2Oth 
of  April,  1868,  he  entered  upon  duty  as  as- 
sistant professor  of  natural  science,  and  in 
charge  of  a  department,  including  botany, 
zoology  and  geology,  in  the  newly  opened 
Illinois  Industriol  University,  now  the  Uni- 
versity of  Illinois.  At  that  time  in  the  col- 
leges of  the  country,  it  was  customary  to 
devote  only  one  term  to  each  of  these 
subjects.  Here  was,  at  the  outset,  offered 
a  year's  work  in  each  branch,  and  our  as- 
piring naturalist  gave  instructions  in  them 
all,  and  from  the  first  began  the  introduc- 
tion of  laboratory  methods,  though  under 
difficulties  not  at  once  to  be  overcome.  In 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


355 


addition  to  the  regular  class  instruction 
there  were  the  duties  devolving  upon  the 
members  of  the  faculty  of  a  new  and  devel- 
oping institution,  constituting  often  high 
responsiblities  and  laborious  tasks.  It  has 
been  freely  acknowledged  that  in  these 
early  years  Mr.  Burrill  bore  his  share  in 
these  extra  labors.  He  aided  the  young 
people  in  the  organization  and  management 
of  students'  societies,  and  served  with 
them,  as  a  representative  of  the  faculty,  on 
a  committee  having  in  charge  the  college 
paper,  suggesting  the  name  "  Illini,"  which 
it  has  since  borne;  he  took  charge  of  the 
university  library  as  its  first  librarian,  and 
retained  the  position  some  years,  and,  be- 
ginning in  1870,  he  was  for  thirteen  years 
secretary  of  the  faculty. 

In  March,  1870,  the  trustees  created 
the  department  of  botany  and  horticulture, 
and  appointed  Professor  Burrill  its  chief — 
a  position  he  has  now  held  for  thirty  years. 
He  was  corresponding  secretary  of  the 
board  of  trustees  from  1875  to  1888,  and 
during  this  time  edited  and  attended  to  the 
printing  of  the  biennial  volumes  of  "  Trans- 
actions. "  When  the  office  was  constituted 
in  the  university  he  was  made  dean  of  the 
college  of  science  and  served  for  six  years. 
In  the  meantime  he  became,  in  1879,  vice 
president  of  the  university,  and  this  posi- 
tion has  since  been  continuously  held  by 
him.  By  virtue  of  this  office  and  by  special 
appointment,  he  has,  at  different  times,  been 
chief  executive  officer  of  the  university, 
once  nearly  a  year,  in  the  absence  of  the 
president,  and  for  three  years,-  i89i-'94, 
during  an  interregnum  in  the  president's 
office.  When  at  length  this  office  was 
filled,  the  trustees  made  a  new  one  for  the 
former  acting-president,  viz.,  dean  of  the 
general  faculty  and  of  the  graduate  school. 


In  addition  to  the  above  and  other  minor 
appointments,  Professor  Burrill  has  been  a 
member  of  the  board  of  directors,  and 
horticulturist  and  botanist,  of  the  agricultural 
experiment  station  since  its  organization  in 
1888. 

To  those  who  know  the  man  it  is  un- 
necessary to  say  he  has  not  sought  honors 
or  attempted  to  secure  special  recognition 
for  service.  Still  such  as  have  been  be- 
stowed unasked  have  been  valued  by  him. 
Having  planned  and  planted  the  University 
campus  and  watch  the  development  from  an 
open  field  to  the  gardenesque  beauty  it  now 
presents,  there,  no  doubt,  was  genuine 
satisfaction  in  the  act  of  the  trustees  by 
which  the  central,  tree-lined  drive,  extend- 
ing north  and  south  through  the  center,  be- 
came Burrill  avenue. 

At  different  times  academic  degrees  have 
been  bestowed  upon  the  well-known  recipient, 
by  institutions  other  than  his  own;  the  last 
was  that  of  Doctor  of  Laws  by  the  North- 
western University  at  Evanston,  Illinois.  He 
is  also  entitled  to  write  after  his  name  initials 
indicating  fellowships  in  American  and 
European  organizations,  and  in  some  of 
these  he  has  at  times  served  as  one  of  the 
principal  officers. 

In  his  chief  lines  of  research  he  is  widely 
recognized  as  an  authority  and  has  the  dis- 
tinction of  first  making  known  the  fact  that 
bacteria  are  disease  producers  in  plants,  as 
well  as  in  animals.  The  subject  of  parasitic 
fungi  was  also  early  taken  up  and,  before 
anyone  else  in  America  had  made  much  ad- 
vancement in  the  study,  some  valuable  re- 
ports were  issued.  In  1888  a  United  States 
commission  was  to  be  appointed  to  settle  a 
scientific  controversy  concerning  communi- 
cable diseases  of  swine.  His  well-known 
studies  upon  bacteria  in  general  designated 


356 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Dr.  Burrill  as  one  of  the  best  men  in  the 
country  for  the  services  and  he  was  accord- 
ingly made  a  member  of  the  commission, 
and  ultimately  shared  in  the  responsibility 
of  the  report  rendered. 

Probably,  however,  nothing  in  the  nature 
of  a  testimonial  so  touched  the  receiver  as 
-did  that  presented  by  the  faculty  of  the 
University  to  the  acting  president,  at  the 
conclusion  of  his  service  as  such  in  1894. 
To  show  their  appreciation  of  these  services 
the  members  of  the  faculty  caused  an  ad- 
dress to  be  made  to  him  and  accompanied  it 
toy  a  set  of  the  volumes  of  the  Century  Dic- 
tionary, then  recently  issued.  The  occasion 
was  one  long  to  be  remembered  by  all  pres- 
ent. During  the  three  years  of  his  service 
the  University  had  taken  a  very  decided  for- 
ward movement.  The  internal  troubles, 
which  had  through  some  years  disturbed  its 
peace,  had  very  soon  subsided  and  new  ones 
had  not  arisen;  great  extensions  had  been 
made  to  freedom  in  the  choice  of  studies  by 
students,  and  the  whole  educational  policy 
had  been  much  modified;  the  ban  previous- 
ly placed  upon  Greek-letter  fraternities  had 
been  removed,  much  to  the  satisfaction  of  a 
considerable  number  of  the  students  ;the  mili- 
tary department,  from  which  many  diffi- 
culties of  general  management  had  been  ex- 
perienced, had  been  reorganized  and  so  ad- 
justed that  further  trouble  was  unknown; 
the  appropriations  by  the  State  Legislature 
had  suddenly  become  liberal,  instead  of  the 
small  sums  previously  granted  at  the  bien- 
nial session,  and  with  the  increased  funds 
notable  additions  to  the  buildings  and 
•equipment  had  been  made,  and  the  number 
of  teachers  had  rapidly  increased;  with  all 
this  the  number  of  students  in  attendance 
became  greatly  augmented. 

No    man  nor  set   of  men  can  claim  the 


credit  for  the  advance  thus  made.  The 
movement  came  from  many  causes  com- 
bined, but  among  these  there  has  been  no 
hesitation  in  acknowledging  the  favorable 
contributions  and  influence  of  the  acting 
president.  The  trustees  and  the  faculty, 
as  has  been  seen,  each  took  special  action, 
prompted  by  this  feeling  and  the  desire  for 
its  expression.  The  larger,  more  rapid  de- 
velopment that  has  been  brought  about 
since  1894  is  decidedly  creditable  to  the 
new  president  and  his  colaborers,  but  this 
does  not  diminish  the  importance  of  the 
work  previously  done. 

In  private  life  Mr.  Burrill  is  held  in  high 
esteem.  He  has  been  active  in  the  dis- 
charge of  the  duties  of  a  citizen  and  has 
endeavored  in  every  way  within  his  power 
to  make  the  twin  cities  of  Champaign  and 
Urbana  pleasant  and  reputable  places  of 
residence  for  a  cultured  people,  and  as 
proper  homes  for  the  ever-increasing  body 
of  students.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church,  and  has  been  known 
all  his  adult  life  in  politics  as  a  Republican, 
but  as  one  who  would  scratch  a  ticket  if  he 
felt  it  necessary  for  the  best  results. 

In  1868  he  married  Miss  Sarah  H. 
Alexander,  of  Seneca  Falls,  New  York,  and 
she  now  shares,  with  their  two  daughters, 
the  home  in  Urbana,  than  which  there  is 
none  other  in  the  city  better  known. 


CALVIN  B.  BUTLER.  Concentration 
and  industry  rarely  fail  to  bring  suc- 
cess, when  integrity  and  genuine  desire  to 
meet  the  wishes  of  the  public  are  united 
with  the  other  traits  of  character  men- 
tioned. No  one  stands  higher  in  the  esti- 
mation of  the  general  public  of  Homer  than 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


357' 


Calvin  B.  Butler,  whose  career  plainly  shows 
what  may  be  accomplished  by  an  intelli- 
gent, straightforward  young  man,  desirous 
of  success. 

Several  of  the  relatives  and  ancestors  of 
Mr.  Butler  were  soldiers  in  the  war  of  the 
Revolution,  and  from  that  day  to  the  pres- 
ent the  name  has  been  synonymous  with 
patriotism.  His  grandfather,  Peter  H.  But- 
ler, formerly  of  Butler  county,  Ohio,  came 
to  Illinois  in  1855,  and  was  extensively  en- 
gaged in  farming  in  Vance  township,  Ver- 
milion county,  until  his  death.  Only  one  of 
his  five  children  now  survives,  namely:  Mrs. 
Celia  A.  Linkmeyer,  of  Sharonville,  Ohio. 

James,  the  eldest  son  of  Peter  H.  But- 
ler, and  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in 
Oxford,  Ohio,  and  there  followed  farming, 
as  his  ancestors  had  done.  Believing  him- 
self called  to  the  ministry  in  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  he  was  fitting  himself  for 
his  work  when  the  summons  came  to  him 
to  lay  aside  his  earthly  burdens.  He  died 
in  July,  1857,  scarcely  two  years  after  his 
arrival  in  Vermilion  county,  where  he  had 
found  a  new  home  for  his  wife  and  children. 
The  eldest  child  died  in  infancy.  Frances  M. 
is  the  wife  of  F.  M.  Smith,  a  druggist  of 
Homer.  Mrs.  Butler  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Mary  B.  Bevis,  and  was  born  in 
the  town  of  Bevis,  Ohio,  which  place  was 
founded  by  her  father,  James  A.  Bevis,  who, 
at  an  early  date,  removed  from  Massachu- 
setts to  Hamilton  county,  Ohio.  For  many 
years  he  conducted  a  hotel  in  Bevis,  and, 
besides,  carried  on  a  farm  in  the  vicinity. 
Mrs.  Butler  was  one  of  six  children,  three  of 
whom  were  daughters.  After  the  death  of 
James  Butler,  she  became  the  wife  of  Henry 
Ervin,  and  they  make  their  home  in  this 
place.  Two  of  their  seven  children  are  de- 
ceased, and  those  living  are  named,  re- 


spectively: Flora  E.,  James  Wilbur,  Nettie 
M.,  Jessie  C.  and  Nora  B. 

Calvin  B.  Butler  was  born  January  20, 
1856,  in  Vermilion  county,  Illinois,  and  was 
an  infant  when  his  mother  brought  him  to 
Homer.  Here  he  attended  school,  and 
later  went  to  Farmers'  College,  at  College 
Hill,  Ohio.  Upon  his  return  he  was  at  once 
employed  by  Solomon  Plaut  as  a  book- 
keeper and  cashier  in  the  Citizens  Bank  of 
Homer.  In  October,  1878,  he  went  to 
Monticello,  where  he  engaged  in  the  market 
business  for  a  year  or  so,  and  in  May,  1879, 
he  returned  to  Homer  and  became  deputy 
postmaster,  a  position  he  held  acceptably 
for  six  years.  He  also  held  the  agency  for 
the  Pacific  Express  Company,  and  in  April, 
1885,  he  became  messenger  for  that  com- 
pany, between  Chicago  and  Forest,  on  the 
Wabash  railroad.  He  then  was  made  agent 
at  the  last-named  place,  but  returned  to 
Homer  in  1885,  and  on  the  26th  of  August 
entered  the  employ  of  W.  W.  Mudge,  with 
whom  he  remained  exactly  six  years,  com- 
mencing at  noon  on  the  26th  of  August  and 
quitting  at  noon  on  the  26th  of  August.  In 
the  summer  of  1891  he  decided  to  embark 
in  business  for  himself,  and  made  arrange- 
ments with  the  Homer  lodge  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows to  erect  a  building,  in  which  he  might 
have  suitable  quarters  for  a  hardware  store. 
Buying  out  the  stock  of  C.  J.  Tinkham,  he 
took  possession  of  his  new  belongings  on 
the  26th  of  August,  1891,  commencing  to 
invoice  the  stock  immediately  after  dinner. 
After  renting  a  store-room  for  six  years,  he 
bought  his  present  block,  which  is  com- 
modious and  in  every  way  fitted  for  his 
business,  now  grown  to  large  proportions. 
He  not  only  carries  a  fine  line  of  hardware, 
but  all  kinds  of  farm  machinery,  bicycles,, 
buggies  and  wagons. 


358 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


In  addition  to  managing  his  regular 
business  with  energy  and  enterprise,  Mr. 
Butler  is  local  agent  for  the  Home  Insur- 
ance Company  of  New  York,  and  for  the 
Springfield  Fire  &  Marine  Insurance  Com- 
pany; the  Insurance  Company  of  North 
America,  of  Erie,  Pennsylvania;  the  Hart- 
ford Fire  Insurance  Company  of  Hartford, 
and  the  New  York  Underwriters  Associa- 
tion, of  New  York  city.  He  is  a  stock- 
holder and  director  of  the  Homer  Fair 
Association,  has  served  on  the  town  board, 
and  is  a  stanch  Republican.  Fraternally, 
he  belongs  to  Homer  Lodge,  No.  199,  F.  & 
A.  M. ;  and  Homer  Chapter,  No.  94.  R. 
A.  M.,  being  secretary  of  the  last  named. 
He  is  also  connected  with  Homer  Lodge, 
No.  252,  I.  O.  O.  F. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Butler  and  Venora 
L.  Whitlock,  daughter  of  Stephen  H.  and 
Jane  (Horton)  Whitlock,  natives  of  Ohio, 
was  solemnized  September  8,  1880.  In 
early  life  Mr.  Whitlock  was  a  carpenter, 
but  about  thirty  years  ago  he  entered  the 
ministry,  and  at  present  is  the  presiding 
elder  of  the  Mattoon  district  of  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  church.  His  four  children, 
Venora,  Ward  B.,  Mabel  R.  and  Muriel 
M.,  are  all  living.  The  union  of  our  sub- 
ject and  wife  has  been  blessed  with  four 
children:  Drew  W. ,  born  November  14, 
1 88 1,  died  in  February,  1882.  Mary  M., 
born  Janaury  17,  1884,  is  a  student  in  the 
high  school.  Roxy  J.,  born  January  I, 
1886,  and  Laura  B.,  born  January  25,  1888, 
are  also  attending  the  Homer  schools. 
That  Mr.  Butler  is  greatly  interested  in  the 
matter  of  educating  the  young  has  been 
shown  by  serving  as  a  member  of  the 
school  board  six  years.  With  his  family,  he 
is  identified  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church. 


JOHN  DRESBACK.  St.  Joseph,  Cham- 
paign  county,  has  many  thoroughly  pa- 
triotic and  enterprising  citizens,  none  more 
so  than  the  gentleman  of  whom  the  follow- 
ing lines  are  penned.  He  has  done  every- 
thing within  his  power  to  promote  local  in- 
terests, and  by  the  judicious  expenditure  of 
time,  energy  and  means,  has  accomplished 
much  for  the  town  with  which  he  has  been 
identified  for  several  decades. 

Mr.  Dresback  is  of  German  extraction, 
and  his  paternal  grandfather,  Jacob  Dres- 
back, was  born  in  Pennsylvania  and  spent 
a  portion  of  his  life  there.  Our  subject's 
parents,  Jacob  and  Catherine  (Hoy)  Dres- 
back, were  natives  of  Luzerne  county,  Penn- 
sylvania. The  father  removed  to  the  Buck- 
eye state  in  early  manhood  and  was  married 
in  Fairfield  county.  About  1830  he  settled 
in  the  heavily  timbered  section  of  Logan 
county,  Ohio,  and  cleared  a  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  the  forest.  He 
was  a  carpenter  by  trade  and  found  plenty 
of  employment  at  that  calling  in  the  inter- 
vals of  his  farming  duties.  In  1853  he 
came  to  St.  Joseph  township  and  there 
passed  the  rest  of  his  life,  his  death  occur- 
ring in  August,  1855.  His  wife  lived  until 
1882,  and  both  were  placed  to  rest  in  the 
Patterson  cemetery.  They  were  Presby- 
terians in  religious  belief,  and  in  political 
creed  Mr.  Dresback  was  a  Democrat.  Their 
three  eldest  children  are  deceased.  Irvin, 
whose  death  occurred  in  1851,  was  in  his 
twentieth  year.  Ira  and  Olive  departed  this 
life  in  childhood.  Elizabeth,  born  April  2, 
1836,  became  the  wife  of  I.  M.  Kuder,  of 
St.  Joseph,  and  died  November  18,  1899. 
Sarah  A.,  born  May  22,  1837,  and  widow  of 
Isaac  Brown,  resides  in  Arlington,  Oklaho- 
ma. Amanda  C.,  born  May  25,  1838,  is 
the  widow  of  Reuben  C.  Koch,  and  her 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


359 


home  is  in  St.  Joseph  township.  Mary, 
born  February  29,  1844.  died  in  January, 
1856. 

The  birth  of  John  Dresback  took  place 
in  Logan  county,  February  15.  1843.  He 
was  a  boy  of  ten  years  at  the  time  that  the 
family  came  to  this  township,  and  was  soon 
bereft  of  his  father.  Being  the  only  son  left 
to  his  widowed  mother  the  cares  of  the  fam- 
ily early  devolved  upon  him,  and  he  man- 
fully performed  his  tasks.  In  the  meantime 
he  gained  a  fair  education,  and  when  about 
twenty  years  of  age  he  applied  for  a  certifi- 
cate  to  teach,  and  for  several  years  he  de- 
voted the  greater  share  of  his  time  and  at- 
tention to  that  line  of  work.  In  1865  he 
took  a  course  at  Bryant  &  Stratton's  Busi- 
ness College,  in  Buffalo,  New  York,  thus 
qualifying  himself  for  a  commercial  career. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Dresback  and  Jen- 
nie Treece  was  solemnized  at  Vanlue,  Ohio, 
December  17,  1865.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
Cornelius  and  Hettie  (Myers)  Treece,  and 
was  born  June  26,  1849,  in  Amanda  town- 
ship, Hancock  county,  Ohio,  and  was  reared 
in  Vanlue,  where  her  father  resided  after 
retiring  from  active  cares.  Three  children 
were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dresback.  Or- 
rin  D. ,  born  October  22.  1866,  married 
Sophia  K.  Geibel,  and  is  engaged  in  the 
poultry  business  at  Ogden.  Illinois.  Alfred 
L. ,  born  September  12,  1871,  died  August 
20,  1872.  Pearl  Gertrude,  born  February 
5,  1877,  is  the  wife  of  Charles  Peabody,  a 
•  dealer  in  implements  at  Longview,  Illinois. 

For  about  four  years  after  his  marriage 
Mr.  Dresback  continued  to  engage  in  teach- 
ing school,  and  returned  to  St.  Joseph  in 
August,  1867.  In  1 869  he  opened  a  general 
store  in  the  old  part  of  the  town,  and  when 
the  railroad  was  put  through  here  he  re- 
moved to  the  new  village.  Here  he  erected 


the  building  now  occupied  by  George  C. 
Swafford,  and  here  he  was  actively  engaged 
in  business  until  1878,  when  he  sold  out. 
Since  that  time  he  has  given  his  attention 
to  his  present  line  of  business,  dealing  ex- 
tensively in  poultry,  game  and  eggs,  and 
shipping  to  the  city  markets  in  large 
quantities.  In  1893  he  erected  the  brick 
building  which  he  now  occupies,  and,  alto- 
gether, he  has  built  about  half  a  dozen  of 
the  substantial  residences  and  business 
blocks  of  this  place.  For  many  years  he 
has  been  director  and  secretary  of  the  St. 
Joseph  Building,  Loan  &  Investment  As- 
sociation and  is  one  of  the  most  enthusias- 
tic workers  in  the  organization.  To  his 
efforts  are  due  many  of  the  substantial  im- 
provements which  our  citizens  enjoy,  and 
he  is  considered  one  of  the  most  public 
spirited  citizens  of  the  place.  As  great  con- 
fidence is  placed  in  his  fidelity  and  good 
judgment,  he  has  been  called  upon  to  serve 
in  the  capacity  of  town  clerk  and  township 
commissioner,  and  for  the  past  twenty-six 
years  he  has  been  the  treasurer  of  the  town- 
ship schools.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  charter 
member  of  St.  Joseph  Lodge,  No.  222, 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and  at  present 
holds  the  office  of  master  of  finance  in  St. 
Joseph  Lodge,  No.  222,  Knight  of  Pythias. 
He  also  belongs  to  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic,  as,  in  1862,  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany K,  Sixty-seventh  Illinois  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, but  on  account  of  temporary  dis- 
ability he  was  placed  upon  detached  duty, 
and  was  stationed  on  guard  duty  at  Camp 
Douglas,  Chicago,  where  he  remained  four 
months.  Both  himself  and  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and 
at  present  he  is  officiating  as  steward.  Polit- 
ically, he  is  identified  with  the  Republican 
party. 


360 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


JC.  GARDINER,  the  present  efficient 
and  popular  supervisor  of  Ogden  town- 
ship, and  a  leading  merchant  of  the  village 
of  Ogden,  has  gained  a  wide  reputation  as 
a  most  capable  business  man,  and  occupies 
a  position  of  no  little  prominence  in  con- 
nection with  the  political  affairs  of  the 
county.  His  life  demonstrates  what  may 
be  accomplished  through  energy,  careful 
management,  keen  foresight  and  the  utiliza- 
tion of  the  powers  with  which  nature  has 
endowed  one,  and  the  opportunities  with 
which  the  times  surround  him. 

Mr.  Gardiner  is  proud  to  claim  Illinois 
as  his  native  state,  his  birth  occurring  in 
Pike  county,  May  4,  1861.  His  parents  are 
William  and  Phcbe  A.  (Stanley)  Gardiner. 
The  father  was  born  in  Ireland,  in  1825, 
and  when  twelve  years  of  age  came  alone  to 
America.  He  was  married  in  McDonough 
county,  Illinois,  and  soon  afterward  located 
in  Pike  county,  where  he  purchased  a  small 
farm,  which  he  operated  until  1868,  and 
then  removed  to  Logan  county,  this  state, 
making  his  home  there  for  one  year.  At 
the  end  of  that  time  he  went  to  Piatt  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  where  he  bought  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  land,  and  to  its  improve- 
ment and  cultivation  devoted  his  time  and 
attention  until  1887.  During  that  year  he 
sold  his  property  in  this  state  and  moved  to 
Adams  county,  Nebraska,  where  he  pur- 
chased four  hundred  acres  of  land  and  con- 
tinued to  engage  in  agricultural  pursuits 
quite  extensively  until  recently,  but  is  now 
living  a  retired  life  in  Hastings,  Nebraska. 
In  politics  he  is  a  stanch  Republican,  and 
in  religious  belief  is  a  Methodist,  taking  an 
active  part  in  the  work  of  church  and  Sun- 
day school,  and  contributing  liberally  to 
their  support. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  fourth 


in  order  of  birth  in  a  family  of  twelve  chil- 
dren, the  others  being  James,  who  was  ac- 
cidentally killed  at  about  the  age  of  nineteen 
years;  Martha,  wife  of  C.  W.  Yapp,  an  ex- 
tensive farmer  of  Mansfield,  Illinois;  Eliza- 
beth, wife  of  J.  O.  Smothers,  of  Osman, 
Illinois;  Joseph,  a  prominent  attorney  of 
Hastings,  Nebraska;  Frank,  who  is  engaged 
in  the  mercantile  business  in  Adams  county, 
that  state;  David,  who,  in  partnership  with 
our  subject,  is  engaged  in  merchandising  in 
Wingate,  Indiana;  Fred,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  eighteen  years;  Harry,  who  is  con- 
nected with  the  firm  of  Gardiner  Brothers 
at  Wingate,  Indiana;  Letitia,  deceased;. 
Lucy,  wife  of  Clark  Young,  who  lives  on 
the  home  farm  in  Adams  county,  Nebraska; 
and  Elmer,  deceased.  Fred,  Letitaand  El- 
mer all  died  from  diphtheria  within  a  week. 
J.  C.  Gardiner  was  reared  on  the  home 
farm  and  acquired  his  education  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  the  neighborhood.  On 
reaching  his  majority  he  started  out  in  life 
on  his  own  account  as  a  farmer,  first  oper- 
ating rented  land  near  Mansfield  in  Piatt 
county.  Later  he  came  to  Champaign 
county,  and  rented  a  two- hundred-acre 
farm  in  Ogden  township  from  J.  W.  Lewis, 
which  he  conducted  for  five  years,  at  the 
end  of  which  time  he  bought  a  small  farm 
within  a  half  mile  of  the  village  of  Ogden. 
In  1891  he  was  elected  assessor  of  his 
township,  and  while  performing  the  duties 
of  that  office  he  also  operated  his  farm- 
without  help.  In  the  fall  of  the  same  year 
he  sold  the  place  and  bought  a  small  stock 
of  groceries,  with  which  he  commenced  his 
mercantile  business  in  the  L.  W.  Baird 
building  at  Ogden.  For  the  first  year  his 
stock  consisted  only  of  groceries,  but  later 
he  began  adding  other  lines,  and  increased 
his  stock  from  time  to  time  to  meet  the 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


growing  demands  of  his  trade.  In  1894  he 
purchased  his  present  store  building  from 
\V.  F.  Jenkins  and  now  occupies  two  good 
rooms,  carrying  a  large  and  well-selected 
stock  of  general  merchandise.  There  is 
probably  no  neater  or  better  conducted  es- 
tablishment in  the  county.  He  is  deserving 
of  much  credit  for  the  success  he  has 
achieved,  as  he  came  to  this  county  a  poor 
man,  and  when  entering  upon  his  commer- 
cial career  had  but  four  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  to  invest;  but  being  a  man  of  sound 
judgment  and  good  business  ability,  he  has 
overcome  the  obstacles  in  his  path  and  is 
now  at  the  head  of  a  large  and  prosperous 
business.  In  1898,  in  addition  to  his  in- 
terests here,  he  became  an  equal  partner 
with  his  brother  David  in  the  mercantile 
firm  of  Gardiner  Brothers,  of  Wingate, 
Indiana,  and  spent  a  few  months  in  estab- 
lishing the  business  there  which  his  brother 
now  carries  on. 

On  the  i3th  of  March,  1887,  in  Mans- 
field, Illinois,  Mr.  Gardiner  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Ettie  House,  a  native  of 
Sadorus  township,  this  county,  and  a 
daughter  of  Absalom  and  Martha  (Smith) 
House.  She  is  a  graduate  of  the  Mans- 
field high  school,  and  is  a  lady  of  culture 
and  refinement,  who  occupies  a  high  place 
in  society  and  in  the  esteem  of  her  many 
acquaintances.  In  1896  Mr.  Gardiner 
erected  his  present  commodious  residence — 
one  of  the  best  in  Ogden.  Both  he  and  his 
wife  are  active  and  leading  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  he  is  es- 
pecially interested  in  Sunday  school  work, 
having  served  as  superintendent  and  presi- 
dent of  the  township  Sunday  school  associ- 
ation. Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  Corn 
City  Lodge,  No.  560,  K.  P.,  and  is  a 

charter  member  of  the  Court  of  Honor  at 
10 


Ogden,  in  which  he  has  served  as  presiding 
officer  for  several  years. 

In  connection  with  his  business  interests, 
Mr.  Gardiner  has  also  found  time  to  devote 
to  public  affairs,  and  has  taken  quite  a 
prominent  and  influential  part  in  local  pol- 
itics. He  is  unswerving  in  his  allegiance  to 
the  Republican  party,  and  in  1892  was 
elected  supervisor  of  his  township,  to  which 
office  he  has  been  continuously  re-elected, 
and  in  which  he  is  now  serving  his  fourth 
term.  During  his  third  term  he  was  chosen 
chairman  of  the  board,  and  tor  three  years 
served  as  chairman  of  the  judicial  commit- 
tee. He  has  also  been  a  member  of  the 
committees  on  ways  and  means,  buildings 
and  grounds.  That  he  has  discharged  his 
official  duties  in  a  most  commendable  and 
satisfactory  manner  is  indicated  by  his  long 
retention  in  office,  and  he  is  considered  one 
of  the  ablest  members  of  the  board.  He 
has  also  served  as  village  trustee,  and  is  a 
member  of  the  Republican  County  Central 
Committee  of  Champaign  County. 


WARREN  M.  HILL  is  one  of  the  early 
settlers    of     Tolono,   where    he    has- 
passed  much  of  his  Hie,  and  where  his  hon- 
ored father  played  a  very  important  part  in« 
establishing  the  town  upon  a  firm   basis  of 
prosperity.       The  latter,    Walter    F.    Hill,, 
came  of  fine  old  New  England  ancestry,  his> 
birth   having    occurred    in    Bangor,  Maine. 
In  that  city  he  grew  to  manhood,  acquiring 
an    exceptionally    good     education,    which 
served  him  well   in  his  subsequent  career. 
He    married    Eliza   Maxwell,    a    native   of 
the   same  city,  and  of  Scotch  descent,  and 
soon  afterwards  they  removed   to    Shelby- 
ville,     Kentucky,    where    he     became     the 


362 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


founder  and.  principal  of  the  Shelby ville 
Female  Academy,  an  institution  which  exer- 
cised a  wide  influence  for  good  throughout 
that  region.  For  twenty-two  years  he  con- 
ducted the  academy  in  a  very  efficient 
manner,  winning  the  high  regard  of  the 
leading  educators  of  that  day.  In  1859, 
when  the  Civilwar  seemed  imminent,  and 
every  enterprise  in  the  land  was  threatened 
with  dissolution,  he  closed  his  school  and 
came  to  the  north,  where  his  sympathies 
naturally  were  centered.  The  old  academy 
building  is  yet  standing,  but  its  work  was 
finished  long  ago,  and  the  one  who  made  it 
famous  has  passed  to  his  reward.  For  two 
years  after  leaving  Kentucky,  Mr.  Hill  en- 
gaged in  teaching  school  in  Champaign 
county,  for  educated  men  were  in  great 
demand  in  Illinois  at  that  day,  and  it  was 
not  long  ere  he  was  called  upon  to  act  in 
local  offices  requiring  more  than  ordinary 
ability.  As  justice  of  the  peace  he  served 
for  a  number  of  years,  and  as  police  magis- 
trate for  a  year,  besides  being  an  active 
member  of  the  town  board  for  years.  In 
early  manhood  he  was  a  Democrat,  but 
soon  after  the  formation  of  the  Republi- 
can party,  he  identified  himself  with  it,  as  it 
more  nearly  voiced  his  opinions.  Prior  to 
his  locating  in  this  county,  he  made  a  tour 
of  inspection  through  Illinois,  and  bought 
land  in  several  counties,  but  concluded  that 
he  could  find  no  more  promising  place  for 
a  home  than  the  one  he  selected.  His  use- 
ful life,  covering  some  four-score  years, 
came  to  an  end  at  his  home  in  Tolono, 
March  12,  1887.  His  widow  died  Febru- 
ary 14,  1900.  The  mother  of  the  subject 
of  this  article  died  when  he  was  only  three 
weeks  old,  and  the  father,  thus  left  with  six 
little  children  (five  of  whom  have  since 
died)  married  again,  the  lady  of  his  choice 


being  Mrs.  Rebecca  (Miller)  Lytle,  a  widow. 
Six  children  were  born  to  them,  but  only  two 
survive,  namely:  Joseph  E.,  who  is  em- 
ployed as  a  grain  inspector  in  Chicago,  is 
married,  and  has  five  children;  and  Thomas 
C. ,  principal  of  the  schools  of  Kensing- 
ton, Illinois,  married,  and  father  of  four 
children. 

Warren  M.  Hill  was  born  in  Shelbyville, 
Kentucky,  September  17,  1845,  and  re- 
ceived his  elementary  education  in  the  acad- 
emy presided  over  by  his  father.  He  was 
only  fourteen  years  of'age  when  he  accom- 
.panied  the  family  to  this  county,  and  six 
years  later  he  enlisted  in  Company  A,  One 
Hundred  and  Fifty-fourth  Illinois  Volunteer 
Infantry,  and  served  from  February  until 
September,  1865,  his  chief  duties  being 
those  of  patrol  and  guard,  as  the  war  had 
closed  soon  after  his  enlistment.  Upon 
arriving  home,  he  turned  his  attention  to 
farming  for  a  few  years,  and  in  1872  came 
to  Tolono,  where  he  purchased  an  interest 
in  a  grocery  business.  The  firm,  known  as 
Louks  &  Hill,  later  added  a  stock  of  dry 
goods  and  general  merchandise,  and  made  a 
success  of  the  undertaking.  At  the  end  of 
three  years,  Mr.  Hill  sold  out  his  interest, 
and  entered  the  service  of  the  government 
as  a  railway  postal  clerk,  on  the  Wabash 
road.  During  almost  the  entire  length  of 
his  service — eighteen  years,  his  run  has  been 
from  Toledo  to  St.  Louis,  and  it  is  safe  to 
say  that  he  is  one  of  the  most  trusted  and 
popular  men  on  the  line.  His  fidelity  and 
ability  are  unquestioned,  and  his  pleasant, 
courteous  ways  render  him  a  general  favorite 
with  all  who  have  dealings  with  him.  He 
owns  a  block  of  ground  in  the  eastern  part 
of  Tolono,  and  has  made  improvements 
thereon.  For  his  family,  he  has  built  a 
convenient  modern  cottage,  and  has  beauti- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


363 


fied  the  place,  setting  out  shade  trees  and 
shrubbery. 

Mr.  Hill  and  Annetta  Chaffee,  daughter 
of  Dr.  Heman  Chaffee,  were  united  in  wed- 
lock, October  24,  1871.  She  was  born  in 
Troy,  New  York,  November  2,  1847,  arjd  at 
an  early  day  came  to  Illinois  with  her  parents, 
who  were  pioneers  here.  Three  children 
were  born  to  our  subject  and  wife.  Annet- 
ta A.,  a  graduate  of  the  Tolono  high  school, 
is  at  home.  Warren  W. ,  is  employed  in 
the  railway  postal  service,  and  Clarence  C. 
died  at  the  age  of  nine  years,  August  21, 
1891. 

Warren  M.  Hill  is  a  member  of  the  To- 
lono Grand  Army  Post,  in  which  he  has  oc- 
cupied various  offices,  and  at  present  is 
serving  as  commander.  He  also  belongs  to 
Tolono  Camp,  Modern  Woodmen  of  Amer- 
ica, and  is  held  in  high  regard  in  that  order, 
also.  With  his  wife  and  children,  he  is 
identified  with  the  Baptist  church,  and  en- 
deavors, by  all  means  within  his  power,  to 
promote  righteous  institutions  and  causes 
which  have  for  their  object  the  elevation  of 
humanity. 


OANFORD  HOUGH,  a  well-known  con- 
O  tractor  and  builder  of  Thomasboro,  Illi- 
nois, has  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  been 
prominently  identified  with  the  business  in- 
terests of  that  village  and  has  taken  an  ac- 
tive part  in  its  development  and  progress. 
He  is  energetic,  enterprising  and  thoroughly 
reliable,  and  enjoys  an  enviable  reputation 
in  business  circles. 

A  native  of  Illinois,  Mr.  Hough  was 
born  three  miles  north  of  Pullman,  April  18, 
1850,  but  when  two  years  old  was  taken  to 
Valparaiso,  Indiana,  by  his  parents,  Ellis 
and  Emily  (Hyde)  Hough,  natives  of  Penn- 


sylvania and  New  York,  respectively.  The 
father  was  a  carpenter  and  wagonmaker  by 
trade,  but  during  the  latter  part  of  his  life 
followed  farming.  He  died  in  1898,  and 
the  mother  departed  this  life  about  twenty 
years  ago.  In  their  family  were  ten  child- 
ren, of  whom  seven  are  now  living,  our 
subject  being  the  oldest. 

Mr.  Hough  remained  under  the  parental 
roof  until  seventeen  years  of  age,  attending 
school  and  assisting  his  father  in  business. 
In  1869  he  went  to  northwestern  Kan- 
sas, where  he  was  employed  several  years 
herding  cattle,  and  on  leaving  that  state 
came  to  Champaign  county,  Illinois.  For 
about  two  years  he  was  engaged  in  farm- 
ing near  Fisher,  and  in  1875  came  to 
Thomasboro,  where  he  has  since  success- 
fully carried  on  operations  as  a  contractor 
and  builder,  erecting  many  of  the  residences 
in  the  village  and  vicinity. 

On  the  ist  of  January,  1875,  Mr.  Hough 
led  to  the  marriage  altar  Miss  Rachel 
Baker,  a  daughter  of  Orrin  and  Julia 
(Barker)  Baker,  of  Harrison  county,  Illi- 
;  nois.  Her  father  died  in  Thomasboro,  this 
county,  about  sixteen  years  ago,  but  the 
mother  is  still  living  at  the  age  of  seventy 
and  makes  her  home  with  our  subject  in 
Thomasboro.  They  had  a  family  of  eight 
children,  six  of  whom  are  now  living.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Hough  have  one  son,  William, 
who  was  born  in  Clay  county,  Illinois,  Oc- 
tober 31,  1880,  and  has  been  educated  in 
the  public  schools  of  Thomasboro,  and  at 
Valparaiso,  Indiana.  He  taught  in  the  dis- 
trict schools  in  the  neighborhood  of  Thom- 
asboro for  several  terms,  but  is  now  clerk- 
ing in  the  general  store  of  S.  Kauffman  & 
Company,  in  that  village.  He  is  a  great 
lover  of  books  and  has  a  well-selected  li- 
brary, to  which  he  is  constantly  adding. 


364 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Mr.  Hough  has  always  been  a  hard- 
working man,  straightforward  and  honor- 
able in  all  his  dealings,  and  has  the  entire 
confidence  and  respect  of  his  neighbors  and 
fellow  citizens.  In  politics  he  is  an  ardent 
Republican,  and  has  never  sought  nor  held 
public  office.  His  estimable  wife  is  an 
active  and  prominent  member  of  the  Free 
Methodist  church,  and  is  a  constant  attend- 
ant upon  its  services.  She  is  a  devoted 
wife  and  mother,  and  is  seeking  to  give  her 
only  child  every  possible  advantage. 


JONAH  BENNETT,  who  is  one  of  the 
U  best  known  and  highly  respected  citi- 
zens of  Homer,  has  long  been  intimately 
associated  with  local  educational  matters 
and  other  enterprises  here,  and  is  deeply  in- 
terested in  the  progress  of  Champaign 
county. 

He  is  a  grandson  of  Jacob  Bennett,  who 
was  engaged  in  farming  in  Pennsylvania,  his 
native  state,  as  long  as  he  lived,  and  is  a 
son  of  John  and  Anna  (Langley)  Bennett, 
likewise  of  the  Keystone  state.  They  re- 
moved to  Highland  county,  Ohio,  in  1830, 
where  the  father  carried  on  a  good  farm 
until  his  death  some  twenty  years  later. 
The  devoted  wife  and  mother  reared  their 
six  children  to  be  useful  citizens,  and  in 

1883  was  called  to  her  reward.  She  was  a 
daughter  of  John  Langley,  of  Fayette  coun- 
ty, Pennsylvania,  and  was  born  and  mar- 
ried on  the  old  family  homestead  there. 
Both  she  and  her  husband  were  faithful 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
and  made  great  sacrifices  for  the  sake  of 
religion  and  the  spreading  of  education  and 

righteousness. 

Jonah   Bennett,  who  was  born  in    High- 


land county,  Ohio,  October  18,  1846,  is  the 
youngest  of  six  brothers  and  sisters,  and 
was  a  mere  child  when  death  deprived  him 
of  his  father.  His  brothers,  Jacob  and  Ca- 
leb L.,  were  heroes  of  the  Union  army  dur- 
ing the  Civil  war,  belonging  first  to  the  Six- 
tieth Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  later  to 
the  Twenty-fourth  Ohio  Light  Artillery.. 
They  were  with  Fremont  in  the  Virginia 
campaign.  Caleb  L.  was  an  orderly  ser- 
geant in  the  artillery  company.  Both  broth- 
ers were  captured  at  the  battle  of  Harper's 
Ferry,  and,  upon  being  paroled,  were  sent 
to  Chicago,  where  they  guarded  prisoners  at 
Camp  Douglas.  Jacob  died  April  13,  1883, 
and  Caleb  L.  departed  this  life  March  27, 
1888.  The  sisters,  Mary  J.,  Sarah  E.  and 
Anna  C.  are  married  and  reside  in  homes  in 
Highland  county,  Ohio. 

After  completing  his  education  in  the 
country  schools,  our  subject  continued  to 
follow  farming  as  a  means  of  livelihood  until 
1869,  when  he  came  to  Illinois,  and  taught 
schools  in  Vermilion  county  most  of  the  time 
from  1869  to  1895.  From  1887  to  1895  he 
carried  on  a  farm  in  this  township,  and  has 
also  been  bookkeeper  for  Milmine,  Bodman 
&  Company,  grain  dealers  of  this  place. 
From  the  autumn  of  1881  until  1895  he  was 
engaged  in  teaching  in  the  grammar  schools 
of  Homer,  and  met  with  gratifying  success. 
Politically  he  is  a  Republican,  and  in  1896 
was  elected  supervisor  of  Homer  township, 
an  office  to  which  he  was  re-elected  in  1898 
and  also  in  1900.  He  served  as  chairman 
of  the  board  in  the  year  1898,  and  has  been 
a  member  of  various  important  committees 
on  education,  ways  and  means,  salaries, 
and  at  present  is  acting  on  the  one  having 
in  charge  the  repairing  of  the  court  house. 
For  some  four  years  he  held  the  position  of 
assessor  of  Homer  township,  and  in  1898- 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


365 


•was  president  of  the  town  board  of  Homer. 
Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  the  Knights 
of  the  Globe,  and  Ben  Hur,  a  beneficiary 
order. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Bennett  and  Mar- 
garet S.  Salladay  occurred  April  25,  1872. 
She  was  born  in  Noble  county,  Ohio,  a 
daughter  of  George  and  Rachel  Salladay, 
who  came  to  Illinois  in  1864.  They  carried 
on  a  farm  in  Vermilion  county  for  about 
eleven  years,  and  then  located  in  Homer. 
Here  the  father  died  in  September,  1880, 
and  eight  years  later  the  mother  died  at  the 
home  of  our  subject  and  wife.  Of  their  ten 
children  eight  lived  to  maturity,  but  only 
four  survive.  Mrs.  Eliza  J.  McWilliams, 
resides  in  Stafford  county,  Kansas;  M.  M. 
is  carrying  on  the  old  Vermilion  county 
homestead,  and  D.  W.  resides  in  Sidell 
township.  By  a  former  marriage,  Mrs. 
Bennett's  father  had  one  son,  John  C. , 
whose  home  is  in  Vermilion  county,  near 
the  Champaign  county  line.  George  and 
Rachel  Salladay  were  members  of  the  Cum- 
berland Presbyterian  church,  and  our  sub- 
ject and  wife  are  earnest  workers  in  the 
same  denomination. 


JOHN  R.  WATKINS  is  numbered  among 
the  enterprising  journalists  of  Cham- 
paign county,  and,  though  not  more  than  a 
decade  has  passed  since  he  concluded  to  de- 
vote his  time  and  energy  to  this  line  of  busi- 
ness, he  possesses  wide  experience  and  ex- 
cellent judgment  in  the  management  of  a 
paper.  From  time  to  time  he  has  been 
honored  with  various  positions  of  responsi- 
bility and  trust,  and  never  has  failed  to  give 
the  public  perfect  satisfaction.  With  all 
who  know  him  he  is  justly  popular  and  his 


future  is  full  of  promise  of  even  greater 
things  than  those  already  accomplished  by 
him. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Abraham  Wat- 
kins,  was  born  in  Tennessee  about  1820, 
and  when  he  attained  his  majority  he  went 
to  Green  county,  Indiana,  and  there  engaged 
in  teaching  for  a  few  years.  Later  he  set- 
tled upon  a  farm  and  continued  to  improve 
and  cultivate  it  until  he  was  well  along  in 
years.  He  was  a  high  type  of  the  rugged 
pioneer  and  his  early  years  in  the  Hoosier 
state  were  years  of  unremitting  toil,  as  the 
heavy  forests  yielded  to  his  axe  and  the  land 
was  made  ready  for  cultivation.  In  princi- 
ple he  was  a  strong  Abolitionist  prior  to  the 
war,  and  when  the  Republican  party  was 
organized  he  became  one  of  its  strong  ad- 
vocates, and  as  a  citizen  his  career  was  ex- 
emplary and  in  all  the  relations  of  life  he 
was  sincere,  kind  and  upright.  Both  him- 
self and  wife  were  members  of  the  Christian 
church,  and  all  who  knew  them  loved  them 
for  their  sterling  qualities.  The  father  died 
at  the  old  homestead  in  Green  county,  Feb- 
ruary 8,  1888,  and  is  survived  by  his  widow, 
who  is  still  living  in  the  house  which  has 
sheltered  her  for  about  half  a  century.  In 
her  maidenhood  she  bore  the  name  of  Eliz- 
abeth Crockett,  and  her  father  was  a  near 
relative  of  the  famous  "Davy"  Crockett. 

In  a  family  which  included  ten  brothers 
and  sisters,  John  R.  Watkins  is  the  seventh 
in  order  of  birth.  The  others  are  named 
as  follows:  Hannah,  wife  of  James  Baker, 
of  Green  county,  Indiana;  Nancy,  wife  of 
James  Crow,  of  Brazil,  Indiana;  Willie,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  two  years;  Benjamin 
Franklin,  of  McVille,  Indiana;  George  G., 
now  superintendent  of  the  schools  of  San- 
born  county,  South  Dakota;  Ellen,  who 
was  a  successful  teacher  in  the  schools  of 


366 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Indiana  and  South  Dakota,  and  died  at  Kin- 
ney,  Illinois,  April  3,  1888;  Marshall  B., 
a  teacher  in  Washington;  and  E.  W.  and 
Cora  f).  are  twins.  The  former  is  employed 
as  a  bookkeeper  in  the  freight  department 
of  the  Vandalia  railroad  at  Terre  Haute,  In- 
diana; and  Cora  is  the  wife  of  Fred  John- 
son, of  Letcher,  South  Dakota. 

The  birth  of  J.  K.  Watkins  took  place 
October  20,  1867,  upon  his  father's  farm, 
near  Newark,  Indiana.  He  obtained  a  good 
education  in  the  grammar  and  high  schools 
of  Newark  and  vicinity,  being  graduated 
when  fifteen  years  of  age.  As  agriculture 
was  not  to  his  liking,  he  went  to  South  Da- 
kota, where  not  finding  any  other  occupa- 
tion open  to  him  at  once,  he  worked  for 
farmers  two  seasons.  At  the  end  of  that 
time  he  obtained  a  position  as  a  clerk  in  a 
mercantile  establishment  at  Artesian  City, 
and  continued  in  that  place  for  two  years. 
Returning  then  to  his  native  county  in  time 
to  cast  his  first  presidential  ballot  for  Har- 
rison, he  spent  that  winter  with  his  parents. 
In  the  following  spring  he  came  to  Mansfield 
and  opened  a  general  store  under  the  firm 
name  of  Forney  &  Watkins,  his  partner  in 
the  enterprise  being  William  Forney. 

In  1890,  Mr.  Watkins  embarked  in  the 
field  of  journalism,  and  for  four  years  was 
connected  with  the  Mansfield  Express  in  the 
capacity  of  foreman  of  the  printing  depart- 
ment. He  became  thoroughly  conversant 
with  every  feature  of  the  business,  and  in 
1894  he  came  to  Ogden  and  commenced  the 
publication  of  the  Courier.  This  paper  has 
grown  wonderfully  in  popularity  during  its 
comparatively  short  existence,  and,  as  it  is 
strictly  non-partisan,  it  meets'  with  the  ap- 
proval of  a  large  class  of  readers  of  varying 
political  faiths.  It  especially  aims  to  give 
the  news  of  the  day,  and  is  devoted  to  the 


upbuilding  of  this  community.  Recently, 
the  Courier  office  has  been  equipped  with 
modern  appliances  and  presses,  and  particu- 
lar attention  is  paid  to  all  kinds  of  job  print- 
ing and  press  work. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Watkins  and  Clyde 
Hilligoss  was  solemnized  April  17,  1890,  in 
Mansfield.  The  bride's  parents,  John  and 
Hester  (House)  Hilligoss,  are  respected  citi- 
zens of  that  place,  and  the  father  was  prin- 
cipal of  the  public  schools  there  for  several 
years.  He  was  the  founder  of  the  Mansfield 
Express,  and  is  still  conducting  that  paper. 
Our  subject  and  wife  are  very  popular  in 
Ogden  society,  and  their  attractive  modern 
residence  here  was  erected  in  1899.  They 
hold  membership  with  the  Christian  church 
of  this  place. 

During  the  years  of  his  residence  in 
Mansfield,  Mr.  Watkins  was  elected  and 
served  as  township  and  village  clerk,  and 
since  coming  to  Ogden  he  has  acted  in  the 
same  offices.  On  the  ist  of  November, 
1897,  he  was  appointed  post-master  of 
Ogden,  and  is  still  serving  the  people  in  this 
responsible  position.  In  politics,  he  is  a 
stalwart  Republican,  and  frequently  has 
been  sent  as  a  delagate  to  county  and  con- 
gressional conventions  of  his  party,  besides 
serving  on  the  township  and  county  central 
committees.  Fraternally,  he  is  an  Odd  Fel- 
low, holding  the  rank  of  past  noble  grand, 
and  belonging  to  the  Encampment.  He 
also  is  identified  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias 
and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America. 


WALTER  H.  TOWNE.      No  citizen  of 
Broadlands   is  more  widely  or  favor- 
ably known  in    business  and  political  circles 
in  this  section  of  the  county  than  the  gen- 


THE  BIOGRAHPICAL    RECORD. 


367 


tleman  whose  name  introduces  this  sketch. 
He  resides  on  a  farm  within  a  mile  of  the 
village,  but  for  many  years  has  been  identi- 
fied with  the  business  interests  of  the  place, 
and  is  now  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Towne 
&  Ktnney,  dealers  in  lumber,  lime,  cement 
and  building  material,  also  bituminous  and 
anthracite  coal. 

Mr.  Towne  was  born  in  Danvers,  Mas- 
sachusetts, April  13,  1853,  of  good  Puritan 
stock.  His  paternal  grandfather,  Daniel 
Towne.  was  also  a  native  of  the  old  Bay 
state,  and  was  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution. 
His  death  occurred  in  1812.  The  father, 
Daniel  Towne,  was  born  in  Essex  county, 
Massachusetts,  in  1806,  and  died  in  that 
state  in  1871.  There  he  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits  throughout  life,  and  was  a 
highly  respected  citizen  of  his  native  coun- 
ty, not  taking  an  active  part  in  local  affairs, 
save  in  educational  matters,  serving  on  the 
school  board  for  many  years.  He  also  did 
considerable  work  in  the  construction  and 
repair  of  public  roads,  being  commissioner 
of  highways  for  a  great  many  years.  In 
his  political  views  he  was  first  a  Whig  and 
later  a  Republican.  He  married  Paulina 
Ferguson,  who  was  born  in  Maine,  in  1809, 
and  died  in  1858. 

In  the  family  of  this  worthy  couple  were 
eight  children:  Daphne  married  W.  P. 
Hutchinson,  and  remained  near  the  old 
homestead  in  Danvers.  Massachusetts;  Sarah 
is  now  the  widow  of  Henry  A.  White,  and  a 
resident  of  Danvers;  Aus  in  was  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  shots  at  St.  Louis,  Mis- 
souri, where  he  died  in  1878;  Charles  A.  is 
a  traveling  salesman  residing  in  Decatur, 
Illinois;  Ella  resides  with  her  brother  in 
Decatur;  Walter  H.,  our  subject,  is  next  in 
order  of  birth;  George  is.  also  a  traveling 
salesman  residing  in  Harristown,  Illinois; 


and    Frank,  twin  brother  of  George,   is    a 
general    merchant    of  Harristown,   Illinois. 

On  the  home  farm  in  Essex  county, 
Massachusetts,  Walter  H.  Towne  grew  to 
manhood,  receiving  a  common  school. edu- 
cation. In  1872,  at  the  age  of  nineteen 
years,  he  left  his  boyhood  home  and  came 
to  Macon  county,  Illinois,  where  he  com- 
menced life  for  himself  by  working  on  a 
farm  by  the  month  for  several  years.  In 
the  spring  of  1877  he  came  to  Champaign 
county  and  rented  land  in  Ayers  township, 
which  he  operated  for  two  seasons,  and  in 
the  fall  of  1878  removed  to  the  Broadlands 
farm,  an  extensive  tract,  then  including 
ever  a  township,  owned  by  A.  E.  Ayers,  of 
Jacksonville,  Illinois.  After  being  here  for 
a  short  time,  he  was  made  foreman  of  the 
place,  which  responsible  position  he  credita- 
bly filled  for  eleven  years.  The  care  and 
supervision  of  this  immense  tract  and  its 
operation  necessarily  ^nvolved  a  very  active 
life,  and  during  that  time  he  lived  almost 
constantly  in  the  saddle. 

In  the  meantime  Mr.  Towne  was  mar- 
ried, December  25,  1879.  to  Miss  Rose  B. 
Bunker,  a  daughter  of  Dearborn  and 
Christie  C.  (Law)  Bunker,  natives  of  New 
Hampshire  and  Michigan,  respectively.  She 
was  born  in  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  where  her 
parents  lived  for  a  short  time,  and  then  re- 
turned to  Rye,  New  Hampshire,  remaining: 
there  until  coming  to  Matamora,  Illinois,  in 
1870.  After  a  short  residence  there  they 
removed  to  Macon  county,  this  state,  where 
the  father  followed  the  carpenter's  trade  for 
some  years,  but  is  now  living  retired  near 
Warrensburg.  Our  subject  and  his  wife 
have  four  daughters:  Ella,  a  successful 
teacher  of  this  county;  Florence,  Edna  and 
Lulu,  all  at  home. 

While  serving  as  foreman  of  the  Broad- 


368 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


lands  tract,  Mr.  Towne  purchased  an  eighty 
acre  tract,  which  has  been  his  home  since 
1891.  and  to  which  he  has  added  twenty 
acres,  making  a  good  farm  of  one  hundred 
acres.  This  he  operates  in  addition  to  his 
other  business.  In  1891  he  assumed  charge 
of  the  elevator  and  grain  business  at  Broad- 
lands  for  J.  M.  Cathcart,  and  after  carrying 
it  on  for  rive  years  accepted  a  similar  posi- 
tion with  H.  H.  Carr,  of  Chicago,  but 
arrangements  were  scarcely  more  than  com- 
pleted when,  on  account  of  a  severe  illness, 
he  was  forced  to  resign,  and  the  elevator  of 
the  company  burned  about  the  same  time. 
For  some  time  after  his  recovery  he  devoted 
his  attention  exclusively  to  his  agricultural 
pursuits,  but  in  May,  1899,  formed  a  part- 
nership with  A.  M.  Kenney  and  purchased 
the  lumber  business  of  J.  P.  Shearer,  which 
they  have  since  successfully  carried  on. 
They  keep  a  complete  assortment  of  all 
kinds  of  lumber  and  building  materials,  such 
as  are  usually  found  in  larger  towns  and 
cities. 

A  public-spirited  and  enterprising  citizen, 
Mr.  Towne  has  always  been  interested  in 
all  measures  tending  toward  the  develop- 
ment and  improvement  of  his  town  and 
county,  and  as  a  stanch  Republican  has 
taken  an  active  part  in  promoting  and  pre- 
serving the  principles  of  his  party.  He  has 
served  almost  continuously  on  the  town  and 
county  central  committees,  and  is  at  present 
a  member  of  the  latter.  He  has  filled 
various  elective  offices  of  his  township  in  a 
most  creditable  manner.  He  was  collector 
two  years;  was  elected  supervisor  of  Ayers 
township  in  1893,  an<^  filled  that  office  for 
four  consecutive  years,  at  the  end  of  which 
time  he  was  forced  to  decline  further  nomi- 
nation on  account  of  ill  health.  In  1898 
he  was  elected  commissioner  of  highways 


of  his  township,  and  still  performs  the  duties 
of  that  position  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of 
all  concerned.  In  1899  he  was  appointed 
by  Judge  Staley  to  serve  on  the  first  board 
of  review,  which  the  new  law  provided  for. 
He  has  ever  taken  an  active  and  commend- 
able interest  in  educational  affairs  and  con- 
tributed his  full  share  to  its  work,  which  has 
always  been  unremunerative  and  too  often  a 
thankless  task,  having  served  as  school 
director  and  school  trustee,  filling  the  latter 
office  eight  years.  Fraternally  Mr.  Towne 
is  an  honored  member  of  Broadlands  Lodge, 
No.  791,  and  for  five  consecutive  years 
served  as  worshipful  master,  which  office, 
after  an  interval,  he  is  again  filling.  Both 
he  and  his  estimable  wife  are  active  mem- 
bers of  Eastern  Star  Chapter,  No.  416,  of 
Broadlands,  in  which  he  is  serving  as  patron, 
and  she  is  also  a  consistent  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


JOHN  MILTON  GREGORY,  LL.  D  , 
now  deceased,  was  the  first  president  of 
what  is  now  the  University  of  Illinois,  but 
first  called  the  Illinois  Industrial  University, 
and  served  from  1867  until  1880.  He 
planned  the  general  character  of  the  insti- 
tution, and  against  great  obstacles  struggled 
heroically  for  its  upbuilding  and  develop- 
ment. In  this  he  was  often  greatly  ham- 
pered by  the  want  of  any  settled  conviction 
on  the  part  of  others  as  to  what  should  be 
done,  though  opinions  were  by  no  means 
wanting.  He  remained  with  the  University 
until  its  character  became  well  established, 
and  until  he  could  see  many  fruits  of  his 
abundant  labors. 

John    M.   Gregory    came    from  English 
ancestry.      One  Henry  Gregory,  of  Notting- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


hamshire,  England,  came  with  his  four 
sons  and  two  daughters  to  America  about 
1636,  stopping  first  at  the  newly  founded 
town  of  Boston,  then  moved  to  Springfield, 
Massachusetts,  and  afterwards  into  the 
wilderness  of  Connecticut  where  the  family 
was  located  at  Norwalk.  Thence  they 
gradually  spread  westward.  In  this  line  at 
length  came  Joseph  Gregory,  who  lived  at 
Sand  Lake,  Rensselaer  county,  New  York, 
by  occupation  a  farmer  and  tanner,  once  or 
twice  a  member  of  the  state  Legislature,  cap- 
tain of  a  militia  company,  and  for  many 
years  deacon  of  the  Baptist  church.  He 
was  a  man  of  great  physical  strength,  and  of 
strong,  rugged  mind,  but  with  slight  educa- 
tional attainments.  When  his  son  John 
M.  wished  to  go  to  college,  he  told  him 
bluntly  that  it  would  be  money  thrown 
away,  as  he  was  a  feeble  boy  and  apt  to  die 
before  he  reached  the  age  of  twenty.  After- 
wards, however,  he  rejoiced  greatly  at  his 
son's  success. 

As  a  child,  John  M.  Gregory  went  to  the 
village  school,  but  at  thirteen  he  was  put  to 
work  regularly  upon  the  farm  and  in  the 
tannery,  but  was  always  at  a  book  when 
possible.  The  district  library  was  kept  at 
his  father's  house,  and  this  helped  him 
greatly.  It  was  his  constant  habit  to  tell 
to  his  brothers  and  fellow  workers  on  the 
farm  what  he  had  learned  in  his  books. 

At  seventeen  his  health  became  more 
feeble  and  he  was  again  sent  to  school  for  a 
winter,  which  fitted  him  to  take  a  legal  cer- 
tificate as  teacher  and  to  take  charge  of  a 
private  school  in  Gilboa,  Schoharie  county, 
the  next  spring.  He  then  resolved  to  pre- 
pare for  college,  but  his  father  being  averse 
to  it,  he  was  helped  to  six  months  schooling 
in  the  academy  at  Poughkeepsie,  New  York, 
by  his  sister  Lois,  who  had  married  and 


lived  there.  He  then  taught  school  at  La 
Grange  until  he  had  laid  up  a  little  stock  of 
money.  When  twenty  years  of  age,  he  en- 
tered Union  College  at  Schenectady,  where 
he  graduated  in  1846,  at  the  head  of  his 
class. 

During  his  last  year  of  college  life,  he 
entered  the  law  office  of  Paige  £  Potter, 
in  Schenectady,  and  began  the  study  of  law, 
which  he  had  chosen  as  a  profession.  The 
following  year  he  continued  his  law  studies 
until  autumn,  when  he  took  charge  of  a  new 
academy  erected  for  him  at  Deposit,  New 
York.  From  there,  having  been  persuaded 
that  he  had  a  call  to  preach,  he  removed  to 
Hoosac  Falls  to  take  charge  of  a  Baptist 
church.  At  the  same  time,  however,  he 
was  principal  of  Ball's  Academy.  He  re- 
moved to  Akron,  Ohio,  where  he  filled  a 
Baptist  pulpit,  but  he  had  never  taken  a 
course  of  theological  study  and  gradually 
made  up  his  mind  that  he  preferred  teaching. 

He  therefore  went  to  Detroit,  Michi- 
gan, in  1852,  and  established  a  classical 
school,  where  he  was  thrown  with  some  of 
the  leading  teachers,  and  his  active  and  en- 
thusiastic work  led  to  his  election  in  1853 
to  the  presidency  of  the  State  Teachers' 
Association.  In  1855  he  was  appointed  to 
the  editorial  charge  of  the  Michigan  Journal 
of  Education,  which  occupied  his  time  quite 
fully,  although  he  still  continued  to  teach. 
In  1859  he  was  elected  superintendent  of 
public  instruction,  which  office  he  held  three 
terms,  being  nominated  the  last  two  terms 
by  acclamation  in  the  state  Republican 
convention.  When  the  war  broke  out  he 
threw  himself  into  the  raising  of  troops  and 
was  about  to  take  a  regiment  to  the  front, 
but  was  dissuaded  by  the  condition  of  his 
wife,  who  was  an  invalid  and  unable  to  take 
sole  care  of  their  five  children,  most  of  them 


372 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


small.  He,  however,  assisted  in  raising  re- 
lief supplies,  and  once  or  twice  was  chosen 
to  take  them  to  the  front. 

In  1865  he  refused  a  fourth  nomination 
for  the  state  superintendency  and  became 
the  president  of  the  Kalamazoo  College.  In 
a  short  campaign  of  one  month,  he  raised 
by  private  subscription  the  sum  of  thirty 
thousand  dollars  and  lifted  the  institution 
out  of  what  had  seemed  a  hopeless  debt. 
During  the  six  years  of  his  superintendency 
he  visited  and  lectured  in  all  the  principal 
counties,  organizing  educational  societies, 
which  became  influential  in  promoting  the 
cause  of  popular  and  higher  education.  He 
carried  the  State  Teachers'  Institute  to  a 
high  degree  of  success,  bringing  in  some.years 
over  two  thousand  teachers  under  instruc- 
tion and  introducing  everywhere  into  the 
schools  new  and  more  intelligent  methods. 
The  president  and  professor  of  the  State 
University,  of  the  State  normal  school,  and 
of  the  colleges  of  the  State,  readily  joined 
in  the  work  under  his  active  leadership,  and 
the  crowded  sessions  of  two  weeks  were  at- 
tended by  large  numbers  of  citizens  as  well 
as  teachers,  for  whose  benefit  the  afternoon 
sessions  were  often  devoted  to  scientific  and 
literary  lectures.  This  was  a  sort  of  begin- 
ning of  a  "  university  extension"  system. 
A  school  district  library  system  was  estab- 
lished throughout  the  state,  and  many 
graded  and  high  schools  established.  Dur- 
ing his  superintendency  his  residence  was 
at  Ann  Arbor,  and  he  was  ex-officio  a  mem- 
ber of  the  state  board  of  agriculture,  which 
had  charge  of  the  Michigan  Agricultural 
College.  With  characteristic  energy  and 
wisdom  he  aided  in  the  reorganization  of 
this  institution  and  helped  to  make  it  what 
it  was  at  the  end  of  the  lime — the  best  of 
kind  on  the  continent. 


After  two  years  of  service  as  president 
of  Kalamazoo  College,  he  accepted,  in  1867, 
the  regency  ofrthe  Illinois  Industrial  Univer- 
sity, which  office  he  held  until  1880.  He 
then  devoted  himself  to  literary  work,  and  as 
one  of  the  results  published  in  1882  "A 
New  Political  Economy,"  a  work  which  was 
speedily  adopted  as  a  text  in  many  colleges. 
"Seven  Laws  of  Teaching"  soon  followed. 
In  1882  he  was  made  a  member  of  United 
States  civil  service  commission  and  con- 
tinued in  the  office  three  years.  After  this 
he  spent  several  years  in  study  and  travel, 
making  temporary  homes  inEngland,  France 
and  Germany,  then  settled  down  to  write  up 
the  results  of  his  investigation  in  Washing- 
ton, D.  C.  Here  he  died  October  19,  1898, 
age  seventy-six  years,  three  months  and 
thirteen  days.  His  remains  were  brought 
to  Urbana,  and  lie  buried  in  the  University 
campus,  where  his  tomb  still  bears  silent 
witness  to  the  respect  and  love  in  which  he 
was  held  as  the  first  president  of  the  State 
University. 

September  6,  1848,  he  married  Julia 
Gregory,  daughter  of  Charles  H.  Gregory, 
of  Sand  Lake,  New  York,  who  died  July 
6,  1877.  June  17,  1879,  ne  married  Louise 
Catherine  Allen,  daughter  of  David  Skill- 
man  Allen,  of  Harristown,  Illinois,  and  at 
that  time  professor  of  domestic  economy 
in  the  Illinois  Industrial  University.  By 
the  first  wife  there  were  five  children,  as 
Mrs.  Mary  Gregory  Webb,  Glen  Ridge, 
New  York;  Helen  Barbour,  now  an  artist  in 
Holland;  Alfred,  a  lawyer  in  Kansas  City, 
Missouri;  Grant,  on  the  staff  of  the  New 
York  Tribune,  residing  in  Brooklyn,  New 
York,  and  Julia,  a  teacher  in  Kansas  City, 
Missouri.  By  the  second  marriage  there  is 
one  daughter,  Allene,  who  lives  with  her 
mother  in  Washington,  D.  C. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


373 


REV.  JOHN  BARRY,  the  well-known 
pastor  of  the  Catholic  church  in  Philo, 
Illinois,  is  a  native  of  this  county,  born  on  a 
farm  in  Urbana  township,  September,  28, 
1 863%and  is  the  eldst  son  of  Bartholomew  and 
Ellen  (Lane)  Barry,  who  for  over  thirty-five 
years  have  been  well-known  and  highly  res- 
pected citizens  of  this  county,  and  are  now 
living  retired  in  Philo.  They  are  natives  of 
County  Cork,  Ireland,  and  when  single  both 
emigrated  to  America  about  1853.  After 
stopping  for  a  short  time  in  New  York,  the 
father  came  to  Illinois,  and  soon  afterward 
began  farming  in  Champaign  county.  He 
successfully  engaged  in  that  occupation  for 
many  years  and  became  the  owner  of  a  well- 
improved  and  highly  cultivated  farm,  which 
is  still  in  his  possession.  In  1898.  after  our 
subject  located  in  Philo,  the  parents  re- 
moved to  that  village,  where  they  are  now 
living  a  retired  life,  enjoying  a  well-earned 
rest.  They  were  married  in  Will  county, 
and  had  nine  children,  of  whom  four  died 
when  young.  The  others  are  John,  our 
subject;  Ellen,  who  is  keepinghouse  for  our 
subject;  Bartholomew,  who  lives  on  the 
home  farm  in  Urbana  township;  Mary,  wife 
of  M.  J.  McDermott,  of  Philo;  and  Maggie, 
at  home  with  her  parents. 

Father  Barry  acquired  his  early  educa- 
tion in  the  common  schools  of  this  county, 
and  remained  at  home  until  sixteen  years  of 
age.  He  .then  spent  one  year  at  St.  Mary's  * 
school  in  Champaign,  preparatory  to  study- 
ing for  the  priesthood,  and  at  the  end  of 
that  time  went  to  Kankakee,  where  he  con- 
tinued his  studies  for  a  few  years.  He  next 
entered  St.  Mary's  school  in  Baltimore, 
Maryland,  where  he  was  ordained  as  assist- 
ant pastor,  in  which  capacity  he  served  for 
two  years  at  Ivesdale,  Illinois,  under  Father 
Byrnes.  The  following  year  he  was  with 


Father  Weldon,  of  Bloomington,  and  then 
received  the  appointment  of  first  pastor  of 
the  Catholic  church  at  Gibson  City,  where 
he  remained  three  years.  During  that  time 
he  built  the  church  at  that  place,  and  he 
left  it  in  a  flourishing  condition.  His  next 
pastorate  was  at  Piper  City,  where  he  also 
remained  three  years,  doing  a  great  deal  to- 
ward building  the  church  at  that  place. 

In  1897  Father  Barry  came  to  Philo, 
where  a  new  church  had  just  been  erected. 
Since  taking  charge  of  affairs  here,  he  has 
paid  off  a  large  debt  of  the  church;  has 
built  a  parsonage;  and  otherwise  improved 
the  church  property  by  his  energetic  and 
persevering  efforts.  The  church  is  now  in 
good  condition  both  spiritually  and  financial- 
ly. Father  Barry  also  has  charge  of  the 
congregation  at  Broadlands,  where  he  has 
erected  a  new  brick  church  with  all  modern 
improvements,  to  be  completed  in  1900. 
He  is  very  energetic,  enterprising,  and  an 
untiring  laborer  in  the  interests  of  his  church. 
He  is  also  a  close  student,  is  a  gentleman  of 
refinement  and  culture,  and  is  well-liked  by 
all  who  know  him. 


ANDREW  M.  KENNEY,  of  Broadlands, 
is  one  of  the  public-spirited  citizens  to 
whose  energy  and  enterprise  that  locality  is 
indebted  for  many  improvements.  While,  as 
a  prosperous  business  man,  he  has  given 
close  attention  to  his  private  affairs,  he  has 
never  forgotten  or  ignored  that  bond  of  com- 
mon interest  which  should  unite  the  people 
of  every  community,  and  he  is  always  ready 
to  promote  progress  in  any  line. 

Mr.  Kenney  was  born  in  Derry,  Rocking- 
ham  county,  New  Hampshire,  October  30, 
1861,  and  is  a  son  of  Alpheus  H.  and  Eliza 


374 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


(Marshall)  Kenney,  also  natives  of  that 
county.  The  father  was  born  in  1831,  and 
on  leaving  Rockingham  county,  went  to 
Haverhill,  Massachusetts,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed as  foreman  of  a  shoe  manufacturing 
establishment  for  two  years.  In  1868  he 
came  to  Illinois  and  first  located  in  Macon 
county,  where  he  purchased  land  and  en- 
gaged in  farming  for  ten  }ears,  at  the  end 
of  which  time  he  disposed  of  his  proptrty 
and  came  to  Champaign  county.  He  bought 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  the  Broad- 
lands  tract  in  Ayers  township,  which  was 
being  sold  at  that  time,  and  gave  his  undi- 
vided attention  to  agricultural  pursuits  until 
1894,  when  he  retired  from  active  labor  and 
moved  to  the  village  of  Broadlands,  where 
he  died  the  following  year.  His  wife  is  still 
living  and  continues  to  make  her  home  in 
that  place.  Politically  he  was  a  Jefferson- 
ian  Democrat,  and  religiously  was  a  faithful 
member  of  the  Congregational  church.  In 
his  family  were  five  children,  of  whom  one 
-died  in  infancy.  Our  subject  is  the  oldest 
of  those  still  living.  John  A^,  next  in  order 
of  birth,  owns  and  operates  a  large  rice 
plantation  of  several  hundred  acres  near 
Jennings,  Louisiana;  George  W.  is  a  prac- 
ticing attorney  of  Springfield,  Illinois;  and 
Ida  L.  resides  with  her  mother  in  Broad- 
lands. 

The  subject  of  this  review  was  a  child  of 
six  years  when  the  family  came  to  this  state, 
and  he  passed  his  boyhood  and  youth  on  his 
father's  farm  in  Macon  county.  At  the  age 
of  seventeen  he  came  with  his  parents  to 
Champaign  county,  where,  as  before,  he  as- 
sisted in  carrying  on  the  farm  work,  re- 
maining at  home  until  after  reaching  his 
majority.  He  received  a  good  practical 
education,  attending  first  the  district  schools 
and  later  a  normal  school  at  Bloomfield, 


Iowa,  while  his  brothers  were  both  edu- 
cated at  Depauw  University. 

On  starting  out  in  life  for  himself,  Mr. 
Kenney  engaged  in  farming  on  rented  land 
for  three  years,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time 
purchased  one  hundred  and  thirty  acres  of 
land  just  across  the  line  in  Douglas  county, 
upon  which  place  he  still  continues  to  re- 
side, though  he  owns  the  home  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  adjoining  in  Cham- 
paign county.  He  gave  his  undivided  at- 
tention to  farming  and  stock  raising  until 
1892,  when  he  accepted  his  present  position 
as  manager  of  the  elevator  and  grain  busi- 
ness at  Broadlands  for  Bartlett,  Kuhn  & 
Company,  of  Terre  Haute,  Indiana.  Their 
elevator  and  crib  have  a  capacity  of  one 
hundred  thousand  bushels  and  they  do  a 
large  business.  Mr.  Kenney  is  also  the 
junior  member  of  the  firm  of  Towne  &  Ken- 
ney, dealers  in  lumber  and  coal,  in  which 
line  of  trade  they  have  built  up  a  flourishing 
and  prosperous  business.  He  is  one  of  the 
most  active  arid  progressive  business  men  of 
the  county  and  has  various  interests  in 
Broadlands.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers 
and  the  first  president  of  the  Bank  of  Broad- 
lands,  serving  in  that  office  two  years,  and 
is  now  a  director  and  shareholder.  He  is 
also  a  partner  in  the  general  mercantile  firm 
of  Kenney  &  Putnam. 

Mr.  Kenney  was  married,  September  16, 
1891,  to  Miss  Luella  M.  Coolley,  who  was 
born  in  Douglas  county,  a  daughter  of  John 
A.  and  Harriet  (WyckorT)  Coolley,  natives 
of  Indiana  and  Illinois,  respectively.  By 
this  union  were  born  three  children,  namely: 
Harold,  Helen  and  Frances. 

Though  well  known  in  the  business  cir- 
cles of  his  community,  it  is  perhaps  as  a 
church  and  Sunday-school  worker  that  Mr. 
Kenney  is  best  known.  Since  his  youth  he 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


37S 


has  been  especially  interested  in  religions 
matters,  and  as  teacher,  superintendent  and 
organizer  he  has  taken  an  active  part  in 
Sunday-school  work.  He  is  one  of  the 
leading  and  influential  members  of  the 
Cumberland  Presbyterian  church  of  Fair- 
field,  Douglas  county,  of  which  he  has  been 
a  deacon  for  five  years,  and  has  also  been 
trustee  of  the  church  and  the  Fairfield  ceme- 
tery. He  is  the  present  superintendent  of 
the  Sunday-school,  which  position  he  has 
filled  for  the  past  two  years,  and  is  also 
president  of  the  Douglas  County  Sunday- 
School  Association.  Politically,  he  is  an 
independent  Democrat,  favoring  the  gold 
standard  and  sound  money,  and  fraternally 
is  a  charter  member  and  one  of  the  organ- 
izers of  Trinity  Lodge,  No.  254,  K.  P.,  of 
which  he  held  the  office  of  chancellor  two 
terms.  He  never  withholds  his  support 
from  any  enterprise  calculated  to  advance 
the  moral,  social  or  material  welfare  of  his 
community,  and  is  recognized  as  one  of  its 
most  valued  and  useful  citizens. 


HARRY  W.  CHADWICK,  a  well-known 
locomotive  engineer  residing  at  No. 
406  South  Race  street,  Urbana,  Illinois, 
was  born  in  Vincennes,  Knox  county,  Indi- 
ana, October  i,  1857,  and  comes  of  a  fam- 
ily many  of  whose  representatives  have 
been  machinists  or  sea-faring  men.  His 
father,  Eli  Chadwick,  was  a  native  of  Eng- 
land, and  belonged  to  an  old  and  honored 
family.  He  was  educated  for  an  Episcopal 
clergyman  but  never  entered  the  ministry. 
In  Vincennes,  Indiana,  he  married  Miss 
Mary  Docker,  of  Scotch  descent.  He  put 
in  operation  the  first  telegraph  at  that  place 
and  sent  the  first  message  from  that  city. 


Later  he  was  made  superintendent  of  the 
line,  and  still  later  became  superintendent 
of  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad,  now  the 
Baltimore  &  Ohio,  holding  that  position  be- 
fore the  trains  passed  over  the  bridge  and 
were  ferried  across  the  Wabash  river.  He 
was  still  serving  as  superintendent  of  the 
southwestern  division  of  that  road  at  the 
the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  St. 
Louis,  January  6,  1864.  He  was  buried  by 
the  Masonic  and  Odd  Fellows  societies, 
being  a  prominent  member  of  those  orders. 
He  and  his  friend,  Dr.  Austin,  a  minister  of 
the  Episcopal  church,  went  to  Scotland  to 
take  the  degrees  of  the  Scottish  Rite.  In 
politics  he  was  an  ardent  Republican,  and 
favored  the  vigorous  prosecution  of  the  war. 
His  wife,  who  survived  him  many  years  and 
reared  their  children,  died  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
six  years.  Although  she  was  reared  a  Pres- 
byterian, she  united  with  the  Episcopal 
church  after  her  marriage,  as  her  husband 
was  a  member  of  that  denomination.  Her 
parents  were  Henry  and  Mary  Docker,  of 
Shawneetown,  Illinois,  where  he  built  the 
Riverside  hotel.  After  his  death  Mrs.  Dock- 
er married  William  Birch,  whose  first  wife 
was  her  sister.  He  was  the  wealthiest  man 
in  Knox  county,  Indiana,  where  he  located 
during  the  '405. 

Our  subject  is  the  third  in  order  of  birth 
in  a  family  of  four  children,  the  others  being 
as  follows:  (i)  William  Birch  is  a  resident 
of  Chester,  Pennsylvania,  but  is  engaged  in 
business  in  Philadelphia  as  superintendent 
of  water  supply  plants.  He  married  Mag- 
gie, daughter  of  Judge  Frank  and  Margaret 
Moore,  of  Vincennes,  Indiana,  and  they 
have  one  child,  Wallace,  who  is  now  pre- 
paring for  the  United  States  navy  at  Annap- 
olis. Maryland.  (2)  Maria  is  the  wife  of 
Frank  Greea,  a  liveryman  of  Indianapolis, 


376 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


Indiana,  and  they  have  two  children,  Han- 
nah and  Frankie.  Mr.  Green's  father,  a 
native  of  England,  built  the  opera  house  at 
Vincennes,  and  he  and  our  subject's  father 
presented  to  that  city  its  first  fire  engine, 
the  Lafayette.  (4)  Thomas  Docker,  a  resi- 
dent of  East  St.  Louis,  is  an  engineer  on 
the  southwestern  branch  of  the  Baltimore 
&  Ohio  railroad,  and  is  a  genial,  jovial  gen- 
tleman, a  great  favorite  with  his  acquaint- 
ances. 

After  completing  his  education  Harry 
W.  Chadwick  learned  the  machinist's  trade 
in  the  railroad  shops  at  Vincennes,  Indiana, 
where  he  was  employed  for  four  years,  dur- 
ing which  time  he  made  his  home  with  his 
grandfather,  William  Birch.  He  then  se- 
cured a  position  as  fireman  on  the  Ohio  & 
Mississippi  Railroad,  and  on  the  i6th  of 
September,  1879,  was  promoted  to  an  en- 
gineer. Before  he  had  attained  his  major- 
ity he  had  acted  in  that  capacity,  and  has 
been  at  the  throttle  ever  since  with  the  ex- 
ception of  six  weeks,  first  with  the  Ohio  & 
Mississippi  Railroad,  then  with  the  Hanni- 
bal &  St.  Jo,  and  now  with  the  Peoria  & 
Eastern  division  of  the  Big  Four. 

During  his  railroad  career,  Mr.  Chad- 
wick  has  had  some  thrilling  experiences  and 
been  in  several  wrecks,  but  fortunately  has 
never  been  injured.  He  wears  a  large 
cameo  ring  which  he  received  as  a  reward 
for  rescuing  from  death  Ella  Farrel,  the 
eighteen-months-old  daughter  of  the  section 
boss  at  Wheatland,  Indiana.  Seeing  the 
child  on  the  track,  he  stepped  on  the  pilot, 
holding  the  shacklebar  with  his  left  hand, 
and  with  his  right  on  the  cowcatcher,  he 
caught  the  child  up  and  carried  it  into  the 
cab  unharmed  with  the  exception  of  .its 
shoulder,  which  was  dislocated  by  the  jerk. 
He  then  backed  the  train  and  delivered  the 


child  to  the  frenzied  mother  who,  from  her 
doorway,  had  witnessed  all  that  had  passed. 
Mr.  Chadwick  was  in  one  collision  which  cost 
the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad  thirty-seven 
thousand  dollars,  but  he  carries  recom- 
mendations of  the  highest  quality  from  the 
officials  of  the  road,  who  exonerated  him 
from  all  blame,  as  he  was  worn  out  from 
overwork  and  loss  of  sleep.  He  has  been 
in  six  head-end  collisions  and  in  five  others 
where  his  engine  run  into  the  caboose  of 
another  train,  but  no  deaths  resulted  from 
these.  He  has  been  turned  over  three 
times  with  his  engine,  and  while  with  the 
Big  Four  he  and  his  fireman,  Harry  Dep- 
uty, on  their  engine,  with  fifty  cars  attached, 
went  through  a  culvert.  They  jumped  into 
thirteen  feet  of  water  and  had  to  swim  sixty 
feet  before  reaching  the  bank.  This  acci- 
dent was  caused  by  a  cloudburst.  Two 
men  have  been  killed  by  Mr.  Chadwick's 
engine — one  of  whom  was  drunk  and  laid 
down  on  the  track  at  Shoals,  Indiana.  The 
other  was  a  new  brakeman,  who  was  injured 
at  LeRoy,  Illinois,  while  making  a  coup- 
ling, and  died  soon  afterward.  It  is  be- 
lieved that  his  lamp  had  gone  out,  and  not 
knowing  the  road,  he  walked  into  the  cattle 
guard  and  got  under  the  train  unnoticed  by 
our  subject. 

On  the  ist  of  July,  1882,  Mr.  Chadwick 
married  Miss  Nettie  Slawson,  who  was  then 
living  with  her  grandfather,  Abner  Slawson, 
in  Vincennes,  Indiana.  Her  father,  Will- 
iam Slawson,  is  now  a  resident  of  Urbana. 
Our  subject  and  his  wife  have  two  children: 
Bessie  Marie,  who  is  attending  the  high 
school  of  Urbana;  and  Frank,  who  is  in  the 
fourth  grade  of  the  grammar  school.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Chadwick  are  both  active  members 
of  the  First  Baptist  church  of  Urbana,  and 
she  teaches  a  class  in  Sunday  school,  is  sec- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


377 


cretary  of  the  Eastern  Star  Lodge,  is  an 
officer  of  the  Woman's  Christian  Temper- 
ance Union,  and  is  connected  with  several 
church  organizations.  Socially,  our  subject 
is  a  member  of  the  Blue  Lodge,  No.  157, 
F.  &  A.  M. ;  the  Tribe  of  Ben  Hur,  and 
both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
Court  of  Honor.  He  affiliates  with  the  Re- 
publican party,  and  in  1896  came  within 
four  votes  of  being  elected  alderman  of  his 
ward  when  running  against  a  man  who  had 
held  the  office  for  thirteen  years.  He  was 
deputized  to  act  asdeputy  United  States  mar- 
shal at  the  legal  execution  of  Samuel 
Archer,  at  Shoals,  Indiana,  in  the  '703.  He 
has  always  been  found  true  and  faithful  to 
every  trust  reposed  in  him,  and  merits  and 
receives  the  confidence  and  respect  of  his 
fellow  citizens. 


ISAAC  BROWN,  whose  valuable  home- 
1  stead  is  located  on  section  21,  South 
Homer  township,  Champaign  county,  is  one 
of  the  pioneers  of  this  locality,  and,  as  such, 
is  entitled  to  the  honor  and  respect  which  is 
freely  accorded  him.  He  has  witnessed  re- 
markable changes  during  the  period  of  his 
residence  here,  the  once  wild,  barren  prairie 
having  been  converted  into  fertile,  pro- 
ductive farms,  dotted  here  and  there  with 
happy  homes,  thriving  villages  and  populous 
towns. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject. 
John  Brown,  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of 
the  Revolution  and  was  a  farmer  in  Penn- 
sylvania, in  which  state  his  son.  George  \Y., 
father  of  Isaac  Brown,  was  born.  The  lat- 
ler  was  a  distiller  in  his  young  manhood 
(this  occupation  being  very  common  among 
the  Pennsylvania  farmers  of  that  day),  and 
subsequently  he  gave  his  entire  attention  to 


farming.  In'  1834  he  located  in  Fayette 
county,  Ohio,  where  he  bought  and  im- 
proved land,  and  in  1857  he  came  to  Cham- 
paign county,  where  the  remainder  of  his 
life  was  spent.  Buying  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  land  in  South  Homer  town- 
ship, he  continued  to  dwell  there  until  his 
death,  in  1884,  when  he  was  in  his  seventy- 
seventh  year.  The  wife  of  his  youth  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Ruth  Rogers,  and  she, 
like  himself,  was  a  native  of  the  Keystone 
state.  She  departed  this  life  in  1872,  aged 
sixty-six  years,  and  he  afterwards  married 
Mrs.  George  Sampson,  who  is  now  living  in 
Kansas.  By  the  first  marriage  five  children 
were  born,  namely:  Isaac,  David  and  John, 
farmers  of  this  township;  William,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  thirty-five  years;  and  Maria, 
who  was  only  four  years  old  when  death 
claimed  her. 

Isaac  Brown  was  born  December  16, 
1830.  in  Fayette  county.  Pennsylvania,  and 
in  his  boyhood  attended  the  typical  log 
cabin  district  school  of  the  period.  He  re- 
mained under  the  parental  roof  until  1855, 
when  he  determined  to  prospect  in  the 
west.  Coming  by  railroad  as  far  as  Paris, 
Illinois,  he  was  there  obliged  to  leave  the 
train  and  proceed  by  stage  to  Urbana  and 
thence  on  foot  to  the  home  of  his  uncle, 
William  M.  Rogers.  Arriving  there  he  was 
employed  by  his  relative  for  several  months, 
at  the  end  of  which  time  the  young  man  re- 
turned to  Ohio,  and  in  the  fall  of  1857,  ac- 
companied by  his  father  and  the  family,  he 
came  to  this  county  as  a  permanent  resi- 
dent. 

On  Christmas  day,  1864,  Mr.  Brown 
married  Catherine  Cunningham,  daugh- 
ter of  William  Cunningham,  of  Fayette 
county,  Ohio.  Of  the  five  children  born 
to  our  subject  and  wife,  Leroy  resides 


373 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


in  Covington,  Indiana;  Belle,  twin  sister  of 
Leroy,  is  the  wife  of  Scott  Peters,  of  Homer 
township;  William  O.  lives  in  Vance  town- 
ship, Vermilion  county,  Illinois,  and  his 
wife  formerly  bore  the  name  of  Blanche 
Johnson;  Clark,  also  of  Vance  town- 
ship, chose  Mary  Riggs  for  a  wife;  and 
Olive  is  the  wife  of  John  Argeare,  of 
Kentland,  Indiana.  On  the  23rd  of  De- 
cember, 1875,  Isaac  Brown  and  Lucinda, 
daughter  of  Elias  and  Harriet  (Haberstine) 
Forbes,  were  united  in  wedlock.  Mr. 
Forbes  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  his 
wife  of  Virginia,  and  his  daughter,  Mrs. 
Brown,  of  Madison  county,  Ohio.  In  early 
life,  Mr.  Forbes  went  to  the  Buckeye  state, 
where  he  became  a  mechanic,  which  calling 
he  followed  until  1873,  when  he  located  in 
Vermilion  county.  Here  he  engaged  in 
farming  and  also  served  as  a  local  preacher, 
doing  much  good  among  the  people  with 
whom  his  lot  was  cast.  He  was  called  to 
his  reward  March  i,  1876,  but  his  wife  had 
died  in  1863.  Of  their  children,  William 
and  Henry  live  in  Iowa;  Absalom  and  James 
in  Madison  county,  Ohio;  and  Angus  in  the 
state  of  Washington,  while  Eliza  resides 
with  her  sister,  Mrs.  Brown. 

Isaac  and  Lucinda  Brown  became  the 
parents  of  six  children,  of  whom  the  two 
eldest,  Frances  Ruth  and  Minne  Josephine, 
died  ill  infancy.  M.  Earl  lives  with  his  half 
brother,  William  O.,  in  Vance  township, 
Vermilion  county.  Jesse  W.,  Charles  D. 
and  Clarence  C.  are  at  home. 

Subsequent  to  his  first  marriage,  Isaac 
Brown  began  the  cultivation  of  a  portion  of 
his  father's  land,  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  it  being  yet  unbroken  prairie.  He 
built  a  small  cabin  of  two  rooms,  and,  as 
the  years  went  by,  he  added  a  wing  or  an 
improvement  here  and  there  until  it  is  now 


a  substantial  and  convenient  dwelling.  He 
made  a  specialty  of  raising  Durham  and 
Short-Horn  cattle,  and  Poland-China  hogs, 
always  keeping  a  high  grade  of  live  stock  on 
his  plac2.  In  every  way,  he  has  been  a  pro- 
gressive farmer,  taking  the  leading  agri- 
cultural journals,  and  keeping  abreast  of  the 
times. 

Religiously,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 
In  national  issues  he  is  a  Democrat,  but  in 
local  affairs  he  prefers  to  be  independent, 
voting  for  the  candidate  whom  he  considers 
best  suited  to  the  office.  In  the  first  years 
of  his  residence  here,  deer  and  wolves,  as 
well  as  smaller  game,  were  very  numerous 
on  these  prairies,  and  the  hunter  and  trapper 
had  abundant  chances  for  exercising  their 
skill  and  craft. 


FRANKLIN  E.  BURR,  who  is  now  living 
a  retired  life  in  the  village  of  Philo,  has 
for  over  forty  years  made  his  home  in  this 
county,  and  has  been  actively  identified  with 
its  agricultural  interests.  His  well-directed 
efforts  have  been  crowned  with  success,  and 
his  prosperity  is  due  to  his  own  good  man- 
agement, enterprise  and  perseverance. 

Mr.  Burr  was  born  in  Worthington, 
Massachusetts,  January  6,  1824,  and  is  a 
son  of  Ames  and  Relief  (Eager)  Burr,  also 
natives  of  the  old  Bay  state.  The  family  is 
of  English  origin,  and  our  subject  can  trace 
his  ancestry  back  for  several  generations. 
His  father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and 
a  soldier  of  the  war  of  1812.  He  died  in 
his  native  state  at  about  the  age  of  eighty 
years.  In  his  family  were  twelve  children, 
eight  sons  and  four  daughters,  of  whom 
three  sons  and  three  daughters  are  still  liv- 
ing, namely:  Franklin  E..  our  subject; 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


379 


Jane,  wife  of  G.  N.  Rice,  formerly  a  resident 
of  Champaign,  but  now  of  Iowa;  John,  a 
farmer  of  Philo  township,  this  county; 
Helen,  wife  of  E.  B.  Hazen,  of  Philo; 
Arthur,  a  resident  of  Wichita,  Kansas; 
and  Carrie,  wife  of  Dr.  Mandeville,  of  Philo. 

In  his  native  state  Franklin  E.  Burr  ac- 
quired a  good  common  school  education, 
and  during  his  boyhood  and  youth  he  assisted 
his  father  in  the  operation  of  the  home  farm, 
remaining  there  until  he  attained  his  ma- 
jority, when  he  went  to  New  York  and  was 
engaged  in  the  lumber  business  with  his 
brother  for  seven  years. 

On  the  nth  of  October,  1849,  Mr.  Burr 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Emily  A. 
Robinson,  who  was  born  in  Chesterfield, 
Massachusetts,  November  17,  1827,  a 
daughter  of  Silas  and  Cynthia  (Porter) 
Robinson,  also  natives-of  Massachusetts,  and 
of  English  descent.  Of  the  five  children 
born  to  our  subject  and  his  wife,  the  eldest 
died  in  infancy.  (2)  Emma  J.  is  the  wife 
of  Professor  I.  O.  Baker,  of  the  Illinois 
University  at  Champaign,  and  they  have  two 
sons,  Horatio  and  Cecil.  (3)  Frank  R. ,  a 
farmer  of  Philo  township,  married  Miss 
Anna  C.  Black,  and  has  four  children, 
Elbert,  Nellie,  Emily  and  David.  (4)  Fanny 
C.  is  the  wife  of  George  Lovingfoss,  a  farmer 
of  Philo  township,  and  they  have  four  sons, 
Clifford,  Kenneth,  Philip  and  Fred.  (5) 
Hurbert  A.,  who  is  living  on  his  father's  farm 
in  Crittenden  township,  married  Miss  Lyda 
C.  Black,  and  they  have  three  children, 
Stella,  Franklin  and  Fred. 

After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Burr  remained 
in  New  York  for  a  few  years,  and  then 
moved  to  Kendall  county,  this  state,  where 
he  operated  a  rented  farm  for  one  year. 
The  following  three  years  he  engaged  in 

fanning  on  rented  land  in    Bureau  county, 
20 


and  in  1860  came  to  Champaign  county, 
where  he  has  since  made  his  home.  His 
first  purchase  here  consisted  of  a  tract  of 
unbroken  land  in  Philo  township,  and  he  at 
once  turned  his  attention  to  its  development 
and  cultivation.  He  made  all  the  necessary 
improvements  on  the  place,  and  added  to  his 
landed  possessions  from  time  to  time  until 
he  now  has  four  hundred  acres,  two  hundred 
and  forty  in  Philo  township,  and  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  in  Crittenden  township,  both 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  well 
improved  with  good  and  substantial  build- 
ings. Mr.  Burr  continued  to  successfully 
engage  in  farming  until  1895,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Philo,  where  he  purchased  a  lot 
and  erected  a  comfortable  modern  home, 
where  he  and  his  wife  expect  to  pass  their 
remaining  days  in  ease  and  quiet. 

While  living  on  the  farm  Mr.  Burr  filled 
the  office  of  assessor  for  several  years;  also 
collector;  and  was  school  director  for  a  num- 
ber of  years.  In  his  political  affiliations  he 
he  is  a  Democrat.  On  the  i  ith  of  October, 
1899,  he  and  his  worthy  wife  celebrated  their 
golden  wedding.  A  notable  fact  in  this 
family  is  that  the  parents  of  both  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Burr  celebrated  their  golden  weddings, 
and  that  his  sister  Jane  did  the  same.  Mrs. 
Burr  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church, 
and  both  she  and  her  husband  are  highly  re- 
spected and  esteemed  by  all  who  have  the 
pleasure  of  their  acquaintance.  His  career 
proves  that  the  only  true  success  in  life  is  that 
which  is  accomplished  by  personal  effort  and 
consecutive  industry.  It  proves  that  the  road 
to  success  is  open  to  all  young  men  who  have 
the  courage  to  tread  its  pathway,  and  the  life 
record  of  such  a  man  should  serve  as  an  in- 
spiration to  the  young  of  this  and  future 
generations,  and  teach,  by  incontrovertible 
facts,  that  success  is  ambition's  answer. 


38o 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


HENLEY  EVERSOLE.  In  past  ages 
the  history  of  a  country  was  the  record 
of  wars  and  conquests;  to-day  it  is  the  rec- 
ord of  commercial  activity,  and  those  whose 
names  are  foremost  in  its  annals  are  the 
leaders  in  business  circles.  The  conquests 
now  made  are  those  of  mind  over  matter, 
not  of  man  over  man,  and  the  victor  is  he 
who  can  successfully  establish,  control  and 
operate  extensive  commercial  interests.  Mr. 
Eversole  is  unquestionably  one  of  the  lead- 
ing business  men  in  the  southern  part  of 
Champaign  county,  his  home  being  in  Broad- 
lands.  He  is  extensively  engaged  in  the 
grain  business  and  is  also  a  dealer  in  wagons, 
carriages,  buggies,  farm  implements,  thresh- 
ing machines,  etc. 

A  native  of  Illinois,  Mr.  Eversole  was 
born  in  Coles  county,  July  31,  1863,  and  is 
a  son  of  Henry  and  Sarah  J.  (Work)  Ever- 
sole.  His  paternal  grandparents  were 
David  and  Elizabeth  (Miller)  Eversole,  both 
natives  of  Virginia.  The  family  is  of  Ger- 
man origin  and  the  name  was  originally 
spelled  Ebersole.  During  pioneer  days  the 
grandfather  settled  in  Fairfield  county, 
Ohio,  where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his 
life.  He  was  an  extensive  stock  dealer, 
and  in  those  early  days  drove  all  his  stock 
to  Baltimore  and  other  eastern  cities.  The 
maternal  grandparents  of  our  subject  were 
Samuel  and  Elizabeth  (Henley)  Work,  who 
removed  from  North  Carolina  to  Clark 
county,  Indiana,  locating  on  the  Ohio  river, 
sixteen  miles  from  Louisville,  Kentucky. 
Several  of  the  Henley  family  have  distin- 
guished themselves  as  members  of  Congress 
or  the  Legislature  (rom  Indiana,  and  one 
from  California.  Henry  C.  Work,  a  cousin 
of  Mrs.  Eversole,  is  the  author  of  the  world- 
renowned  song,  "Marching  Through  Geor- 
gia." 


Henry  Eversole,  father  of  our  subject, 
was  born  in  Fairfield  county,  Ohio,  October 
2,  1831,  and  when  a  young  man  removed 
to  Coles  county,  Illinois.  He  was  married 
five  years  later  in  Indiana,  and  continued  to 
make  his  home  in  that  county  throughout 
life,  dying  there  December  n,  1899.  His 
widow  still  resides  on  the  old  homestead. 
He  became  an  extensive  land  owner,  had 
two  hundred  acres  in  Coles  county  and  five 
hundred  acres  in  the  west.  Politically  he 
was  a  strong  Republican,  and  religiously 
was  an  active  membe'f  of  the*  Christian 
church,  in  which  he  served  as  elder  for  many 
years.  In  his  family  were  five  children, 
namely:  Lula,  who  resides  with  her  mother 
on  the  home  farm;  McClellan,  a  farmer  of 
Coles  county;  Henley,  our  subject;  John 
H.,  who  is  engaged  in  the  grain  and  buggy 
business  in  Mayview,  Champaign  county; 
and  Berte,  who  died  in  infancy. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  grew  to  man- 
hood on  the  old  homestead  in  Coles  county, 
and  received  his  education  in  the  public 
schools  and  Lee's  Academy  at  Loxa,  Illi- 
nois, While  still  in  his  teens  he  com- 
menced teaching  school  and  successfully 
followed  that  pursuit  in  his  native  county 
for  four  years,  being  at  length  compelled  to 
abandon  it  on  account  of  failing  health. 
The  following  two  years  were  spent  in 
traveling  for  the  benefit  of  the  same.  In 
1892  he  accepted  the  position  ot  assistant 
traveling  passenger  agent  for  the  Clover 
Leaf  Railroad,  with  which  he  was  connected 
for  one  season,  traveling  from  New  York  to 
Colorado  and  Arkansas.  The  following  fall 
he  embarked  in  the  grain  and  implement 
business  at  Hindsboro,  Douglas  county, 
with-  his  brothers,  and  had  charge  of  the 
business  as  manager  for  three  years,  at  the 
end  of  which  time  the  firm  sold  out  there 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


38i 


and  our  subject  entered  business  in  the  same 
line  at  Fithian,  Illinois,  remaining  there  two 
years.  After  spending  some  time  looking 
for  a  satisfactory  location,  Mr.  Eversole 
decided  on  Broadlands,  where  he  erected  a 
grain  elevator  and  has  since  engaged  in 
business.  Within  the  last  few  years  he  has 
built  three  elevators,  one  at  Hinds- 
boro,  another  at  Fithian,  and  the  third 
at  Broadlands.  He  also  carries  a  corn- 
complete  line  of  all  kinds  of  farm  im- 
plements, from  a  plow  to  a  thresh- 
ing machine,  and  has  an  elegant  line  of  bug- 
gies and  vehicles,  his  stock  occupying  three 
large  warerooms.  Since  coming  to  Broad- 
lands  he  has  built  two  residences,  his  pres- 
ent elegant  home  being  completed  in  1900. 
It  is  equipped  with  all  modern  conveniences 
and  is  one  of  the  finest  residences  in  the  vil- 
lage. Besides  the  property  already  men- 
tioned Mr.  Eversole  owns  eighty  acres  of 
land  in  Coles  county,  and  is  now  making 
preparations  for  the  erection  of  a  brick 
block,  having  a  half  interest  ;n  the  same. 
His  grain  .  and  implement  business  now 
amount  to  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  per 
year,  and  he  is  one  of  the  most  important 
factors  in  the  business  circles  of  his  commu- 
nity, being  thoroughly  identified  with  the 
interests  of  the  thriving  and  prosperous 
town  of  Broadlands. 

At  Newman,  Illinois,  March  26.  1895, 
Mr.  Eversole  married  Miss  Olive  O.  Wag- 
ner, who  was  born  in  that  place.  March  8, 
1875,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  J.  M.  and  ^Ellen 
(Dunlap)  Wagner,  of  Newman.  Her  fa- 
ther is  a  well-known  physician  and  a  stock- 
man of  Douglas  county.  His  children  are 
J.  R.,  who  is  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
medicine  with  his  father;  Olive  O.,  wife  of 
our  subject;  one  who  died  in  infancy;  Hazel, 
Nina  and  Dwight,  all  at  home. 


Mr.  Eversole  takes  an  active  and  com- 
mendable interest  in  public  affairs,  and  is  a 
stanch  supporter  of  the  Republican  party 
and  its  principals.  He  holds  membership 
in  Broadlands  Lodge,  No.  791,  F.  &  A.  M., 
and  Broadlands  Camp,  No.  2072,  M.  \V. 
A.,  and  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of 
Broadlands  Chapter,  O.  E.  S.,  No.  416. 
He  is  a  prominent  .and  influential  member 
of  the  Christian  church,  taking  an  active 
part  in  its  work  and  serving  as  superintend- 
ent of  the  Sunday  school  most  of  the  time 
for  ten  years.  He  is  now  superintendent  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Sunday  school  in 
Broadlands.  He  is  held  in  high  regard  by 
all  who  know  him  on  account  of  his  sterling 
worth,  and  has  made  a  host  of  warm  friends 
during  his  residence  in  Broadlands. 


S.  WILLIAM  POTTER,  one  of  the  most 
popular  and  influential«citizens  of  Ayers 
township,  Champaign  county,  Illinois,  who 
is  successfully  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits on  section  17,  was  born  in  Morgan 
county,  this  state.  His  father,  John 
Potter,  was  a  native  of  England,  born  in 
Oldham,  Lancastershire,  March  27,  1832, 
and  was  a  son  of  Samuel  Potter,  who  was 
in  the  employ  of  an  Englisii  cotton  manu- 
facturer, and  prior  to  his  removal  to  this 
country,  he  visited  Mexico,  on  business  con- 
nected with  his  manufactory.  In  1848  he 
emigrated  to  America  and  took  up  his  resi- 
dence in  Morgan  county,  Illinois,  where  he 
made  a  contract  to  purchase  land,  but  died 
before  his  funds  left  England  arrived.  Of 
his  children,  two  married  daughters  re- 
mained in  that  country.  Those  who  came 
with  him  to  America  were  Joseph  and  John, 
father  of  our  subject,  while  Ann  and  her  hus- 


382 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


band,  James  Wilson,  one  year  later  crossed 
the  Atlantic  and  brought  Ralph  and  Eliza- 
beth, and  also  located  in  Morgan  county, 
Illinois.  By  a  former  marriage  he  had  one 
son,  Samuel,  who  remained  in  England. 

After  the  death  of  their  father,  John 
Potter  and  his  brother  started  out  in  life  on 
their  own  account.  The  former  was  mar- 
ried in  Morgan  county,  October  28,  1858, 
to  Miss  Rebecca  Gibson,  who  was  born  in 
Guernsey  county,  Ohio,  July  19,  1835,  and 
when  a  child  came  to  Illinois  with  her 
widowed  mother.  After  his  marriage  Mr. 
Potter  rented  land  in  Morgan  county,  where 
he  made  his  home  until  1848,  when  he 
moved  his  family  to  Champaign  county  and 
purchased  the  northeast  quarter,  of  section 
23,  Raymond  township,  it  being  a  part  of 
the  Broadlands  tract  then  offered  for  sale. 
He  was  not  long  permitted  to  enjoy  his  new 
home,  however,  for  he  died  three  years 
later,  on  the  2ist  of  July,  1880.  He  was  a 
prominent  member  of  the  Masonic  frater- 
nity, and  was  laid  to  rest  with  the  imposing 
ceremonies  of  that  order.  His  wife  survived 
him  about  five  years  and  a  half,  dying  Jan- 
uary 29,  1886.  To  this  worthy  couple  were 
born  eight  children,  of  whom  S.  William, 
our  subject,  is  the  eldest;  Hugh  D.  is  a  re- 
tired farmer  of  Broadlands;  Joseph  P.  and 
John  S.  are  both  farmers  of  Ayers  township; 
Margaret  A.  is  the  wife  of  Jarnes  Astell,  of 
Raymond  township;  Ira  L. ,  born  April  8, 
1868,  died  August  16,  1869.  Robert  F. 
resides  in  Illinois  and  is  a  salesman  for  fine 
horses;  he  married  Mary  Miller,  daughter 
of  Thomas  Miller;  Hannah  E.  is  the  wife  of 
Samuel  E.  Shultz,  a  farmer  of  Ayers  town- 
ship. 

S.  William  Potter  was  reared  on  the 
home  farm,  early  becoming  familiar  with 
all  the  duties  which  fall  to  the  lot  of  the 


agriculturist,  and  he  obtained  his  education! 
in  the  common  schools  of  the  neighborhood 
and  the  practical  school  of  experience.  He 
had  just  attained  his  majority  when  his 
father  died,  and  being  the  eldest  son,  the 
care  and  responsibility  of  the  head  of  a  large 
family  devolved  upon  him.  He  kept  the 
children  together  until  the  youngest  was  of 
age,  and  the  boys  worked  together  in  har- 
mony upon  the  farm,  to  which  they  added 
another  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  mak- 
ing three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  all. 
As  the  children  married  and  left  home  their 
shares  were  purchased,  and  upon  the  mar- 
riage of  the  youngest  sister  a  final  division 
of  the  property  was  made,  our  subject  re- 
ceiving one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  sec- 
tion 17,  Ayers  township,  as  his  share.  He 
has  always  given  his  attention  to  general 
farming  and  stock  raising  and  takes  a  pride 
in  keeping  well  bred  stock,  being  a  good 
judge  and  admirer  of  horses. 

Since  old  enough  to  cast  his  first  vote^ 
Mr.  Potter  has  taken  an  active  interest  in 
public  affairs,  and  is  an  earnest  supporter  of 
the  Republican  party,  and  for  its  success  he 
is  a  zealous  worker,  having  served  on  the 
town  and  county  central  committees  and  as 
a  delegate  to  various  conventions.  When 
but  twenty-one  years  of  age  he  .was  elected 
a  member  of  the  school  bo'ard,  in  which 
capacity  he  served  for  eight  years.  His 
next  office  was  that  of  collector  of  his 
township,  which  he  filled  two  terms,  and 
was  assessor  of  the  township  of  Ayers  for 
for  the  same  length  of  time.  In  April, 
1897,  he  was  elected  supervisor  of  Ayers 
township,  and  served  in  that  responsible 
position  for  two  terms  with  credit  to 
himself  and  to  the  satisfaction  of  his 
constituents.  He  was  a  member  of  sev- 
eral important  committees,  including  those: 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


383 


of  ways  and  means,  claims  and  swamp 
lands.  In  1893  he  was'elected  commissioner 
of  the  Little  Vermilion  drainage  district,  in 
which  capacity  he  served  six  consecutive 
years.  Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of 
Broadlands  Lodge,  No.  791,  F.  &  A.  M. ; 
Newman  Chapter,  No.  172,  R.  A.  M.,  of 
Newman;  Broadlands  Chapter,  No.  416,  O. 
E.  S. ;  and  Melita  Commandery,  No.  37,  K. 
T.,  of  Tuscola.  For  the  past  seven  years 
he  has  been  an  active  worker  in  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church  and  Sunday  school, 
serving  as  steward  and  trustee  of  the  church 
and  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school. 
He  has  won  a  high  place  in  the  regard  and 
esteem  of  his  many  friends  and  acquaint- 
ances for  his  sterling  qualities  of  head  and 
heart,  and  he  has  the  confidence  of  all  with 
whom  he  comes  in  contact  either  in  busi- 
ness or  social  life. 


FREDERICK  J.  PETERS.  While  "the 
race  is  not  always  to  the  swift  nor  the 
battle  to  the  strong,"  the  invariable  law  of 
destiny  accords  to  tireless  energy,  industry 
and  ability  a  successful  career.  The  truth 
of  this  assertion  is  abundantly  verified  in  the 
life  of  Mr.  Peters,  a  well-known  tile  manu- 
facturer of  Thomasboro,  Champaign  coun- 
ty, Illinois. 

Mr.  Peters  was  born  in  Schwerin,  Meck- 
lenburg, Germany,  August  12,  1856,  and  is 
a  son  of  Frederick  J.  Peters,  Sr.,  who  died 
when  our  subject  was  only  fourteen  years  of 
age.  In  the  family  were  seven  children, 
two  sons  and  five  daughters,  but  Frederick 
was  the  only  one  to  come  to  this  country. 
He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  and 
gymnasium  of  his  native  land,  and  at  the 
age  of  twenty  entered  the  standing  army,  in 


which  he  served  for  three  years.  Upon 
leaving  the  army  he  turned  his  attention  to 
railroading,  in  which  he  was  engaged  until 
his  emigration  to  the  United  States  in 
1886. 

Before  leaving  Germany  Mr.  Peters  was 
married,  in  1884,  to  Mrs.  Minnie  Manka,  a 
daughter  of  Frederick  E.  and  Sophia  (Ede) 
Voss,  who  died  in  that  country.  The  father 
was  a  tile  manufacturer  and  carried  on  a 
large  and  successful  business.  Mrs.  Peters 
has  two  brothers  in  America:  John  A.  Voss, 
who  formerly  operated  a  tile  factory  in 
Thomasboro,  but  is  now  living  retired  in 
Champaign;  and  George  E.  Voss,  who  is 
engaged  in  business  in  Chicago. 

By  her  first  marriage  Mrs.  Peters  had 
four  children:  (i)  Otto  Manka,  a  tile  man- 
ufacturer of  Thomasboro,  died  July  30, 
1895,  at  the  age  of  twenty-six  years  and 
eight  months.  (2)  Charles  F.  Manka  is 
married  and  successfully  engaged  in  the 
butcher  business  in  Chicago.  (3)  Matilda 
Manka,  born  February  8,  1872,  died  in 
Thomasboro,  December  26,  1899.  (4) 
Augusta  Peters,  who  takes  the  name  of  her 
stepfather,  was  born  in  Germany  May  26, 
1880,  and  was  educated  in  Chicago,  grad- 
uating from  the  Harrison  School  in  1893, 
and  later  attending  the  South  Division  high 
school  until  October,  1895.  The  father  of 
these  children  was  William  Manka;  who 
died  when  quite  young. 

In  1886  Mr.  Peters  and  his  family  sailed 
for  the  new  world  and  landed  in  Baltimore, 
Maryland,  whence  they  came  to  Thomas- 
boro, Illinois.  Here  he  worked  in  the  tile 
factory  owned  by  his  brother-in-law,  John 
A.  Voss,  for  four  years,  •  and  then  went  to 
Chicago,  where  he  was  in  the  employ  of  the 
Armour  Packing  Company  for  three  years, 
and  Libby,  McNeal  &  Company  for  two 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


years.  In  1895  he  returned  to  Thomas- 
boro  and  purchased  the  tile  factory,  which 
he  has  since  operated  with  good  success, 
building  up  an  extensive  and  profitable 
business  as  a  manufacturer  of  drain  tile  and 
brick.  He  is  a  progressive  business  man  of 
known  reliability,  and  the  success  that  has 
crowned  his  efforts  is  certainly  well-mer- 
ited. In  politics  he  is  independent,  and  in 
his  social  relations  is  a  member  of  the  Mod- 
ern Woodmen  of  America,  while  his  wife 
belongs  to  the  Royal  Neighbors. 


JACOB  J.  HAMMER,  an  industrious  and 
vJ  enterprising  farmer  residing  on  section 
29,  Ayers  township,  Champaign  county,  Illi- 
nois, was  born  in  Denmark,  December  18, 
1856,  a  son  of  Nelson  and  Annie  (Jenson) 
Hammer,  also  natives  of  that  country, 
where  the  father  was  engaged  in  farming  in 
early  life.  In  their  family  were  seven 
children,  three  of  whom  are  still  living, 
namely:  Mary,  wife  of  Andrew  Tilson,  a 
farmer  of  Chariton  county,  Missouri-  Anne, 
wife  of  Peter  Peterson,  of  Clifton  -  Hill, 
Randolph  county,  Missouri;  and  Jacob  J., 
our  subject.  One  daughter,  Christine, 
married  Newton  Mathison,  and  re- 
mained in  Denmark,  where  she  died 
November  8,  1879,  leaving  two  chil- 
dren, Annie  and  Martin,  who,  with  their 
father,  came  to  America  in  1882.  Mr. 
Mathison  died  six  weeks  later  and  since  then 
the  son  has  made  his  home  with  our  sub- 
ject. 

Jacob  J.  Hammer  passed  his  boyhood 
and  youth  in  his  native  land,  but  in  1873, 
at  the  age  of  seventeen  years,  he  left  home 
and  came  alone  to  the  new  world,  his  des- 
tination being  Ayers  township,  Champaign 


county,  Illinois,  where  his  uncle,  Peter  N. 
Hammer,  resided.  After  making  his  home 
with  him  for  a  short  time  our  subject  com- 
menced work  as  a  farm  laborer,  and  was 
thus  employed  until  joined  by  his  parents 
and  Mr.  Mathison  and  family..  He  then 
rented  land  in  Ayres  township  and  contin- 
ued to  operate  rented  property  in  that  and 
Raymond  township,  until  1888,  when  he 
purchased  his  present  farm  of  eighty  acres 
on  section  29,  Ayres  township — a  part  of 
the'  Broadlands  tract.  His  parents  made 
their  home  with  him  until  called  from  this 
life,  the  father  dying  March  12,  1888,  the 
mother  November  23,  1897. 

On  the  28th  of  November,  1888,  at 
Longview,  Illinois,  Mr.  Hammer  married 
Miss. Rosa  B.  Groves,  a  native  of  Switzer- 
land county,  Indiana,  and  a  daughter  of 
George  W.  and  Mary  E.  (Carpenter) 
Groves,  the  father  born  in  Dearborn 
county,  Indiana,  the  mother  in  Warren 
county,  Ohio.  When  eighteen  months  old 
she  came'  to  Vermilion  county,  Illinois, 
with  her  parents,  who  are  still  living  on  a 
farm  in  Raymond  township.  Their  chil- 
dren are:  James  W. ,  a  farmer  of  Ripley 
county,  Indiana;  Susanna,  wife  of  William 
Taylor,  of  Shelby  county,  Illinois;  Eliza- 
beth J.,  wife  of  George  Scott,  of  White 
county,  Indiana;  Mary  M.,  wife  of  George 
Taylor  of  Pennfield,  Illinois;  George  C.,  a 
farmer  of  Calhoun  county,  Iowa;  Joseph 
M.,  a  resident  of  Arkansas;  Jesse  L.  W.,  a 
resident  of  Calhoun  county,  Iowa;  Ella  M., 
wife  of  John  Bivins,  of  Sullivan,  Franklin 
county,  Missouri;  and  Rosa  B.,  wife  of  our 
subject.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hammer  were 
born  three  children,  but  a  son  and  daughter 
both  died  in  infancy.  The  only  survivor  is 
George  Groves,  who  was  born  June  9,  1891, 
and  is  a  twin  of  the  latter. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


385 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hammer  began  house- 
keeping in  a  humble  way  in  the  little  house 
standing  upon  his  farm,  it  being  the  only 
improvement  upon  the  place  at  that  time,  as 
there  were  no  trees,  fences  or  other  build- 
ings of  any  kind.  By  industry,  persever- 
ance and  capable  management,  he  has  suc- 
ceeded in  transforming  the  barren  tract  into 
one  of  the  first  and  most  desirable  farms  of 
its  size  in  thetownship.  It  isone  of  the  most 
thoroughly  tiled  places  in  the  county,  having 
some  four  or  five  milds  of  tiling,  and  in  1896 
he  erected  thereon  a  neat  and  comfortable 
residence.  The  thrifty  appearance  of  the 
place  indicates  the  supervision  of  a  careful 
and  progressive  agriculturist  who  thoroughly 
understands  his  chosen  occupation.,  and  is 
meeting  with  success  in  his  undertakings. 

Mr.  Hammer  casts  his  ballot  with  the 
Republican  party,  and  affiliates  with  Aller- 
ton  Camp,  M.  W.  A.  He  was  reared  in  the 
Lutheran  faith,  his  wife  in  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church.  He  is  now  serving  as 
school  director  in  his  district.  For  the  suc- 
cess that  he  has  achieved  in  life  he  deserves 
much  credit,  for  he  commenced  life  here  as  a 
poor  boy  in  a  strange  land,  and  has  had  to 
overcome  many  hardships  and  difficulties, 
but  he  has  always  been  ably  assisted  by  his 
faithful  wife,  and  with  her  aid  is  now  in 
comfortable  circumstances. 


JOSEPH  SCHEURICH,  M.  D.,  a  rising 
and  popular,  as  well  as  a  successful  phy- 
sician and  surgeon  of  Philo,  is  a  native  of  this 
county,  his  birth  occurring  in  Colfax  town- 
ship, July  31,  1873.  His  parents  were 
Jacob  and  Margaret  (Tempel)  Scheurich, 
both  natives  of  Indiana.  In  1866,  when 
still  a  young  man,  the  father  came  to  this 


county,  and  for  two  years  was  engaged  in 
merchandising  at  Tolono  with  his  father. 
He  then  engaged  in  farming  upon  rented 
land,  and  afterward  purchased  a  valuable 
farm  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  in  Col- 
fax  township,  to  the  improvement  and  cul- 
tivation of  which  he  devoted  the  remainder 
of  his  life,  becoming  a  very  successful  gen- 
eral farmer.  In  religious  faith  he  was  a 
Catholic,  and  in  politics  was  a  Democrat, 
but  never  cared  for  official  honors.  He  died 
in  1898,  leaving  a  wife  and  ten  children, 
namely:  Joseph,  our  subject;  Frank,  who 
is  attending  school  at  Valparaiso,  Indiana; 
Andrew,  who  manages  the  home  farm;  and 
Tressa,  Henry,  John,  Mary,  Annie,  Minnie, 
deceased,  and  George,  who  are  all  at  home 
with  the  mother. 

Dr.  Scheurich  obtained  his  early  education 
in  the  district  school  near  his  boyhood  home, 
and  during  his  minority  assisted  in  the  work  of 
the  farm.  He  then  attended  the  Spencerian 
Business  College,  at  Philadelphia,  in  1892-3, 
and  after  completing  the  prescribed  course 
at  that  institution  entered  Jefferson  Medical 
College  of  the  same  city,  where  he  pursued 
a  thorough  course  in  medicine.  The  fol- 
lowing year  was  spent  at  Barnes  Medical 
College,  St.  Louis,  from  which  he  graduated 
in  1898  Immediately  after  his  graduation 
he  located  in  Philo,  where  he  at  first  rented 
an  office  and  home  on  the  south  side  of  the 
business  district  of  the  village,  but  in  1899 
he  purchased  the  same.  Although  a  young 
man,  he  is  now  the  leading  physician  of  the 
community,  and  enjoys  a  large  and  con- 
stantly increasing  practice,  which  covers  a 
territory  about  twelve  miles  in  every  direc- 
tion. He  has  met  with  wonderful  success 
in  his  chosen  occupation,  and  has  gained  the 
confidence  and  respect  of  his  fellow  citizens 
in  a  marked  degree. 


386 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


On  the  28th  of  July,  1898,  Dr.  Scheu- 
rich  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Eliza- 
beth Ryan,  who  was  born  in  Ohio,  in  1876, 
and  they  now  have  a  little  son,  William  J. 
The  Doctor  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic 
Church  and  the  Catholic  Knights  of  America 
at  Philo.  In  politics  he  is  independent, 
supporting  the  men  whom  he  considers  best 
qualified  to  fill  positions  regardless  of  party 
lines.  A  pleasant,  genial  gentleman,  he 
makes  hosts  of  warm  friends,  and  is  held  in 
high  regard  by 'all  with  whom  he  comes  in 
contact,  either  in  social  or  business  life. 


ANDREW  S.  DRAPER,  LL.  D.  The 
name  of  Dr.  Draper  is  a  familiar  one  in 
educational  circles  throughout  the  country, 
and  as  the  president  of  the  University  of 
Illinois  he  has  materially  advanced  the  in- 
tellectual status  of  this  commonwealth. 
Man's  worth  in  the  world  is  measured  by 
what  he  has  done  for  his  fellow  men,  and 
certainly  he  is  deserving  of  great  gratitude 
who  has  enabled  others  to  understand  their 
own  powers,  to  have  cognizance  "of  their 
intellectual  strength  and  develop  their 
capabilities  in  a  way  that  will  make  their 
opportunities  in  life  greater  and  broader. 
Such  a  work  is  that  which  occupies  the  at- 
tention of  him  whose  name  introduces  this 
review,  and  to-day  he  stands  among  the 
leaders  in  educational  labors  in  the  Mis- 
sissippi valley. 

President  Draper  was  born  in  Westford, 
Otsego  county,  New  York,  June  21,  1848, 
his  parents  being  Sylvester  Bigelow  and 
jane  (Sloan)  Draper.  The  father  was  a 
farmer  and  manufacturer  of  Westford. 
Nine  generations  of  the  Draper  family  have 
resided  in  America,  the  original  ancestor  in 


this  country  having  come  from  England  in 
1646.  One  of  the  great-grandfathers  of  the 
Doctor  was  a  captain  in  King  Philip's  war, 
and  two  others  were  Revolutionary  heroes. 
All  were  residents  of  Massachusetts.  The 
Sloans  were  of  Scotch-Irish  ancestry  and 
came  to  America  in  1812,  locating  in  Wash- 
ington county,  New  York.  Samuel  Sloan, 
the  maternal  grandfather,  was  the  first  of 
the  family  to  take  up  his  abode  in  the  new 
world.  His  family  were  of  the  Presbyterian 
faith,  while  the  Draper  family  were  Congre- 
gationalists  in  religious  belief.  Soon  after 
the  Revolutionary  war  the  Drapers  made  a 
settlement  in  the  midst  of  the  wilderness,  in 
Otsego  county,  New  York,  and  there  re- 
sided the  great-grandfather,  the  grandfather 
and  the  father  of  our  subject,  and  lands  first 
taken  were  in  possession  of  members  of  the 
family  for  over  one  hundred  years.  When 
Dr.  Draper  was  a  lad  of  seven  summers  his 
parents  removed  to  Albany,  New  York.  In 
the  public  schools  of  that  city  the  Doctor 
obtained  his  preliminary  education,  which 
was  supplemented  by  study  in  the  Albany 
Academy.  Later  he  was  a  student  in  the 
school  of  law  of  the  Union  University,  being 
graduated  in  the  class  of  1871.  Having 
been  admitted  to  the  bar,  he  practiced  law 
in  Albany  fourteen  years,  and  during  that 
time,  from  1878  to  1881,  he  was  a  member 
of  the  board  of  education  of  that  city.  He 
had  also  successfully  engaged  in  teaching 
from  1866  to  1870,  being  a  member  of  the 
faculty  of  the  Albany  Academy  during  a  por- 
tion of  that  time. 

A  recognized  leader  in  public  thought  and 
opinion,  Dr.  Draper  was  called  upon  to  rep- 
resent his  district  in  the  New  York  Legisla- 
ture in  1 88 1,  and  was  made  a  member  of 
the  committees  on  ways  and  means  and  pub- 
lic education,  and  public  printing,  but  gave 


A.  S.  DRAPER,  LL.  D. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


389 


the  greater  part  of  his  time  to  the  first 
named.  He  was  also  a  member  of  a  special 
committee  of  that  Legislature  that  investi- 
gated the  affairs  of  the  Elmira  reformatory, 
prepared  the  report  of  the  committee,  and 
also  the  first  bill  which  became  a  law  in 
New  York  against  contract  labor  in  the 
prisons.  He  was  likewise  a  member  of  the 
special  committee  that  entertained  Gen- 
eral Grant  on  the  part  of  the  Legisla- 
ture, and  also  a  member  of  the  special 
committee  that  investigated  the  charges 
of  bribery  preferred  against  Senator  L. 
B.  Sessions  in  connection  with  the  con- 
test over  the  election  of  a  United  States 
senator  brought  on  by  the  resignations  of 
Senators  Conkling  and  Platt.  Dr.  Draper 
supported  those  two  senators  in  that  pro- 
longed contest.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Republican  state  central  committee  from 
1882  until  1885,  and  was  chairman  of  the 
executive  committee  during  the  presidential 
campaign  of  1884.  The  same  year  he  was 
a  delegate  to  the  Republican  national  con- 
vention and  supported  the  nomination  of 
President  Arthur.  He  had  charge  of  the 
details  of  the  party  campaign  in  New  York 
in  1884  and  visited  Mr.  Blaine  at  his  invita- 
tion at  his  home  in  Augusta,  Maine,  and 
later  accompanied  him  on  his  two  celebrated 
tours  of  the  Empire  state.  The  same  year 
he  was  appointed  by  President  Arthur — the 
appointment  being  confirmed  by  the  senate 
— as  one  of  the  judges  of  the  United  States 
court  created  by  Congress  to  determine  the 
individual  claims  against  the  Geneva  award. 
In  1886  he  was  elected  by  the  New  York 
Legislature  to  the  position  of  state  superin- 
tendent of  public  instruction  and  re-elected 
in  1889,  serving  until  1892.  During  this 
time  the  educational  system  of  New  York 
state  was  in  a  lange  measure  re-organized, 


and  many  legislative  acts  were  passed  of 
benefit  to  the  schools.  The  courses  of 
work  in  the  normal  schools  and  in  the 
teachers'  training  classes  were  entirely  re- 
vised and  a  complete  system  of  uniform 
examination  for  teachers'  certificates  was 
established. 

In  1892  Dr.  Draper  was  chosen  superin- 
tendent of  instruction  in  the  public  schools 
of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  filled  that  position 
for  two  years.  A  new  law  had  been  enacted 
for  the  city  which  placed  the  appointment 
and  removal  of  teachers  wholly  in  the 
hands  of  the  superintendent,  and  in  this 
way  the  teaching-force  was  purged  and  re- 
invigorated  and  the  standard  of  the  schools 
was  materially  raised.  Examinations  as 
tests  of  advancement  from  grade  to  grade  in 
grammar  schools  were  abolished  and  the 
judgment  of  the  teachers  substituted  there- 
for. The  work  of  the  city  training  school 
was  revised,  and  the  whole  city  educational 
system  took  on  new  energy  and  effective- 
ness. In  1894  Dr.  Draper  was  elected 
president  of  the  University  of  Illinois  and 
has  since  occupied  the  position.  During 
his  incumbency  harmony  has  prevailed  in 
the  councils  of  the  university  and  all  the 
friends  of  the  institution  have  combined  to 
lift  it  to  a  place  of  first  rank  among  the  uni- 
versities of  the  country.  Through  the  favor 
of  the  people  of  the  state  and  generous  ap- 
propriations by  the  Legislature  these  efforts 
have  been  in  a  large  measure  successful. 
New  university  buildings  have  been  secured, 
and  the  instructional  force  has  more  than 
doubled  during  the  past  five  years,  while  the 
number  of  students  has  increased  from  less 
than  eight  hundred  to  more  than  twenty- 
two  hundred.  Dr.  Draper  has  been  a  fre- 
quent contributor  to  the  educational  press 
and  has  delivered  addresses  before  educa- 


390 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


tional  bodies  in  more  than  one-half  the 
states  of  the  Union.  He  has  recently  pub- 
lished a  work  entitled  the  Rescue  of  Cuba, 
which  has  atttacted  much  attention  and 
won  much  commendation  throughout  the 
country. 

In  1872  Dr.  Draper  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Abbie  Louise  Lyon,  of  New 
Britain,  Connecticut,  and  they  now  have 
two  children:  Charlotte  Leland  and  Edwin 
Lyon.  The  Doctor  was  formerly  a  member 
of  the  Congregational  church  (though  now 
affiliated  with  the  Presbyterian  church),  and 
for  many  years  was  an  elder  in  the  First 
Presbyterian  church  of  Albany.  In  1889 
the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Law  was  conferred 
upon  him  by  Colgate  University.  He  is  an 
honorary  member  of  the  Wisconsin  State 
Historical  Society,  and  though  his  life  has 
been  largely  devoted  to  intellectual  labors, 
he  yet  realizes  the  value  and  importance  of 
physical  development  and  is  very  fond  of 
outdoor  sports,  particularly  horses,  base- 
ball and  boating.  He.  has  traveled  ex- 
tensively throughout  this  country,  and  in 
1899  he  visited  Europe,  spending  many 
pleasant  hours  in  viewing  the  places  of  his- 
toric and  modern  interest  in  Ireland,  Eng- 
land, Scotland,  Holland,  Germany,  Switzer- 
land and  France.  At  this  point  it  would  be 
almost  tautological  to  enter  into  any  series 
of  statements  as  showing  our  subject  to  be  a 
man  of  broad  intelligence  and  genuine  pub- 
lic spirit,  for  these  have  been  shadowed 
forth  between  the  lines  of  this  review. 
Strong  in  individuality,  he  never  lacks  the 
courage  of  his  convictions,  has  much  human 
sympathy  and  an  abiding  charity,  which,  as 
taken  in  connection  with  the  sterling  integ- 
rity and  honor  of  his  character,  have  nat- 
urally secured  for  him  the  respect  and  con- 
fidence of  men. 


HJ.  WIGGINS.  Prominent  among  the 
business  men  of  Homer,  Illinois,  is 
this  gentleman  who  has  for  many  years 
been  closely  identified  with  the  agricultural 
interests  of  the  county,  and  is  now  engaged 
in  general  banking  business.  He  is  a  man 
of  keen  discrimination  and  sound  judgment, 
and  his  executive  ability  and  excellent  man- 
agement have  brought  to  the  concern  with 
which  he  is  connected  a  high  degree  of 
success. 

Mr.  Wiggins  was  born  in  Hocking  coun- 
ty, Ohio,  and  is  a  son  of  Zedekiah  D.,  and 
Lucinda  (Haynes)  Wiggins,  natives  of  Vir- 
ginia and  Pennsylvania,  respectively.  In 
early  life  the  father  engaged  in  school 
teaching,  but  later  followed  the  occupation 
of  farming.  \Vhen  a  young  man  he  re- 
moved to  Ohio,  and  there  he  and  his  wife 
spent  their  last  days.  In  their  family  were 
ten  children,  of  whom  our  subject  is  the 
third  in  order  of  birth.  Seven  are  still 
living,  three  sons  and  four  daughters,  but 
our  subject  is  the  only  one- living  in  Cham- 
paign county,  Illinois. 

During  his  boyhood  and  youth,  H.  J. 
Wiggins  pursued  his  studies  for  about  three 
months  during  the  winter  season  in  a  little 
log  school  house  of  Salt  Creek  township, 
Hocking  county,  Ohio,  his  education  being 
completed  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years. 
He  began  life  for  hi  nself  by  working  as  a 
farm  hand  in  his  native  county  for  ten  dol- 
lars per  month,  and  was  thus  employed 
until  he  attained  his  majority.  In  1860  he 
came  to  DeWitt  county,  Illinois,  and  se- 
cured work  with  William  McCord,  remain- 
ing with  him  two  months.  He  was  then  in 
the  employ  of  Joseph  Wolf  for  a  year. 

In  the  meantime  the  Civil  war  broke 
out.  Returning  to  his  native  state,  Mr. 
Wiggins  enlisted  as  a  private  in  the  One 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


391 


Hundred  and  Seventh  Ohio  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, but  after  two  months  service  was 
taken  ill  and  discharged.  In  August,  1863, 
he  re-enlisted  in  the  Twelfth  Ohio  Cavalry, 
which  was  mustered  in  at  Lancaster,  Ohio, 
and  sent  direct  to  Camp  Cleveland,  where 
it  was  organized  and  assigned  to  the  Thir- 
teenth Army  Corps.  From  there  it  went  to 
Camp  Dennison,  near  Cincinnati,  and  later 
to  Kentucky,  taking  part  in  the  engage- 
ment at  Mt.  Sterling,  Cynthiana  and  Salt- 
ville,  where  the  regiment  suffered  a  heavy 
loss  in  killed  and  wounded.  Our  subject 
was  then  transferred  to  Camp  Nelson,  Ken- 
tucky, near  Frankfort,  on  the  Kentucky 
river,  as  second  lieutenant  to  help  General 
Burbridge  in  organizing  colored  troops,  but 
was  under  the  immediate  command  of  Col- 
onel T.  D.  Sedgwick.  There  he  remained 
from  July  to  October,  1864,  and  succeeded 
in  organizing  a  number  of  regiments.  He 
was  commissioned  second  lieutenant  of  the 
One  Hundred  and  Fourteenth  United  States 
Colored  Infantry,  and  with  his  regiment  he 
was  stationed  for  about*  two  months  at 
Camp  Burnside  to  guard  the  line  between 
Kentucky  and  Tennessee.  About  the  mid- 
dle of  November,  1864,  he  was  ordered  to 
Lexington,  Kentucky;  from  there  to  Cincin- 
nati; and  then  up  the  river  to  Big  Sandy  for 
the  purpose  of  advancing  on  Richmond. 
The  regiment  almost  reached  the  Virginia 
line,  but  on  the  ist  of  January,  1865, 
turned  back  to  Big  Sandy,  and  from  there 
went  to  Wheeling,  West  Virginia,  where 
they  took  the  cars  for  Baltimore.  At  that 
city  they  embarked  on  a  boat  and  went  up 
the  James  river,  landing  at  City  Point. 
They  joined  the  Army  of  the  James  under 
General  Butler,  and  were  in  the  general 
;ulvance  on  Richmond  and  Petersburg,  their 
division  beinj?  the  first  to  enter  the  former 


city  ;ifter  its  surrender.  Our  subject's 
command  was  left  at  Richmond  and  he  was 
placed  in  charge  of  the  ordinance  depart- 
ment. Later  he  went  with  Sheridan's  army 
to  Texas,  and  was  first  stationed  at  Browns- 
ville, and  later  at  other  places  along  the 
frontier  doing  guard  duty  to  prevent  Maxi- 
millian,  of  Mexico,  from  crossing  the  border. 
Mr.  Wiggins  was  mustered  out  at  Fort 
Ringgold,  Texas,  in  October,  1866,  and 
finally  discharged  at  that  place. 

Returning  to  civil  life,  he  engaged  in 
farming  in  Pickaway  county,  Ohio,  for  a 
period  of  ten  years,  owning  and  operating  a 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  fifty-seven  acres. 
On  the  3ist  of  December,  1867,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Rosalie  L.  Eg- 
gleston,  also  a  native  of  Hocking  county, 
Ohio,  and  a  daughter  of  Seth  Eggleston,  a 
life-long  resident  of  that  state,  who  was  en- 
gaged in  farming  and  merchandising  at  New 
Plymouth.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wiggins, 
were  born  four  children,  namely:  Perley  E. 
and  Charles  B.,  who  are  with  their  father 
in  the  bank;  Nellie  L.,  at  home;  and  Henry, 
who  died  in  infancy. 

In  1877  Mr.  Wiggins  cameto  Champaign, 
Illinois,  and  after  spending  one  summer  in 
the  city,  he  purchased  two  hundred  and 
forty  acres  of  highly  cultivated  land  in  Ho- 
mer township,  upon  which  he  made  his 
home  until  1889,  adding  to  it  from  time  to 
time  until  he  had  six  hundred  acres  of  valu- 
ble  land.  He  then  removed  to  the  village 
of  Homer,  having  previously  become  inter- 
ested in  the  First  National  Bank  at  that 
place.  In  1888  he  and  E.  F.  Fisher  pur- 
chased the  interest  of  the  other  stockholders, 
the  bank  having  gone  into  voluntary  liqui- 
dation, and  established  the  Citizens  Bank. 
That  partnership  existed  until  December 
31,  1897,  when  Mr.  Wiggins  became  sole 


392 


THF    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


owner,  and  has  since  served  as  president, 
his  son  C.  B.  as  vice-president,  and  P.  E. 
as  cashier.  As  a  financier  he  ranks  among 
the  ablest  in  the  county,  and  the  success  he 
has  achieved  in  life  is  due  entirely  to  his 
own  well-directed  and  energetic  efforts.  He 
is  a  straight  forward  reliable  business  man, 
who  commands  the  confidence  and  respect 
of  all  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wiggins  are  active 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
and  he  is  a  member  of  the  official  board, 
now  acting  as  steward,  and  was  formerly 
Sunday  school  superintendent.  He  is  also 
connected  with  Homer  Post,  No.  263,  G. 
A.  R.,  and  was  the  first  commander  af- 
ter its  organization.  Politically  he  is  un- 
•swerving  in  his  allegiance  to  the  Republican 
party,  and  his  fellow  citizens,  recognizing 
his  worth  and  ability,  have  called  upon  him 
to  serve  as  supervisor  for  eight  years,  dur- 
ing which  time  he  was  chairman  of  the 
board  for  one  term.  He  also  served  two  or 
three  years  as  president  of  the  village  board, 
and  was  '  village  treasurer  for  a  time.  In 
both  business  and  social  circles  he  is  popu- 
lar, and  as  a  public-spirited,  enterprising 
man,  he  is  recognized  as  a  valued  citizen  of 
the  community. 


ANDREW  JACKSON  PAINE,  a  well-to- 
do  agriculturist,  who  has  served  as  jus- 
tice of  the  peace  for  over  a  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury, is  a  typical  self-made  man,  and  in  the 
following  record  of  his  career  there  is  much 
to  arouse  respect  and  esteem.  He  has 
placed  his  reliance  upon  industry  and  perse- 
verance rather  than  "luck,"  and  by  making 
the  most  of  circumstances,  however  dis- 
cou.raging,  has  made  his  way  to  a  substan- 
tial success,  his  fine  farm  one-half  mile  north 


of  the  village  of  Longview   being  a  tangible 
evidence  of  prosperity. 

Mr.  Paine  was*  born  in  Graf  ton,  Wor- 
cester county,  Massachusetts,  August  19, 
1832,  a  son  of  Abial  W.  and  Mary  (Laithe) 
Paine,  also  natives  of  that  county.  His 
maternal  grandparents  were  Benjamin  and 
Sarah  (Singleterry)  Laithe.  The  father  was 
a  farmer  and  shoemaker  by  occupation,  and 
spent  his  entire  life  on  a  small  farm  at  Graf- 
ton,  where  he  died  in  December,  1854,  his 
wife,  in  May,  1855.  ,.  To  them  were  born 
ten  children,  as  follows:  Benjamin  C.  re- 
moved to  Uniontown,  Pennsylvania,  when 
about  twenty-six  years  of  age,  and  later  to 
Florida,  where  he  died  in  1876;  John  A.  en- 
listed at  the  first  call  for  troops  during  the 
Civil  war  and  gave  his  life  to  his  country, 
being  killed  while  crossing  the  river  at  North 
Anna,  Virginia.  Mary  A.  is  now  the  widow 
of  George  McKinstrey,  and  a  resident  of 
Danville,  Illinois.  Thomas  J.  was  also  a 
soldier  of  the  Civil  war, and  died  in  the  ser- 
vice. Francis  N.  remained  in  Worcester 
county,  Massachusetts.  Andrew  J.,  our 
subject,  is  the  next  of  the  family.  Four 
died  in  infancy  or  early  childhood. 

Reared  under  the  parental  roof,  Andrew 
J.  Paine  attended  the  common  schools  of 
the  neighborhood,  and  assisted  his  father 
on  the  farm.  He  also  worked  some  at  the 
last,  though  he  never  completely  learned 
the  trade,  not  expecting  to  adopt  it  as  a 
vocation.  In  the  spring  1856,  at  the  age 
of  twenty-three  years,  he  came  to  Cham- 
paign county,  Illinois,  in  company  with  his 
brother-in-law,  George  McKintrey,  and 
family,  and  a  Mr.  Willard,  for  whom  he  had 
worked  in  Massachusetts.  Mr.  Willard 
bought  land  in  Philo  township,  and  our  sub- 
ject remained  in  his  employ  for  two  years, 
at  the  end  of  which  time  he  made  his  first 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


395 


purchase  of  land,  consisting  of  eighty  acres 
of  raw  prairie  in  Sidney  township,  which  he 
broke,  improved  and  cultivated  for  a  few 
years,  but  was  finally  compelled  to  give  it 
up,  not  being  able  to  meet  his  payments. 
In  1868  he  bought  eighty  acres  on  section 
33,  Raymond  township,  where  he  now  lives. 
At  that  time  it  was  only  partly  broken,  and 
there  were  no  other  improvements,  but  he 
devoted  his  best  energiesto  making  it  a  high- 
ly cultivated  and  productive  tract.  In  1871 
he  had  prospered  sufficiently  to  add  another 
eighty  acres  to  his  farm,  making  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  in  one  body.  He  has 
always  engaged  in  general  farming  and 
stock  raising,  and  the  success  that  has 
crowned  his  efforts  is  certainly  well  merited. 
On  the  26th  of  April,  1861,  at  Sidney, 
Illinois,  Mr.  Paine  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Elizabeth  Shackleford,  who  was 
born  in  Boyle  county,  Kentucky,  May  7, 
1827,  a  daughter  of  William  and  Sarah 
(Suddoth)  Shackleford.  From  Kentucky 
her  family  removed  to  Hendricks  county, 
Indiana,  where  the  father  died,  and  later 
moved  to  Paris,  Illinois,  where  they  spent 
one  year,  at  the  end  of  which  time  they 
came  to  Sidney  township,  Champaign  coun- 
ty, locating  here  the  same  year  as  our  sub- 
ject. Mrs.  Paine  was  one  of  a  family  of 
ten  children,  the  others  being  Mrs.  Cather- 
ine Campbell,  Mrs.  Nancy  Brown,  Leanah, 
Lucinda,  Sarah  J.,  James,  George,  Baylor 
and  John,  all  of  whom  are  now  deceased. 
Only  three  came  to  Illinois — Mrs.  Paine, 
Sarah  and  Baylor.  The  wife  of  our  subject 
died  June  2,  1898,  leaving  three  children: 
Sarah  and  Leanah  J.,  accomplished  and  re- 
fined ladies,  who  are  keeping  house  for  their 
father;  and  Benjamin  C. ,  who  married 
Emma  Reece,  and  is  engaged  in  farming  in 
Raymond  township, 


Mr.  Paine  still  oversees  the  operation  of 
his  farm.  His  residence,  erected  in  1869, 
has  since  been  remodeled  and  enlarged,  and 
is  now  a  commodious  and  comfortable  home, 
conveniently  arranged.  He  is  one  of  the 
successful  and  substantial  farmers,  as  well 
as  one  of  the  most  highly  respected  citizens 
of  his  community.  He  has  been  identified 
with  all  enterprises  calculated  to  advance 
the  interests  of  his  township;  has  served  in 
the  capacity  of  town  clerk  for  fifteen  years, 
and  since  1872  has  been  justice  of  the  peace 
continuously  with  the  exception  of  one  year. 
He  has  also  been  a  member  of  the  school 
board  many  years.  Politically  he  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat in  principle,  and  religiously  is  an  act- 
ive member  of  the  Christian  church,  in 
which  he  has  served  as  elder  for  several 
years.  He  is  a  quiet,  unassuming  man,  up- 
right and  honorable  in  all  the  relations  oi 
felk.and  is  held  in  high  regard  by  all  who 
wnomihi.  • 


F.  CANADAY.  The  career 
of  him  whose  name  introduces  this  re- 
view illustrates  most  forcibly  the  possibil- 
ities that  are  open  to  a  young  man  who  pos- 
sesses sterling  business  qualifications.  It 
proves  that  neither  wealth  or  social  posi- 
tion, nor  the  assistance  of  influential  friends 
at  the  outset  of  his  career  are  necessary  to 
place  him  on  the  road  to  success.  It  also 
proves  that  ambition,  perseverance,  stead- 
fast purpose  and  indefatigable  industry,  com- 
bined with  sound  business  principles,  will  be 
rewarded,  and  that  true  success  follows  ia- 
dividual  effort  only.  Mr.  Canaday  is  now 
one  of  the  most  substantial  citizens  of  the 
county,  and  is  practically  living  a  retired  life- 
in  Homer. 

A  native  of  Illinois,  he  was  born  in  Ver- 


394 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


milion  county,  April  10,  1835,  and  is  a  son 
of  William  and  Mary  J.  (Hey worth)  Can- 
aday,  in  whose  family  were  ten  children, 
namely:  Julia  Ann;  Gilbert  F. ;  Richard; 
Asbury;  Matilda;  Mary,  deceased;  two  who 
died  in  infancy;  Benjamin  and  Alice.  The 
father  was  a  native  of  Tenessee  and  one  of 
the  pioneers  of  Vermilion  county,  Illinois, 
where  he  took  up  government  land  and 
where  he  was  successfully  engaged  in  farm- 
ing and  stock  dealing  for  many  years,  be- 
coming one  of  the  most  prosperous  agricul- 
turists of  the  community.  He  owned  several 
hundred  acres  of  land.  His  father,  Henry 
Canaday,  came  with  him  to  this  state, 
and  was  one  of  the  very  first  settlers 
of  Vermilion  county.  He  was  also  an  exten- 
sive land  owner  and  successful  business  man. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  indebted 
to  the  common  schools  of  his  native  county 
for  his  educational  privileges.  At  the  age 
of  twenty- one  years  he  came  to  Burr  Oak 
Grove,  Champaign  county,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  farming  and  also  bought  stock  for 
other  parties  for  two  years,  after  which  he 
engaged  in  the  same  business  on  his  own  ac- 
count, meeting  with  marked  success  in  the 
undertaking.  On  coming  to  this  county,  he 
and  his  brother  Asbury  purchased  a  section 
of  land  in  Ogden  township,  for  which  they 
went  in  debt,  having  no  ready  money,  but 
before  their  notes  came  due  the  land  was 
paid  for.  As  his  financial  resources  have 
increased,  Mr.  Canaday  has  added  to  his 
landed  possession  from  time  to  time  until  he 
now  has  nine  hundred  acres  of  land  in  Ver- 
milion and  Champaign  counties.  Through- 
out his  entire  business  career  he  has  been 
interested  in  the  cattle  business,  and  by  in- 
dustry, perseverance  and  good  management 
has  become  one  of  the  most  substantial  men 
of  the  county.  He  has  lived  in  Homer  town- 


ship since  1874,  and  has  made  his  home  in 
the  village  of  that  name  since  1890.  Although 
he  is  now  practically  living  a  retired  life,  he 
still  superintends  the  operation  of  his  farm. 

Mr.  Canaday  married  Miss  Prudence 
Williams,  a  daughter  of  Daniel  Williams, 
of  Champaign  county,  and  by  that  union 
had  one  child,  Mary,  who  died  at  the  age  oi 
eighteen  months.  The  wife  died  in  1861, 
and  Mr.  Canaday  was  again  married,  Jan- 
uary i,  1866,  his  second  union  being  with 
Miss  Mary  J.  Jackson,  a  native  of  Vermilion 
count)7,  and  a  daughter  of  James  and  Susan 
(Yapp)  Jackson,  who  were  natives  of  Oh'o 
and  New  York,  respectively.  Her  parents 
removed  to  Vermilion  county  in  1846  and 
took  up  their  residence  at  what  was  then 
Dallas,  but  is  now  Indianola,  Illinois,  where 
the  father  followed  farming  for  many  years. 
In  his  family  were  two  children:  Mary,  wife 
of  our  subject;  and  Sarah,  who  lives  with 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Canaday,  as  does  also  the 
mother.  The  father  is  now  deceased.  To 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Canaday  were  born  four  chil- 
dren: (i)  William  died  at  the  age  of  seven 
months.  (2)  Bertie  died  at  the  age  of  eleven 
months.  (3)  Gertrude  F.  is  the  wife  of 
George  Eggleston,  a  farmer  of  Ellwood 
township,  Vermilion  county,  and  they  have 
one  child,  Mary  J.  (4)  Edward,  who  is  en- 
gaged with  his  father  in  farming  and  the 
stock  business,  married  Gertrude  Sites,  and 
has  one  child,  Franklin  A. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  Canaday  is  an 
ardent  Republican,  but  has  never  cared  for 
official  honors.  He  is  public-spirited  and 
progressive,  giving  his  support  to  all  meas- 
ures which  he  believes  calculated  to  advance 
the  general  welfare.  He  is  widely  known 
and  highly  respected,  and  has  a  large  circle 
of  friends  throughout  Champaign  and  Ver- 
milion counties. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


395 


WILLIAM  R.  CLARK  is  one  of  the 
prominent  and  highly  respected  citi- 
zens of  Ludlow,  who  after  a  useful  and 
beneficial  career,  is  now  living  a  retired 
life.  There  is  an  old  age  that  is  a  benedic- 
tion to  all  who  come  in  contact  with  it, 
that  gives  out  of  its  rich  stores  of  learning 
and  experience,  and  grows  stronger  intel- 
lectually and  spiritually  as  the  years  pass. 
Such  is  the  life  of  Mr.  Clark,  an  encourage- 
ment to  his  associates  and  an  example  well 
worthy  of  emulation  by  the  young. 

He  was  born  in  Harrison  county,  Ohio, 
March  9,  1822,  and  comes  of  an  excellent 
family.  His  father,  John  Clark,  a  native 
of  Virginia,  emigrated  to  the  Buckeye  state 
when  a  young  man,  and  was  among  the 
earliest  pioneers  of  Harrison  county,  where 
he  purchased  a  tract  of  land  and  operated 
it  for  a  few  years  with  success.  From  there 
he  moved  to  Coshjacton  county,  Ohio,  and 
still  later  made  his  home  in  Knox  and 
Champaign  counties,  the  same'  state,  his 
death  occurring  in  the  last-named  county. 

William  R.  Clark  was  the  youngest  of 
his  mother's  children,  and  during  his  boy- 
hood and  youth  pursued  his  studies  in  the 
pioneer  schools  conducted  mostly  on  the 
subscription  plan  in  a  primitive  log  cabin. 
On  leaving  home  at  the  age  of  twenty-one 
years,  he  settled  on  a  tract  of  land  given 
him  by  his  father,  and  to  its  cultivation  he 
devoted  his  energies  for  five  years.  He 
then  rented  his  farm  and  removed  to  Mi- 
ami, in  the  western  part  of  the  state,  where, 
with  a  partner,  he  engaged  in  mercantile 
business  at  Casstown.  but  a  year  of  this 
sufficed  and  he  returned  to  Urbana,  Cham- 
paign county,  Ohio,  where  he  carried  on  a 
mercantile  establishment  for  seven  years. 
On  disposing  of  his  store  he  bought  a  farm 
near  Cable,  in  the  same  county,  where  he 


followed  agricultural  pursuits  and  engaged 
in  business  as  a  grain  dealer.  In  Septem- 
ber, 1868,  Mr.  Clark  came  to  Champaign 
county,  Illinois,  and  purchased  a  tract  of 
land  on  section  14,  Ludlow  township,  which 
he  operated  for  seven  years.  He  then  re- 
moved to  the  village  of  Ludlow  and  com- 
menced dealing  in  coal  and  flour,  to  which 
he  afterward  added  lumber.  He  was  en- 
gaged in  that  business  until  the  spring  of 
1881,  when  he  turned  his  attention  to  the 
grain  trade,  and  as  a  dealer  in  that  product 
met  with  excellent  success  for  a  number  of 
years,  when  his  health  failed  and  he  turned 
the  business  over  to  his  two  sons-in-law. 

At  the  home  of  the  bride's  parents  in 
Wayne  township,  Champaign  county,  Ohio, 
Mr.  Clark  was  married,  April  11,  1844,  to 
Miss  Sophia  Baldwin,  who  was  born  in 
Logan  county,  that  state,  in  December, 
1823,  arid  is  a  daughter  of  Richard  and 
Eleanor  (Williams)  Baldwin,  both  natives 
of  Virginia.  When  a  small  child 
the  father  removed  to  Ohio  with  his  parents, 
settled  in  Logan  county,  where  he  was  later 
extensively  engaged  in  stock  raising  and 
farming.  He  died  at  his  old  home  in 
Urbana,  Ohio,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three 
years,  and  his  wife,  who  survived  him  some 
years,  passed  away  at  West  Liberty,  the 
same  state,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four. 
Of  their  eleven  children,  six  are  still  living, 
namely:  Eliza,  wife  of  George  W.  Cable,  a 
lumberman  of  Davenport,  Iowa;  Luretha, 
wife  of  Joseph  W.  Johnson,  and  a  resident 
of  Cable,  Ohio;  Lottie,  wife  of  J.  M.  Hun- 
ter, an  insurance  agent  of  Urbana,  Ohio; 
Lenora,  wife  of  T.  T.  Thomas,  of  Cincin- 
nati, Ohio;  Issac  Newton,  an  engineer  re- 
siding in  Cincinnati;  and  Sophia,  wife  of 
our  subject.  Those  deceased  are  Wilson; 
Emma;  Clara,  wife  of  Moses  Taylor;  Mary, 


396 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


wife  of  Amos  Wilson ;  and  Watson,  who  died 
at  Fortress  Monroe  during  his  service  in  the 
Civil  war. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clark  were  born  five 
children:  (i)  Ella,  born  in  Champaign  coun- 
ty, Ohio,  died  in  Ludlow  township,  this 
county,  in  the  spring  of  "1869,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-two  years.  (2)  Minnie,  born  in 
Champaign  count}',  Ohio,  is  now  the  wife  of 
G.  W.  Payne,  a  prominent  insurance  agent 
and  real  estate  dealer  of  Spokane,  Wash- 
ington, and  they  have  four  children:  Ella, 
Clara,  Edith  and  Frank,  three  born  in  Lud- 
low township,  this  county;  and  Frank,  born 
in  Sullivan,  Illinois.  (3)  Ida,  born  in  Ur- 
bana,  is  the  wife  of  John  Jackson,  a  farmer 
of  Spokane,  Washington,  and  they  have 
five  children:  Waldo,  Winnie  and  Erma, 
born  in  For.d  county,  Illinois;  and  Clark  and 
George,  born  in  Washington.  (4)  Alta, 
twin  sister  of  Ida,  is  the  wife  of  William  M. 
Hamilton,  a  prominent  grain  dealer  of  Lud- 
low, this  county,  and  they  had  four  children: 
Zoe;  Neva;  Ida;  and  Clark,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  three  months.  (5)  Nettie,  born  in 
Urbana.'Ohio,  was  married  October  i,  1884, 
to  E.  A.  Esltrand,  an  insurance  agent  of 
Ludlow,  who  is  also  engaged  in  the  coal  and 
and  grain  business  with  his  brother-in-law, 
Mr.  Hamilton.  Mrs.  Esltrand  died  in 
Denver,  Colorado,  May  19,  1893,  leaving 
two  children:  Roy,  now  fourteen  years  of 
age,  and  Helen,  six,  who  reside  with  their 
grandparents  in  Ludlow. 

During  the  Civil  war  Mr.  Clark  enlisted, 
in  1864,  in  Company  F,  One  Hundred  and 
Thirty-fourth  Ohio  Militia,  was  commis- 
sioned lieutenant,  and  served  until  Septem- 
ber, 1865.  In  early  life  both  he  and  his 
wife  united  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  and  he  has  filled  the  office  of  trus- 
tee of  the  church  both  in  Ohio  and  Illinois. 


Politically  he  is  a  stanch  supporter  of  the- 
Republican  party  and  its  principles.  He 
was  one  of  the  first  to  subscribe  for  theUr- 
bana  Citizen  and  Gazette,  which  was  estab- 
lished in  1843,  and  has  taken  the  paper 
continuously  since.  He  efficiently  served 
as  school  treasurer  for  a  number  of  years 
and  has  always  been  one  of  the  foremost 
men  both  in  social  and  business  circles  in 
his  community,  encouraging  the  march  of 
progress  and  every  enterprise  tending  to 
advance  the  welfare  of  his  fellow  citizens. 
He  has  ever  been  greatly  interested  in  the 
temperance  movement,  and  has  been  in- 
strumental in  suppressing  the  saloons  in  the 
northern  part  of  this  county. 


JOHN  N.  BURR.  The  subject  of  biog- 
raphy, one  of  the  honored  sons  of  Mass- 
achusetts, and  a  prominent  farmer  of  Philo 
township,  Champaign  oounty,  Illinois,  is 
pre-eminently  a  self-made  man.  He  started 
in  life  with  nothing  but  his  own  indomitable 
energy,  and  his  accumulation  of  this  world's 
goods  are  attributable  to  his  good  judgment, 
excellent  management  and  untiring  industry. 
Mr.  Burr  was  born  in  Hampshire  county, 
Massachusetts,  June  26,  1837,  and  is  a  son- 
of  Ames  and  Relief  (Eager)  Burr,  also  na- 
tives of  the  old  Bay  state.  The  family  is  of 
English  origin,  and  our  subject  can  trace  his 
ancestry  back  for  several  generations.  His 
father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  a 
soldier  of  the  war  of  1812.  He  died  in  his 
native  state  at  about  the  age  of  eighty  years. 
In  his  family  were  twelve  children,  eight 
sons  and  four  daughters,  of  whom  three  sons 
and  three  daughters  are  still  living,  namely: 
Franklin  E. ,  a  retired  farmer  of  Philo;. 
Jane,  wife  of  G.  N.  Rice,  formerly  a  resi- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


397 


dent  of  Champaign,  but  now  of  Iowa;  John 
V.  our  subject;  Helen,  wife  of  E.  B.'Hazen, 
of  Philo;  Arthur,  a  resident  of  Wichita, 
Kansas;  Carrie,  adnwife  of  Dr.  Mandeville, 
of  Philo. 

John  N.  Burr,  of  this  review,  obtained  his 
education  in  the  common  district  schools  his 
of  native  state,  which  he  attended  about  three 
months  during  the  year,  and  during  the  re- 
mainder of  the  time  he  assisted  in  the  work 
of  the  home  farm  until  fifteen  years  of  age. 
Having  a  desire  to  see  some  of  the  world, 
he  then  left  the  parental  roof  and  went  to 
New  York  state,  where  he  worked  in  a  lum- 
ber camp  and  at  different  pursuits  along  the 
same  line  of  business  until  twenty-two. 

In  October,  1859,  Mr.  Bbrr  married 
Miss  Jane  E.  King,  who  was  born  in  Som- 
set  county,  New  Jersey,  in  1838.  Her 
parents,  John  and  Elizabeth  (Kirkpatrick) 
King,  spent  their  entire  lives  in  that  state, 
and  died  on  the  old  homestead.  They  had 
five  children,  three  of  whom  are  now  living, 
namely:  James, a  resident  of  New  York  City; 
Mary  A.  wife  of  H.  A.  Belding,  of  Glovers- 
ville,  New  York,  and  Jane  E.  wife  of  our 
subject.  Of  the  three  children  born  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Burr,  one  died  young.  Those 
living  are  Marshall  A.  and  Eugene,  who  as- 
sist their  father  in  the  operation  of  his  land. 
The  younger  son  married  Minnie  De  Long. 

For  a  year  and  a  half  after  his  marriage, 
Mr.  Burr  remained  in  New  York,  and  then  re- 
moved to  McDonough  county,  Illinois,  about 
1861,  locatingon  a  farm  nearMacomb,  where 
he  continued  to  make  his  home  until  1866, 
during  which  time  he  purchased  two  differ- 
ent farms  which  he  sold  at  an  advantage. 
In  the  fall  of  1866,  after  disposing  of  his 
property  in  McDonough  county,  he  came  to 
Champaign  county,  and  bought  ninety-five 

acres  of  partially  improved    land    in    Philo 
21 


township,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  and 
also  carried  on  stock  raising  to  a  limited  ex- 
tent. From  time  to  time  as  he  prospered 
in  his  undertakings,  he  was  able  to  add  to 
his  original  purchase,  and  is  to-day  one  .of 
the  largest  land  owners  in  Philo  township, 
where  he  has  six  hundred  and  forty  acres  of 
valuable  and  well-improved  land  on  sections 
12  and  14,  his  home  being  on  the  latter  sec- 
tion. He  also  owns  a  quarter  section  of  im- 
proved land  in  Vermilion  county,  which  he 
rents.  He  has  done  considerable  tiling 
upon  his  place,  and  has  erected  thereon 
good  and  substantial  buildings.  He  has 
made  a  specialty  of  stock  raising,  and  by 
years  of  hard  labor,  perseverance  and  good 
management  he  has  become  one  of  the 
wealthiest  and  most  successful  farmers  of  the 
county.  Politically  he  is  not  identified 
with  any  particular  party,  but  casts  his  bal- 
lot for  the  men  whom  he  believes  best  qual- 
ified to  fill  the  offices.  His  son  Eugene  is 
a  Master  Mason. 


DAVISON  WHITE.  Among  the  pleas- 
antest  rural  homes  of  Raymond  town- 
ship is  that  of  this  gentleman,  the  culture 
and  artistic  taste  of  its  occupants  being  re- 
flected in  its  appointments,  while  a  gracious 
hospitality  adds  a  charm  to  its  material 
comforts.  His  farm,  consisting  of  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres  on  sections  35  and  36, 
is  one  of  the*  model  places  of  Raymond 
township,  being  under  a  high  state  of  culti- 
vation and  supplied  with  all  modern  con- 
veniences and  accessories  needed  by  the 
progressive  agriculturist  of  the  twentieth 
century. 

Mr.  White  was  born  in  Hamilton  county, 
Indiana,   November     15,     1844,     a    son  of 


398 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Samuel  and  Ida  (Farley)  White,  the  former 
a  native  of  Greene  county,  Ohio,  the  latter 
of  Virginia.  His  paternal  great-grandfather 
was  Nathaniel  White,  and  the  grandfather 
was  John  White,  a  native  of  Virginia.  The 
latter  married  Polly  A.  Davison,  for  whom 
our  subject  was  named,  and  who  was  born 
in  a  block  house  within  seven  miles  of  Frank- 
fort, Kentucky,  during  the  pioneer  days  of 
that  state.  Both  were  members  of  the 
Society  of  Friends.  The  maternal  grand- 
parents of  our  subject  were  James  and  Nancy 
(Ball)  Farley,  also  natives  of  the  Old 
Dominion.  In  1833  they  removed  with  the 
White  family  to  Hamilton  county,  Indiana. 
For  the  past  six  years  representatives  of 
these  families  have  met  in  re-union  at  the 
old  homestead  there,  there  being  two  hun- 
dred in  attendance  at  their  last  annual  meet- 
ing. In  preparing  a  genealogical  history  of 
the  White  family  they  trace  the  family  back 
to  the  landing  of  the  Mayflower. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  fifteen 
years  of  age,  when  with  his  parents  he  re- 
moved to  Hamilton  county,  Indiana,  where 
he  has  spent  his  entire  life  as  a  farmer  and 
still  owns  a  valuable  tract  of  land.  His  first 
wife,  the  mother  of  our  subject,  died  in  1863. 
By  that  union  he  had  seven  children: 
Lucinda,  deceased  wife  of  William  Scott,  of 
Sheridan,  Indiana;  Davison,  our  subject; 
Nancy  J.,  wife  of  James  Head,  who  lives  on 
the  old  homestead  in  Hamilton  county,  In- 
diana; Levi,  pastor  of  a  Congregational 
church  in  Indianapolis,  Indiana;  Mary  J. , 
wife  of  John  Clark,  of  Noblesville,  Indiana; 
Rosella,  wife  of  Dr.  Lineus  Baldwin,  a  phy- 
sician of  Horton,  Indiana;  and  Nathaniel,  a 
resident  of  Mississippi. 

During  his  boyhood  and  youth  Davison 
White  attended  the  common  schools  of  his 
native  county.  After  reaching  his  majority 


he  engaged  in  various  occupations  on  his 
own  account  but  made  his  home  with  his 
parents  until  the  autumn  of  1870,  when  he 
came  to  Champaign  county,  Illinois.  After 
operating  rented  land  in  Newton  township 
for  two  years,  he  purchased  eighty  acres  of 
land  on  section  35,  Raymond  township, 
where  he  has  since  made  his  home.  The 
land  at  that  time  was  broken  but  no  other 
improvements  had  been  made.  To  its 
further  development  and  cultivation  he  im- 
mediately turned  his  attention,  putting  in  the 
first  tile  within  several  miles  of  him.  He 
confined  his  operations  to  the  cultivation  of 
his  first  eighty  acres  until  1884,  when  he 
purchased  another  eighty  acre  tract  on  sec- 
tion 36,  and  has  since  extended  the  boundar- 
ies of  his  farm  until  he  now  has  two  hundred 
and  forty  acres.  He  has  followed  a  wise 
and  judicious  system  of  farming,  combining 
stock  raising  and  feeding  with  agriculture, 
tacitly  admitting  the  fact  that  even  Cham- 
paign county  soil  has  its  limits  of  fertility 
and  endurance.  His  farm  is  one  that  at- 
tracts the  attention  of  the  passerby  by  its 
neat  and  well-kept  appearance,  plainly  indi- 
cating the  supervision  of  a  painstaking  and 
thorough  farmer.  It  is  divided  into  fields  of 
convenient  size  by  well-kept  hedges,  enab- 
ling him  to  utilize  the  ground  to  the  best  ad- 
vantage, and  with  all  its  appointments  it 
may  be  properly  termed  a  model  farm,  being 
one  in  a  thousand  in  this  county  of  good 
farms.  In  1893  Mr.  White  erected  his 
present  elegant  residence,  which  is  in  keep- 
ing with  the  place,  and  is  furnished  with 
modern  conveniences.  He  has  been  inter- 
ested in  improving  the  standard  of  live  stock 
in  his  neighborhood.  In  1890  he  com- 
menced breeding  shire  horses  and  followed 
that  pursuit  for  several  years,  at  the  same 
time  raising  a  good  grade  of  stock  of  all 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


399 


kinds,  and  making  that  an  important  branch 
of  his  agricultural  operations. 

Mr.  White  was  married,  February  23, 
1874,  to  Miss  Virginia  Quick,  who  was  born 
in  Marion  county,  Indiana,  January  12, 
1852,  a  daughter  of  Nicholas  and  Cather- 
ine (Davis)  Quick,  the  former  a  native  of 
Ireland,  and  the  latter  of  Virginia.  She  is 
one  of  a  family  of  ten  children,  but  is  the 
only  one  living  in  this  state.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
White  have  four  children,  namely:  Fred  H., 
who  is  now  attending  a  commercial  college 
in  Indianapolis;  Grace,  Bert  and  Merle,  all 
at  home. 

In  public  as  well  as  private  affairs  Mr. 
White  has  exercised  his  propensity  for  hav- 
ing things  done  decently  and  in  order.  From 
1891  to  1897  he  served  as  commissioner  of 
highways,  and  during  his  administration 
most  of  the  iron  bridges  of  the  township 
were  built,  nearly  all  of  the  tiling  of  roads 
was  done;  and  twenty-five  miles  of  road 
grading  was  completed.  He  has  taken  an 
active  interest  in  educational  fnatters  and 
for  twenty-six  years  has  served  as  director 
and  trustee  in  school  district  No.  5,  which 
he  was  instrumental  in  organizing  in  1874. 
He  had  almost  the  sole  responsibility  and 
care  of  erecting  the  school  building  there. 
In  politics  Mr.  White  is  a  stalwart  Repub- 
lican, and  religiously  he  and  his  family  are 
prominent  members  of  the  Prairie  Chapel 
Christian  church  of  Douglas  county,  in 
which  he  is  an  efficient  and  active  worker, 
serving  as  deacon  fifteen  years,  and  taking 
an  important  part  in  Sunday  school  work  as 
teacher  and  superintendent.  He  is  a  quiet, 
unassuming  man,  but  his  life  furnishes  a 
notable  and  worthy  example  of  what  it  is 
possible  to  accomplish  by  industry,  energy 
and  perseverance,  directed  by  wisdom  and 
sound  judgment. 


WILLIAM  WALKER.  This  gentleman, 
who  spent  his  early  manhood  in  ac- 
tive business,  and  mainly  in  agricultural 
pursuits,  is  now  living  retired  in  Broad- 
lands,  Illinois.  A  man  of  great  energy  and 
more  than  ordinary  business  capacity,  his 
succ'ess  in  life  has  been  largely  due  to  his 
own  well-directed  efforts  and  able  manage- 
ment. 

Mr.  Walker  was  born  in  Nottingham- 
shire, England,  June  6,  1836,  a  son  of 
Elijah  and  Eliza  (Barks)  Walker,  also  na- 
tives of  that  shire.  The  father,  a  weaver 
by  trade,  followed  that  occupation  through- 
out life,  and  died  when  our  subject  was  but 
nine  years  of  age.  The  mother  survived 
him  many  years,  but  never  came  to  the 
United  States.  In  their  family  were  four 
children:  Alice,  deceased;  Frank,  Annie 
and  William. 

William  Walker  pursued  his  studies  in 
the  public  schools  of  Nottinghamshire  un- 
til after  the  death  of  his  father,  and  then 
learned  the  weaver's  trade  at  Mansfield 
Woodhouse,  following  the  same  until  his 
emigration  to  America  at  the  age  of  seven- 
teen years.  Believing  that  better  oppor- 
tunities were  afforded  ambitious  young  men 
in  the  new  world,  he  took  passage  on  an 
American  sailing  vessel,  the  Juvender, 
which  was  six  weeks  in  crossing  the  At- 
lantic, during  which  time  they  encountered 
one  storm  of  four  da\s'  duration.  Mr. 
Walker  landed  in  Philadelphia  and  pro- 
ceeded at  once  to  Pittsburg,  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  boarded  the  steamer  Keystone 
State,  and  floated  down  the  Ohio  and  up 
the  Mississippi  rivers  to  St.  Louis.  There 
he  remained  one  year,  working  in  a  hotel 
at  thirteen  dollars  per  month,  and  took  a 
boat  up  the  river  to  Naples,  Illinois,  whence 
he  proceeded  to  Jacksonville,  Morgan 


4OO 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


county,  where  he  worked  on  a  farm  by  the 
month  until  his  marriage. 

On  the  ist  of  November,  1863.  Mr. 
Walker  wedded  Miss  Emma  Russell,  who 
was  born  in  Leicester,  Leicestershire,  Eng- 
land, and  is  the  youngest  in  a  family  of 
fourteen  children,  their  parents  being  Rich- 
ard and  Mary  (Siddonce)  Russell,  also  na- 
tives of  Leicestershire.  When  Mrs.  Walker 
was  eight  years  of  age  the  family  came  to 
America  and  located  in  St.  Louis,  where 
the  father  died  a  year  later.  He  was  a 
miller  by  trade.  His  widow  afterward  re- 
moved to  Morgan  county,  Illinois,  where 
her  death  occurred. 

Mr.  Walker  continued  his  residence  in 
Morgan  county  for  one  year  after  his  mar- 
riage, and  then  moved  to  Scott  county,  Illi- 
nois, where  he  spent  six  years  upon  rented 
land.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  purchased 
eighty  acres  of  land,  which  he  operated 
until  coming  to  Champaign  county,  in  1876, 
when  he  bought  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
and  twenty  acres  of  partially  improved  land 
in  Raymond  township.  To  its  further  de- 
velopment and  cultivation  he  devoted  his 
energies  with  good  results,  and  as  his  finan- 
cial resources  increased,  he  extended  the 
boundaries  of  the  farm  until  he  now  has 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  valuable 
land  on  section  23,  and  eighty  acres  on  sec- 
tion 25,  Raymond  township,  all  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation.  He  also  owns  two 
houses  and  three  and  one-half  lots  in  Broad- 
lands.  His  son  Charlie  is  now  living  on  the 
home  place.  Our  subject  gave  considerable 
attention  to  the  feeding  of  stock  for  market, 
selling  the  same  to  local  shippers.  In  March, 
1900,  he  moved  to  Broadlands,  where  he  is 
now  enjoying  a  well-earned  rest,  surrounded 
by  all  the  comforts  of  life,  which  have  been 
secured  by  former  years  of  toil. 


To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walker  were  born 
eight  children:  George  E.,  who  married 
Maria  Rose,  and  owns  and  operates  a  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Ayres 
township;  Louisa, 'wife  of  Joseph  E.  Potter, 
of  the  same  township;  Ernest,  who  married 
Nellie  Bernett,  and  died  at  the  age  of 
twenty-five  years,  his  widow  being  now  a 
resident  of  Broadlands;  Charlie,  who  mar- 
ried Gertie  Massy,  and  lives  on  the  home 
place;  Alice,  wife  of  Lon  Cable,  a  telegraph 
operator  on  the  Chicago  &  Eastern  Railroad 
at  Broadlands;  Fred  and  Archie,  both  at 
home;  and  Walter,  who  died  in  infancy. 

Religiously  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walker  are 
earnest  members  of  the  Christian  church, 
and  they  are  highly  respected  and  esteemed 
by  all  who  know  them.  Since  casting  his 
first  presidential  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln, 
he  has  been  identified  with  the  Republican 
party,  but  has  never  cared  for  the  honors  or 
emoluments  of  public  office.  His  interest 
in  educational  affairs,  however,  has  been 
manifest  by  efficient  service  on  the  school 
board  for  nine  years,  and  he  has  ever  faith- 
fully performed  his  duties  of  citizenship.  A 
man  of  keen  perception  and  unbounded  en- 
terprise, his  success  in  life  is  entirely  due  to 
his  own  efforts,  and  he  deserves  prominent 
mention  among  the  leading  and  representa- 
tive business  men  of  his  community. 


DAVID  WALKER  DRESSER,  S.  T.  D., 
who  for  almost  twenty  years  has  been 
rector  of  Emmanuel  Episcopal  church  of 
Champaign,  is  a  native  of  Virginia,  born  in 
Halifax  county,  October  16,  1833,  and  is  a 
son  of  Rev.  Charles  and  Louisa  (Withers) 
Dresser.  The  father  was  born  in  Connec- 
ticut and  was  educated  at  Brown  university. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


401 


After  his  graduation  he  engaged  in  teaching 
school  in  Pomfret,  Connecticut,  and  then 
went  to  Virginia,  entering  the  family  of  Mr., 
afterwards  Bishop  Mead,  as  a  tutor  to  his 
sons.  He  also  studied  for  the  ministry  under 
the  bishop  and  was  ordained  a  clergyman 
of  the  Episcopal  church.  He  was  then 
married  and  served  as  rector  of  Antrim 
parish,  Halifax  county,  Virginia,  until  after 
the  birth  of  three  of  his  children.  In  the 
spring  of  1838  he  came  west  with  his  fam- 
ily, traveling  by  means  of  private  convey- 
ance to  Philadelphia;  by  canal  through 
Pennsylvania  to  Wheeling.  West  Virginia; 
down  the  Ohio  river  and  up  the  Mississippi 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois;  up  that  stream 
to  Beardstown;  and  from  there  to  Spring- 
field, Illinois,  by  lumber  wagon.  He  had 
visited  this  region  two  years  previously, 
journeying  most  of  the  distance  on  horse- 
back, and  had  received  a  call  as  its  first 
rector  from  the  church  at  Springfield,  which 
city  at  that  time  had  a  population  of  only 
about  three  thousand.  The  house  that  he 
erected  there  was  afterwards  sold  to  and  oc- 
cupied by  Abraham  Lincoln,  and  is  now 
the  public  property  known  as  the  Lincoln 
home.  For  about  twenty  years  he  had 
charge  of  the  Springfield  parish,  ("St. 
Paul's,"  now  the  pro-cathedral),  and  died 
in  that  city  in  1865.  His  wife  long  sur- 
vived him.  dying  in  1891, at  theageof  eighty- 
one  years.  In  their  family  were  six  chil- 
dren who  reached  years  of  maturity,  name- 
ly: David  W. ,  our  subject;  Thomas  \Y., 
one  of  the  oldest  and  most  successful  phy- 
sicians of  Springfield;  Elizabeth,  widow  of 
William  P.  Thayer,  and  a  resident  of  Spring- 
field; Edmund,  also  a  resident  of  that  city; 
Samuel  T..  who  died  in  Springfield  in  Au- 
gust, 1899;  and  Virginia,  who  also  makes 
her  home  in  that  city. 


Dr.  Dresser,  of  this  review,  received  his 
early  instruction  from  his  mother,  and  his 
first  teacher  was  old  Dr.  Springer,  of  Spring- 
field, Illinois.  He  attended  the  Springfield 
academy  under  Professor  Esterbrook.  and 
then  entered  Jubilee  college  (then  widely 
known  as  "  Bishop  Chase's  college"),  where 
he  pursued  his  studies,  collegiate  and  theo- 
logical, for  ten  years,  and  was  graduated 
with  the  degree  of  B.A.  He  was  ordained 
to  the  ministry  in  1855,  being  made  a  dea- 
con in  the  college  chapel  in  October  of  that 
year,  and  was  ordained  a  priest  in  1857  in 
St.  Paul's  church,  Peoria.  He  spent  two 
years  m  charge  of  the  church  at  Waverly, 
Illinois,  and  from  there  went  to  Carlinv.lle, 
where  he  spent  some  time  as  rector.  He 
was  also  connected  with  the  Episcopal 
church  at  Chesterfield  and  had  charge  of  a 
large  parish  or  missionary  district  which 
covered  the  whole  of  Macoupin  county.  Illi- 
nois, where  he  remained  until  coming  to 
Champaign,  as  rector  of  Emmanuel  church, 
December  10,  1882.  Here  he  has  since 
remained. 

On  the  2oth  of  November,  1861,  Dr. 
Dresser  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Sarah  C.  Cundall,  a  native  of  Chesterfield, 
Illinois,  .and  a  daughter  of  John  R.  and 
Mary  A.  Cundall,  who  were  born  in  York- 
shire, England,  and  came  to  Macoupin 
county,  this  state,  in  June,  1834.  In  his 
native  land  Mr.  Cundall  had  followed  land- 
scape gardening;  and  here  he  turned  his  at- 
tention to  agricultural  pursuits,  taking  up  a 
tract  of  government  land,  to  the  cultivation 
and  improvement  of  which  he  devoted  his 
energies  for  forty-nine  years.  His  brother- 
in-law.  Thomas  S.  Gelder,  was  one  of  the 
first  settlers  of  Macoupin  county,  having 
located  there  in  1827.  He  served  in  the 
Black  Hawk  war,  and  held  a  captain's  com- 


4O2 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


mission.  Mrs.  Dresser  is  the  third  in  order 
of  birth  in  a  family  of  six  children  who 
reached  years  of  maturity,  namely:  Eliza- 
beth L. ,  deceased  wife  of  Israel  Armitage. 
of  Scott  county,  Illinois;  Susannah  R.,  de- 
ceased wife  of  S.  T.  Hopson,  of  Girard, 
Illinois;  John  R.,  a  farmer  of  Macoupin 
county;  Thomas  G. ,  a  horse  dealer  and 
liveryman  of  Carlinville,  Illinois;  and  Will- 
iam A.,  a  farmer  of  Macoupin  county.  The 
father  of  this  family  died  January  11,  1883, 
the  mother  August  7,  1868. 

In  politics  Dr.  Dresser  is  a  conservative 
Republican,  but  at  local  elections  he  votes 
for  the  man  whom  he  believes  best  qualified 
to  fill  the  office  regardless  of  party  lines, 
He  is  a  member  of  Western  Star  Lodge,  No. 
240,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  and  is  also  connected  with 
the  Knights  of  the  Red  Cross  of  Constantine, 
Saxa  Rubra  Conclave,  of  Champaign.  He 
has  served  as  chaplain  of  the  blue  lodge  for 
fifteen  years,  is  prelate  of  the  conclave,  and 
grand  prelate  of  the  Knights  of  the  Red 
Cross  in  the  state.  He  is  also  president  of 
the  Standing  Committee  of  the  Episcopal 
church  in  this  diocese  of  his-  residence 
("Springfield)  and  is  rural  dean  of  the  B!oom- 
ington  deanery,  which  embraces  several 
counties  in  this  state.  He  is  untiring  in  his 
devotion  to  the  church,  has  labored  un- 
selfishly for  its  interests,  and  is  highly  re- 
spected and  esteemed  by  people  of  all  de- 
nominations and  creeds,  as  well  as  those  of 
his  own  congregation.  In  private  life  he  is 
sympathetic  and  generous,  extending  a  help- 
ing hand  to  the  poor  and  needy,  and  is  always 
ready  to  aid  those  less  fortunate  than  himself. 


SAMUEL   D.    RICE,   a  well-known  and 
prosperous  farmer,  owning  and  operat- 
ing one  hundred   and  sixty  acres  of    land  on 


section  24,  Philo  township,  Champaign 
county,  Illinois,  was  born  on  the  2ist  of 
October,  1828,  in  Chesterfield,  Hampshire 
county,  Massachusetts,  of  which  place  his 
parents,  Lyman  and  Miranda  (Taylor)  Rice, 
were  also  natives,  the  former  born  in  1800, 
the  latter  in  1801.  Lyman  Rice  followed 
the  blacksmith's  trade,  which  he  learned 
with  his  father,  and  also  engaged  in  general 
farming  on  a  small  scale.  He  died  in  his 
native  state  in  1870,  his  wife  in  1880.  To 
this  worthy  couple  were  born  seven  children, 
of  whom  three  died  young.  The  others  are 
as  follows:  Samuel  D.,  our  subject,  is  the 
oldest;  George  T.  is  married  and  with  his 
family  resides  at  Rice's  Station,  Minnesota, 
which  place  was  named  in  his  honor;  Irving 
is  married,  has  a  family,  and  follows  farm- 
ing on  the  old  homestead  in  Massachusetts; 
and  Louisa  L.  is  the  wife  of  H.  Bisbee,  of 
Chesterfield,  Massachusetts. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  received  his 
education  in  the  common  schools  of  his  na- 
tive state,  and  when  young  was  employed  in 
his  father's  blacksmith  shop,  remaining  there 
until  he  attained  his  majority,  when  he  left 
home  and  began  life's  battle  for  himself. 
For  one  year  he  worked  as  a  teamster  for  a 
manufacturing  company,  and  then  found 
employment  with  a  liveryman  for  two  years. 
In  1854  he  went  to  Iowa,  where  he  purchased 
government  land,  but  remained  there  only  a 
short  time,  coming  to  Illinois  the  same  year. 
After  operating  a  rented  farm  in  Kendall 
county  for  two  years,  he  went  to  Bureau 
county,  in  1856,  and  there  followed  the 
same  pursuit  upon  rented  land  for  a  few 
years.  He  then  rented  his  land  in  Iowa  for 
an  improved  farm  in  that  county,  and  suc- 
cessfully operated  the  same  until  the  spring 
of  1 88 1,  when  he  sold  his  property  there 
and  came  to  Champaign  county.  He  pur- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


403 


chased  his  present  farm  in  Philo  township, 
which  at  that  time  was  only  partially  im- 
proved, and  in  its  further  development  and 
cultivation  he  has  met  with  marked  success. 
In  connection  with  general  farming  he  is 
engaged  in  the  stock  business,  raising  and 
fattening  stock  for  market. 

In  1860  Mr.  Rice  married  Miss  Kate 
Bergstra,  a  native  of  New  York,  who  died  in 
1863,  leaving  one  son,  Clarence  A.,  now  a 
successful  farmer  of  Philo  township,  who  is 
married  and  has  two  children,  Catherine 
and  Nathan.  Mr.  Rice  was  again  married, 
in  1865,  his  second  union  being  with  Miss 
Martha  E.  Robinson,  who  was  born  in 
Chesterfield,  Massachusetts.  April  15,  1840, 
and  was  married  there.  Immediately  after 
their  marriage  he  brought  his  bride  to  his 
home  in  Bureau  county,  Illinois.  They 
have  no  children  of  their  own  but  have  given 
homes  to  two  deserving  ones  until  they  went 
to  homes  of  their  own. 

Politically  Mr.  Rice  is  a  strong  Republi- 
can, but  would  never  accept  office,  though 
he  served  as  school  director  for  a  number  of 
years,  and  has  ever  taken  a  deep  interest  in 
educational  affairs.  Both  he  and  his  wife 
are  leading  and  influential  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  church  of  Philo,  of  which  he 
is  an  elder,  and  in  former  years  very  active 
members  in  the  church.  They  have  a  wide 
circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances  who 
esteem  them  highly  for  their  sterling  worth, 
and  are  respected  by  the  entire  community. 
Mr.  Rice  is  of  a  very  generous  disposition, 
the  poor  and  needy  always  find  in  him  a 
friend,  and  he  gives  his  support  to  all  enter- 
prises calculated  to  advance  the  moral,  in- 
tellectual or  material  welfare  of  his  township 
and  county.  He  is  a  man  whom  the  most  en- 
vious can  scarcely  grudge  success,  so  well  has 
he  earned  it  and  so  admirably  does  he  use  it. 


ROBERT  E.  LEE  JESSEE,  M.  D.,  a 
prominent  and  successful  physician  and 
surgeon  of  Philo,  was  born  in  Crittenden 
township,  this  county,  November  13,  1870, 
and  is  the  eldest  son  and  child  of  John  T. 
and  America  E.  (Bickley)  Jessee,  natives  of 
Virginia,  and  representatives  of  old  and 
highly  respected  families  of  the  Old  Domin- 
ion. The  father  was  born  in  1836,  the 
mother  in  1853.  In  1869,  shortly  after 
their  marriage,  which  was  celebrated  in 
their  native  state,  they  came  to  Illinois,  and 
took  up  their  residence  in  Crittenden  town- 
ship, Champaign  county,  where  the  father 
purchased  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
wild  prairie  land.  He  at  once  began  to  im- 
prove and  cultivate  hjs  place,  and  there  made 
for  himself  and  family  a  comfortable  home. 
He  followed^  farming  quite  successfully 
throughout  life,  and  by  his  straightforward, 
honorable  course  won  the  confidence  and 
respect  of  all  with  whom  he  came  in  con- 
tact. He  was  a  faithful  member  of  the 
Baptist  church,  and  a  Democrat  in  politics, 
a  recognized  leader  of  the  party  in  his  com- 
munity. He  served  as  supervisor  two  terms, 
was  assessor  several  terms,  and  held  other 
local  offices  in  Crittenden  township.  He 
died  in  1890,  honored  and  esteemed  by  all 
who  knew  him.  His  wife  is  still  living  and 
continues  to  reside  on  the  old  homestead. 
Of  the  eight  children  born  to  this  worthy 
couple  two  died  in  infancy.  Those  living 
are  Robert  E.  L. ,  our  subject;  Minnie,  wife 
of  W.  T.  Thrash,  a  farmer  of  Tolono  town- 
ship, by  whom  she  has  two  children:  Belle, 
wife  of  R.  H.  Ford,  of  Tolono  township, 
by  whom  she  has  one  child;  and  Grace, 
Clarence  and  Nellie,  who  are  at  home  with 
their  mother. 

During  his  boyhood  Dr.  Jessee  attended 
the  district  schools  of  his  native    township 


404 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


and  remained  at  home,  assisting  in  the 
work  of  the  farm  until  reaching  manhood. 
Having  aspirations  for  a  professional  career, 
he  took  a  teacher's  course  at  the  National 
Normal  University,  Lebanon,  Ohio,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  in  1890.  For  two 
years  he  engaged  in  teaching  school,  and 
during  the  latter  years  commenced  the 
study  of  medicine  under  Dr.  Lamb,  of 
Tolono.  In  1892  he  entered  the  North- 
western University  School,  of  Chicago,  .lor 
a  four  years'  course,  and  was  graduated 
from  that  institution  in  1896,  with  the  de- 
gree of  M.  D.  During  his  residence  in 
that  city,  he  was  married,  in  1895,  to  Miss 
Myrtle  E.  Powers,  who  was  born  in  Cook 
county  in  1875,  a  daughter  of  Jay  and  Eve 
(Veeder)  Powers.  The  doctor  and  his  wife 
have  two  children,  Bruce  and  Merrill. 

Immediately  after  his  graduation,  in 
1896,  Dr.  Jessee  came  to  Philo  and  pur- 
chased the  property  and  practice  of  Dr.  J. 
M.  Bartholow,  now  of  Urbana.  He  began 
practice  here  in  rather  a  limited  territory, 
but  success  has  crowned  his  efforts,  and  to- 
day he  enjoys  a  good  practice  which  is  con- 
stantly increasing.  The  Democratic  party 
finds  in  him  a  stanch  supporter  of  its  prin- 
cipals, and  he  is  now  serving  his  second 
term  as  mayor  of  the  village  in  which  he 
lives.  He  is  also  secretary  of  the  -school 
board,  and  as  a  public-spirited  and  progres- 
sive citizen  he  takes  a  deep  and  commend- 
able interest  in  everything  which  will  ad- 
vance the  public  welfare  and  promote  the 
prosperity  of  the  community.  He  does  not, 
however,  allow  other  things  to  interfere 
with  his  professional  duties.  Socially  he  is 
a  member  of  Centennial  Lodge,  No.  747, 
A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Philo,  and  is  a  member 
of  Mispah  Lodge  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  No. 
364,  at  Philo.  Religiously  he  holds  mem- 


bership in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
and  is  on  the  board  of  trustees.  Both  as 
a  physician  and  citizen  he  stands  deservedly 
high  in  public  esteem. 


JOHN  L.  CAILEY.  Loyal  American 
citizens  never  weary  of  hearing  the 
praises  of  the  brave  soldier-boys  whose 
valor  saved  the  Union  at  the  time  of  its 
greatest  peril,  and  if  for  nothing  else  than 
his  fine  army  record,  the  name  of  John  L. 
Cailey  is  thrice  worthy  of  being  handed 
down  to  posterity.  But  his  entire  life  has 
been  sincere  and  upright,  filled  with  deeds 
of  kindness  and  helpfulness  to  all  with 
whom  he  has  been  associated,  and  he  pos- 
sesses the  esteem  of  everyone. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
George  W.  Cailey,  was  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania, whence  he  removed  to  Ohio  in  the 
early  part  of  this  century,  and  in  that  state 
he  died  while  the  Civil  war  was  in  progress. 
His  son,  George  W. ,  Jr.,  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  born  in  Highland  county,  Ohio, 
and  there  passed  his  youth.  He  learned  the 
trade  of  a  cabinet  maker,  and  for  a  number 
of  years  prior  to  his  death  lived  in  Ross 
county,  Ohio,  where  he  married  Eliza  J. 
Parrott,  a  native  of  that  section  of  the 
state.  They  became  the  parents  of  three 
children,  namely:  Mary  E.,  who  wedded 
Garrett  Gulick,  of  Champaign,  and  died  in 
Garden  City,  Kansas,  in  1891 ;  Fred  G.,  who 
enlisted  in  the  Fifty-first  Illinois  Infantry 
during  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  and  died  at 
Bowling  Green,  Kentucky,  while  in  the 
service;  and  John  L. ,  who  was  an  infant  of 
four  months  when  his  father  died.  The 
mother  subsequently  became  the  wife  of 
David  Clousen,  and  in  1854  they  removed 


JOHN  L.  CAILEY  AND  WIFE. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


407 


to  a  farm  near  Mahomet,  on  the  Sangamon 
river.  Their  four  children  have  grown  to 
maturity,  and  are  living  in  the  west,  and  the 
mother  died  in  1857. 

John  L.  Cailey  was  born  near  Lyndon, 
Ohio,  April  15,  1842,  and  was  reared  by  his 
maternal  grandfather,  who  became  a  resi- 
dent of  this  county  in  1858.  He  located  on 
section  30,  Homer  (now  Ogden)  township, 
and  became  quite  an  influential  citizen 
there,  owning  four  hundred  acres  of  fine 
farm  lands  at  one  time.  He  died,  as  he 
had  lived,  loved  and  honored  by  all,  having 
reached  the  age  of  three  score  and  ten  at 
the  date  of  his  death,  in  the  summer  of 
1865.  For  several  years  our  subject  had 
taken  much  of  the  care  of  Mr.  Parrott's 
property,  and,  under  his  wise  direction,  had 
mastered  the  details  of  agriculture  and  gen- 
eral business.  He  had  been  trained  in  the 
duties  of  citizenship  and  had  received  a  lib- 
eral education. 

While  the  clouds  of  war  were  gathering, 
Mr.  Cailey  eagerly  watched  the  progress  of 
events,  and  when  the  President's  first  call 
came  for  men  ready  to  battle  for  their  coun- 
try, he  responded  at  once,  but,  the  quota 
being  filled  ere  his  name  was  reached,  he 
was  not  mustered  into  the  service.  When 
the  next  opportunity  presented  itself,  how- 
ever, he  was  ready,  and  on  June  16,  1861, 
he  became  a  member  of  Company  C,  Twen- 
ty-fifth Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  for 
three  years,  three  months  and  five  days  he 
served  in  the  First  Brigade,  Third  Division, 
Fourth  Army  Corps.  During  that  time  he 
shared  the  fortunes  of  his  regiment,  bravely 
and  efficiently  performing  his  duties,  and 
participating  in  the  innumerable  hardships 
and  privations  which  our  brave  Union  boys 
knew  in  that  terrible  strife.  Before  the  fall 
of  Atlanta,  on  August  4,  1864,  the  com- 


mander of  his  brigade.  General  W.  H.  Gib- 
son, addressed  the  gallant  Twenty-fifth  in 
the  following  words:  "Men  and  soldiers  of 
the  Twenty-fifth  Infantry,  as  your  time  of 
three  years  service  has  expired,  and  you  are 
about  to  proceed  to  your  state  to  be 
mustered  out,  it  is  proper  and  fitting  that 
your  commander  should  express  to  you 
each  and  all  his  earnest  thanks  for  the 
cheerful  manner  with  which,  during  the 
present  campaign,  you  have  submitted  to 
every  hardship,  overcome  every  difficulty, 
and  for  the  magnificent  heroism  with  which 
you  have  met  and  vanquished  the  foe.  Your 
deportment  in  camp  has  been  worthy  of 
true  soldiers,  while  your  conduct  in  battle 
has  excited  the  admiration  of  your  com- 
panions in  arms.  Patriotic  thousands  and 
a  noble  state  will  give  you  a  reception 
worthy  of  your  sacrifices  and  valor.  You 
have  done  your  duty  well.  The  men  who 
rallied  under  the  starry  emblem  of  our 
nation  at  Pea  Ridge,  Corinth,  Stone  River, 
Chickamauga,  Mission  Ridge,  Noonday 
Creek,  Pine  Top  Mountain,  Kenesaw 
Mountain.  Chattahooche,  Peach  Tree 
Creek  and  Atlanta  have  made  history 
for  all  time  and  for  coming  generations 
to  admire.  Officers  arid  soldiers,  fare- 
well. May  God  guarantee  to  each  health, 
happiness  and  usefulness  in  coming  life, 
and  may  our  country  soon  emerge  from  the 
gloom  and  blood  that  now  enshrouds  it,  and 
again 'enter  upon  a  career  of  peace,  progress 
and  prosperity." 

Returning  home  from  the  southern  bat- 
tlefields, Mr.  Cailey  resumed  the  care  of 
his  grandfather's  homestead,  and  remained 
there  until  the  spring  of  1877,  when  he 
purchased  seventy  acres  situated  in  section 
24,  St.  Joseph  township.  There  he  dwelt 
for  nineteen  years,  at  the  expiration  of  that 


408 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


period  going  to  Gray  county,  Kansas, 
where,  as  formerly,  he  devoted  his  atten- 
tion to  agriculture.  Becoming  well  known 
and  honored,  he  was  elected  and  served  as 
clerk  of  the  district  court  of  Gray  county 
for  three  years.  In  1891  he  went  to  the 
vicinity  of  Fort  Ridgeley,  Brown  county, 
Minnesota,  and  in  1893  he  returned  to 
Champaign  county.  For  the  past  five 
years  he  has. been  clerk  of  the  village,  and 
in  1897  he  was  elected  justice  of  the  peace, 
which  office  he  has  held  ever  since.  Al- 
ways a  stanch  friend  of  education,  he  has 
often  acted  as  a  member  of  school  boards 
and  has  been  a  trustee  as  well.  Politically, 
he  is  an  ardent  Republican.  Fraternally, 
he  is  an  honored  member  of  St.  Joseph 
Post,  G.  A.  R.,  which  he  aided  in  organiz- 
ing. Of  the  twenty-seven  charter  mem- 
bers only  three  have  answered  to  the  final 
roll-call.  For  several  years  he  was  adju- 
tant of  the  post  and  was  its  second  com- 
mander. In  his  religious  belief  he  is  a 
Christian  or  Disciple,  and  has  been  a  deacon 
and  elder  in  the  congregation,  besides  serv- 
ing as  clerk  of  the  official  board. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Cailey  and  Mary 
M.  Patterson  was  solemnized  on  New 
Year's  day,  1865.  She  was  a  daughter  of 
John  K.  and  Catherine  Patterson,  who  were 
natives  of  Ohio  and  Kentucky,  respectively. 
The  father  was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers 
of  this  township,  as  he  came  here  in  the 
'303,  and  here  Mrs.  Cailey  was  born,  April 
27>  ^39.  Of  the  six  children -born  to  our 
subject  and  his  wife,  three  survive,  namely: 
J.  F.,  now  employed  as  a  telegraph  oper- 
ator at  Tolono,  Illinois;  Maggie,  wife  of  C. 
C.  Current,  of  Brown  county,  Minnesota; 
and  Florence,  who  lives  with  her  father. 
The  mother  departed  this  life  on  the  forty- 
second  anniversary  of  her  birth,  in  1881. 


On  the  2/th  of  September,  1882,  Mr. 
Cailey  married  Mrs.  Martha  Harman,  widow 
of  James  M.  Harman,  and  daughter  of 
James  and  Mary  Current.  She  was  born 
in  Henry  county,  Indiana,  February  5, 
1841,  and  was  summoned  to  the  silent  land 
September  7,  1897. 


ISAAC  TURNER,  who  has  recently  re- 
1  moved  to  Gifford,  was  for  many  years 
actively  identified  with  the  agricultural  inter- 
ests of  Champaign,  and  by  the  development 
and  improvement  of  a  good  farm  in  Com- 
promise township  he  has  materially  ad- 
vanced the  welfare  of  this  locality.  He  was 
born  near  Cadiz,  Harrison  county,  Ohio, 
February  6,  1830,  and  is  a  son  of  Joab  and 
Ara  (Johnson)  Turner,  natives  of  Maryland 
and  Ohio,  respectively.  The  father  died  on 
his  farm  in  the  Buckeye  state  at  the  age  of 
seventy-three  years,  and  the  mother  de- 
parted this  life  at  the  home  of  our  subject 
in  Compromise  township,  Champaign  county, 
Illinois,  in  1875,  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine. 
In  their  family  were  ten  children,  of  whom 
five  sons  are  still  living,  namely:  Johnson, 
a  farmer  of  Fayette  county,  Illinois;  Aaron, 
a  farmer  of  Holmes  county,  Ohio;  William, 
a  coal  miner  of  Ohio;  James  W. ,  who  was~ 
in  the  Union  army  during  the  Civil  war  for 
one  hundred  days,  and  is  now  a  farmer  of 
Jasper  county,  Indiana;  and  Isaac,  our  sub- 
ject. 

When  our  subject  was  only  four  years 
old  the  family  removed  to  Coshocton  county, 
Ohio,  where  he  was  reared  upon  the  home 
farm  and  where  he  continued  to  make  his 
home  until  twenty-one  years  of  age,  his 
education  being  obtained  in  the  district  and 
common  schools  of  that  locality.  Leaving 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


409 


home  at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  he  worked 
on  different  farms  near  there  for  five  years. 

On  the  8th  of  November,  1855,  Mr. 
Turner  was  married  in  Roscoe,  Ohio,  to 
Miss  Rachel  Williams,  a  daughter  of  Lewis 
B.  and  Rebecca  (McCoy)  Williams,  in  whose 
family  were  five  children,  three  children  liv- 
ing, one  son  and  two  daughters.  Another 
son,  Levi  Williams,  was  a  member  of  the 
Fifty-first  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry  during 
the  Civil  war,  and  was  killed  at  the  battle  of 
Pea  Ridge  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years. 
The  father  spent  his  entire  life  in  Ohio, 
being  engaged  in  farming  in  Coshocton 
county,  where  he  died  in  1857.  His  wife 
had  died  when  Mrs.  Turner  was  quite  small. 
After  her  father's  death  she  went  to  live  with 
her  paternal  grandparents,  James  and  Rachel 
(Bardell)  Williams,  with  whom  she  made 
her  home  until  after  her  marriage,  their  farm 
being  operated  by  our  subject  for  some  time. 
He  finally  purchased  the  place  and  he  and 
his  wife  cared  for  the  old  people  during  the 
remainder  of  their  lives,  the  grandmother 
dying  September  7,  1857,  the  grandfather 
in  the  spring  of  1858. 

During  the  first  nine  years  of  their  mar- 
ried life  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Turner  continued  to 
make  their  home  in  Coshocton  county, 
Ohio,  but  at  the  end  of  that  time  they  sold 
their  farm  and  came  to  Illinois,  locating  first 
in  Carroll  township,  Vermilion  county, 
where  he  purchased. land.  In  1870,  however, 
they  cams  to  Champaign  county,  where 
they  have  since  made  their  home.  Until 
the  spring  of  1900  Mr.  Turner  was  success- 
fully engaged  in  farming  in  Compromise 
township,  where  he  still  owns  a  good  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  eighty  acres,  all  under 
cultivation  and  improved  with  good  build- 
ings. He  is  a  thorough  and  systematic  ag- 
riculturist, is  energetic  and  progressive,  and 


has  met  with  well-deserved  success  in  his 
labors.  He  purchased  the  A.  P.  Johnson 
property  in  Gifford,  and  now  makes  that 
village  his  home.  As  a  public-spirited  and 
enterprising  citizen,  he  has  ever  taken  an 
active  interest  in  local  affairs,  and  does  all 
in  his  power  to  advance  the  welfare  of  his 
town  and  county.  He  has  served  as  town- 
ship treasurer  for  about  twenty-two  years; 
in  1878  was  elected  assessor  and  held  that 
office  for  two  years;  and  at  the  end  of  that 
time  was  elected  supervisor  of  his  township, 
all  of  which  positions  he  most  capably  and 
satisfactorily  filled.  Religiously  «he  is  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  church. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Turner  were  born  elev- 
en children,  namely:  (i)  Lewis,  born  in  Co- 
shocton county,  Ohio,  December  7,  1856, 
remained  at  home  until  twenty  one  years 
of  age,  and  is  now  a  prosperous  farmer  of 
Hamilton  county,  Illinois.  He  married  Nora 
Rhubottom;  (2)  Harvey  J.,  born  in  Ohio, 
May  31,  1858,  married  Jennie  Craigmile, 
of  Lagrange,  Illinois,  and  is  now  engaged  in 
mercantile  business  in  Gifford.  They  have 
four  children,  Bessie,  Alexander,  James  and 
Jean.  (3)  Paulina,  born  in  Ohio,  March 
29,  1860,  is  at  home.  (4)  Sarah  S.,  born 
October  4,  1861,  is  the  wife  of  John  Craig- 
mile,  a  farmer  of  Calhoun  county,  Iowa, 
and  they  have  four  children,  Iva,  Charles, 
Pearl  and  Bernice.  (5)  Aaron  B.,  born 
September  27,  1863,  is  a  farmer  of  Waren 
county,  Indiana.  He  married  Armanda 
Walker,  of  Gifford,  Illinois,  and  they  have 
one  child,  Walker.  (6)  Emma  J.,  born  in 
Vermilion  county.  Illinois,  October  I  3,  1 865, 
is  the  wife  of  William  Piper,  a  farmer  of 
Medaryville,  Indiana,  and  they  had  five 
children:  Isaac;  Henry,  deceased;  Ethel; 
Dwight  and  Horace.  (7)  William  C.,  born 
in  Vermilion  county,  June  24,  1868,  rents 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


his  father's  farm  in  Compromise  township, 
Champaign  county,  He  married  Stella 
Keyes  and  has  one  child,  Harley.  (8)  Ida 
M.,  born  in  Compromise  township,  Septem- 
ber 3,  1870,  died  October  29,  1871.  (9)  Ina 
F.,  born  March  30,  1873,  is  at  home.  (10) 
James  H.,  born  March  14,  1875,  was  a  tel- 
egraph operator  for  the  Illinois  Central  rail- 
road at  Delana,  Illinois,  but  is  now  at  home. 
(11)  Elisha,  born  May  25,  1878,  is  at  home.. 


DANIEL  P.  McINTYRE.  There  are  no 
rules  for  building  characters;  there  is 
no  rule  for  achieving  success.  The  man 
who  can  rise  from  the  ranks  to  a  position  of 
•eminence  is  he  who  can  see  and  utilize  the 
opportunities  that  surround  his  path.  The 
essentjal  conditions  of  human  life  are  ever 
the  same,  the  surroundings  of  individuals 
•differ  but  slightly;  and,  when  one  man 
passes  another  on  the  highway  to  reach  the 
goal  of  prosperity  before  others  who  per- 
haps started  out  before  him,  it  is  because  he 
has  the  power  to  use  advantages  which 
probably  encompass  the  whole  human  race. 
To-day  among  the  most  prominent  business 
men  in  the  southern  part  of  Champaign 
county  is  Daniel  P.  Mclntyre,  president  of 
the  Bank  of  Broadlands. 

He  was  born  in  Canada  West,  June  3, 
1858,  and  is  a  son  of  James  and  Jane  (Mc- 
Intosh)  Mclntyre,  both  natives  of  Scotland, 
the  former  born  in  Argyleshire,  in  1805,  the 
latter  in  Inverness,  in  1815.  In  1820  the 
father  crossed  the  Atlantic  with  his  parents 
and  located  in  western  Canada,  where  he 
grew  to  manhood  and  was  married.  Being 
a  British  subject,  he  received  one  hundred 
acres  of  government  land  there,  upon  which 
he  resided  until  1864,  when  he  disposed  of 


his  property  and  came  to  Illinois,  locating 
in  Douglas  county,  about  four  miles  north- 
west of  Newman,  on  what  is  known  as  the 
Ridge.  He  first  purchased  three  hundred 
and.  twenty  acres  of  land,  which  he  im- 
proved and  cultivated,  and  later  added  to 
it  until  he  owned  six  hundred  acres,  which 
for  many  years  was  consfdered  one  of  the 
banner  farms  of  Douglas  county.  The 
characteristic  thrift  and  industry  of  the 
Scotch,  combined  with  the  progressive 
methods  and  opportunities  offered  in  the 
new  world  made  his  life  a  success,  and  he 
carried  on  farming  and  stock  raising  on 
quite  an  extensive  scale.  He  died  at  his 
home  in  Douglas  county,  January  7,  1892, 
and  his  wife,  who  preceded  him,  passed 
away  March  10,  1890.  Both  were  earnest 
members  of  the  Baptist  Church,  and  he  was 
a  Republican  in  politics.  This  worthy 
couple  lived  to  celebrate  their  golden  wed- 
ding in  1885,  at  which  time  their  unbroken 
family  of  twelve  children  were  ail  assembled 
for  the  first  time  in  over  twenty  years,  and 
they  survived  this  happy  event  five  years. 
Their  children  were  Malcolm,  Ann,  James, 
Jane,  John,  Thomas,  Peter,  Angus  C., 
Mary  E.,  Janet,  Daniel  P.,  and  Joseph. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  only  six 
years  of  age  on  the  removal  of  the  family 
to  Illinois,  and  upon  the  home  farm  in 
Douglas  county  he  passed  his  boyhood  and 
youth,  his  primary  education  being  obtained 
in  the  local  schools.  At  the  age  of  twenty- 
one  he  entered  the  university  at  Lincoln, 
Illinois,  where  he  pursued  his  studies  for 
some  time.  On  leaving  college  he  engaged 
in  farming  during  the  summer  season  and  in 
teaching  school  during  the  winter  months  for 
two  years,  saving  his  money  with  the  in- 
tention of  embarking  in  business  for  himself. 
Having  accumulated  some  means  he  pur- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


411 


chased  a  jewelry  establishment  at  Newman, 
Illinois,  which  he  conducted  successfully  for 
one  year,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  traded 
his  stock  to  A.  B.  Powell,  Paris,  Illinois,  in 
part  payment  for  a  farm  of  three  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  just  east  of  Brocton,  Ed- 
gar county,  Illinois,  giving  his  note  for  the 
difference.  He  located  thereon  in  the  spring 
of  1888,  and  unlike  many  others  he  made  a 
financial  success  of  farming.  He  soon 
cleared  the  place  of  all  incumbrance,  and 
now  has  one  of  the  finest  and  best  appointed 
stock  farms  in  that  county.  On  leaving  the 
farm  in  November,  1892,  he  came  to  Broad- 
lands,  Champaign  county.  At  an  age  when 
the  majority  of  men  have  scarcely  begun 
the  ascent  of  the  ladder  of  success,  he.  had 
by  industry  and  judicious  management 
reached  a  position  that  would  enable  him 
to  retire  from  active  business,  but  he  chose 
instead  to  enter  the  commercial  world,  and 
organized  the  Bank  of  Broadlands,  which 
was  founded  November  17,  1892,  by  Daniel 
P.  and  Thomas  Mclntyre  and  A,  M.  Kin- 
ney,  our  subject  being  chosen  as  the  first 
president,  which  office  he  still  fills.  The 
bank  was  established  on  a  sound  basis,  and 
under  his  careful  management  its  volume  of 
business  has  steadily  increased  and  is  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  stable  financial  institu- 
tions of  the  county.  It  is  also  an  enterprise 
that  the  thriving  town  of  Broadlands  could 
ill  afford  to  lose,  as  it  is  in  one  of  the  most 
fertile  grain  districts  of  Illinois,  and  is  one 
of  the  most  important  shipping  points  on 
the  road.  In  connection  with  his  banking 
business,  Mr.  Mclntyre  also  represents  all 
of  the  leading  insurance  companies,  and 
still  operates  his  large  farm  of  three  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres  in  Edgar  county. 

On  the    28th   of  December,    1887,    Mr. 
Mclntyre  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 


Nettie  A.  Cooley,  the  accomplished  daugh- 
ter of  J.  A.  Cooley,  one  of  the  oldest  sett- 
lers of  Douglas  county.  She  was  a  teacher 
of  more  than  ordinary  ability,  teaching  for 
a  time  in  Scottland.  Edgar  county,  and  for 
several  terms  in  the  schools  of  Newman. 
Our  subject  and  his  wife  have  one  child, 
Eva  L. 

Since  coming  to  Broadlands,  Mr.  Mc- 
lntyre has  taken  an  active  part  in  advancing 
the  interests  of  the  community.  Although 
not  seeking  political  honors  or  official  posi- 
tions of  any  kind,  he  has  been  a  zealous, 
worker  in  the  Republican  ranks,  has  served 
on  the  town  and  county  central  committees;, 
has  been  a  delegate  to  various  state  and 
congressional  conventions,  and  in  1900  was 
chosen  chairman  of  the  county  convention. 
In  1899  he  was  nominated  without  his 
knowledge  and  elected  supervisor  of  Ayres 
township,  and  has  served  on  the  committees 
of  ways  and  means,  education  and  hos- 
pitals, and  at  present  is  chairman  of  the 
judiciary  committee.  He  was  also  one  of 
the  three  delegates  chosen  to  attend  the 
annual  state  convention  of  supervisors  and 
county  clerks  held  at  Quincy,  Illinois.  He 
was  one  of  the  organizers  and  the  second 
largest  stockholder  in  the  Douglas  County 
Telephone  Company.  Fraternally  he  is  a 
member  of  Apollo  Lodge,  No.  57,  K.  P., 
and  the  Uniformed  Knights  Commandery, 
both  of  Paris,  Illinois;  and  also  belongs  to 
Broadlands  Lodge,  No.  791,  F.  &  A.  M.; 
Newman  Chapter,  No.  216,  R.  A.  M.;  and 
Broadlands  Chapter,  No.  416,  O.  E.  S.,  of 
which  his  wife  is  also  a  member  and  has 
been  worthy  matron  since  its  organization. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Hamilton  Club, 
Chicago.  Both  in  business  and  social  cir- 
cles and  as  a  citizen  he  stands  high  and. 
meets  every  requirement,  manifesting  a. 


412 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


commendable  interest  in  everything  that  is 
calculated  to  promote  the  welfare  of  the 
community  in  any  line. 


ARTIN  SCHEURICH  is  the  senior 
member  of  the  firm  of  M.  Scheurich 
&  Co.,  No.  128  Market  street,  Champaign, 
dealers  in  the  Advance  threshing  machinery, 
engines,  threshers,  self-feeders,  band-cut- 
ters, pneumatic  and  automatic  stackers,  also 
gasoline  engines,  duplex  hay  boilers,  eclipse 
wind  engines,  second  hand  engines,  hay, 
straw,  grain,  feed,  hard  and  soft  coal,  and 
all  kinds  of  field  seeds.  He  is  one  of  the 
most  enterprising  and  enegetic  business  men 
of  the  city,  and  is  meeting  with  a  well- 
merited  success. 

Mr.  Scheurich  was  born  in  DuBois  coun- 
ty, Indiana,  September  28,  1842,  a  son  of 
Peter  and  Elizabeth  (Kimmelshew)  Scheu- 
rich. The  father  was  an  extensive  contrac- 
tor, who  constructed  most  of  the  railroad 
between  Terre  Haute  and  Indianapolis,  then 
known  as  Rose's  road.  He  removed  to  the 
former  city  when  our  subject  was  about 
nineteen  years  of  age,  and  after  a  residence 
there  of  two  years  went  to  Montezuma,  In- 
diana, where  he  constructed  a  feeder  to  a 
canal,  and  where  he  continued  to  follow  his 
business  of  contracting  for  some  time.  Dur- 
ing the  early  settlement  of  Minnesota,  he 
located  about  thirty-five  miles  northwest  of 
Minneapolis,  and  later  laid  out  the  town  of 
Frankfort,  seven  miles  from  Itasca.  After 
a  few  years  spent  in  that  state,  he  returned 
to  Evansville,  Indiana,  and  purchased  a 
farm  just  across  the  Ohio  river  from  Green 
river,  Kentucky,  where  he  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits  until  the  fall  of  1860,  until 
in  the  spring  of  1861  he  moved  to  Mattoon, 


Illinois,  having  traded  his  property  for  one 
section  of  land  near  that  town.  He  spent 
three  years  upon  his  farm  and  then  located 
in  Mattoon,  where  he  engaged  in  general 
merchandise,  being  assisted  by  our  subject. 

Martin  Scheurich  accompanied  his 
parents  on  their  various  removals  until 
his  marriage,  which  was  celebrated  Feb- 
ruary i,  1864,  Miss  Catherine  Regan 
becoming  his  wife.  To  them  were  born 
twelve  children,  namely:  Mary,  now  a  Sis- 
ter of  Notre  Dame,  in-  a  convent  at  Mil- 
waukee, Wisconsin;  Lizzie,  bookkeeper  for 
her  father;  Maggie,  wife  of  W.  Kline,  of 
Colfax  township,  this  county;  Cefia,  wife  of 
W.  B.  Walsh,  of  Sadorus  township;  Ollie 
and  Amy,  both  at  home;  Monica,  wife  of 
Frank  Tabaca,  of  Sadorus  township;  John 
E.,  a  traveling  salesman  for  the  Advance 
Threshing  Machine  Company;  Peter,  who 
assists  his  father  in  business;  Martin  and 
Mary  G.,  both  at  home;  and  Catherine  G., 
wife  of  George  Bloom,  a  well-known  ma- 
chinist, who  is  now  serving  as  foreman  for 
the  McMillen  Manufacturing  Company  at 
Evanston,  Illinois.  The  children  have  all 
received  liberal  educations,  Celia  having 
graduated  from  the  State  Normal,  and  Cath- 
erine having  graduated  in  music. 

The  first  season  after  his  marriage  Mr. 
Scheurich  raised  a  crop  on  the  home  farm, 
and  sold  the  same  before  it  was  harvested. 
On  the  1 4th  of  August,  1864,  he  started  for 
New  York,  where  he  took  passage  on  the 
steamer  Northern  Light  bound  for  Mexico 
via  Cuba,  the  object  of  the  journey  being 
to  take  charge  of  cotton  manufacturing  ma- 
chinery for  an  English  syndicate  in  Mexico, 
but  on  reaching  his  destination  he  found  the 
country  in  such  an  unsettled  condition  as  the 
result  of  the  war,  that  he  concluded  not  to 
remain,  and,  accompanied  by  hjs  wife,  he 


THE  BIOGRAHPICAL    RECORD. 


4'3 


boarded  the  steamer  Golden  City  at  Panama 
and  sailed  for  San  Francisco,  where  he  ar- 
rived in  October.  After  remaining  in  the 
city  for  three  weeks,  he  accepted  the  posi- 
tion of  foreman  on  a  large  ranch  owned  by  a 
Mr.  McKenzie,  near  Tomales,  Marin  county, 
California,  in  which  capacity  he  served  for 
one  year  at  fifty  dollars  per  month.  The 
following  year  he  leased  the  ranch,  which 
comprised  six  hundred  acres  of  land,  and  at 
the  end  of  that  time  moved  to  Tomales 
Bay,  where  he  rented  a  ranch  of  two  thou- 
sand acres  for  sixty-five  cents  per  acre. 
There  he  was  joined  by  his  father  and  broth- 
ers, and  together  they  extensively  engaged 
in  the  stock  and  dairy  business,  keeping  a 
herd  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  milch  cows, 
and  finding  a  ready  sale  for  their  dairy 
products  in  San  Francisco.  They  were 
thus  engaged  for  three  years  and  at  the  end 
of  that  time  sold  out  for  twenty  thousand 
dollars.  For  a  time  our  subject  continued 
in  the  same  business  on  a  smaller  scale,  hav- 
ing a  ranch  of  two  hundred  acres  at  Pete- 
luma  Valley. 

In  1869  Mr.  Scheurich  disposed  of  his 
property  in  California  and  returned  to  Mat- 
toon,  Illinois,  where  his  wife's  parents  re- 
sided. The  same  year  he  came  to  Cham- 
paign and  bought  two  hundred  acres  of 
prairie  land  in  Colfax  township  for  sixteen 
dollars  per  acre,  to  the  improvement  and 
cultivation  of  which  he  devoted  his  energies 
for  a  number  of  years.  On  selling  that 
place  he  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land  on  section  i  in  the  same  town- 
ship, which  farm  he  still  owns,  and  there  he 
successfully  engaged  in  general  farming  and 
stock  raising  until  his  removal  to  Cham- 
paign in  1897.  He  also  operated  a  thresh- 
ing machine,  bringing  into  Colfax  township 
the  first  steam  thresher  and  traction  engine, 


and  was  engaged  in  boring  wells  and  acted1 
as  "agent  for  various  kinds  of  machinery. 
Previous  to  his  removal  to  the  city  his  son 
John  E.,  had  already  become  interested  in 
the  machinery  business  there.  Forming  a 
partnership  with  him,  Mr.  Scheurich  bought 
his  present  property  on  Market  street  in 
1897,  consisting  of  one  four-hundred-foot- 
lot  and  two  business  houses,  which  he  now 
occupies.  In  1899  he  sold  off  his  live  stock, 
leased  his  farm  and  moved  his  family  to 
Champaign.  He  is  one  of  the  most  active 
and  enterprising  business  men  of  the  city, 
and  in  all  his  undertakings  has  met  with 
most  excellent  success.  On  the  5th  of  De- 
cember, 1899,  The  Entre  Nous  Coal  Mining 
Company  was  organized,  the  incorporators 
being  Dr.  W.  H.  Zorger,  Martin  Scheurich 
and  Charles  R.  Lungerich.  The  capital 
stock  of  the  company  is  fifty  thousand  dol- 
lars, and  they  bought  ninety-five  acres  of 
coal  land  at  Muncie,  Illinois,  and  an  option 
ot  six  hundred  acres  adjoining.  Their  main 
office  is  in  Champaign.  .The  mine  now  in 
operation  has  a  vein  of  coal  from  five  to 
seven  feet  in  thickness,  consisting  of  excel- 
lent coal  which  will  be  furnished  to  the  pub- 
lic at  a  reduced  price  and  to  stockholders  at 
actual  cost.  The  company  was  incorpor- 
ated January  26,  1900,  and  the  stock  divided 
into  one  thousand  shares.  Mr.  Scheurich 
has  ever  taken  an  active  interest  in  public 
affairs,  is  a  stanch  supporter  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party,  and  has  served  his  township  as 
justice  of  the  peace  twenty-five  years,  school 
trustee  fifteen  years,  and  collector  two 
years. 


JG.  NICOLET,  of  the  firm  of  Nicolet  & 
Company,   dealers    in   bicycles,   repairs 
and  sundries,  with  shop  at  factory  at  No. 


414 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


26,  North  Niel  street,  Champaign,  is  one  of 
the  progressive  business  men  of  the  city, 
and  his  ability,  enterprise  and  upright  meth- 
ods have  established  for  him  an  enviable 
reputation.  Although  he  is  still  a  young  man 
his  popularity  is  established  on  a  firm  basis 
— that  of  his  own  well-tested  merit.  He 
makes  his  home  at  No.  708  Illinois  street, 
Urbana. 

Mr.  Nicolet  was  born  in  Champaign, 
November  14,  1870,  and  is  a  son  of  H.  L. 
and  Anna  (Stout)  Nicolet.  In  early  man- 
hood the  father  was  engaged  in  newspaper 
work,  and  on  his  removal  from  Maryland  to 
St.  Louis,  was  connected  with  the  paper 
there  until  his  removal  to  Canton,  Illinois, 
where  he  was  also  in  the  newspaper,  busi- 
ness. In  1868  he  came  to  Champaign, 
where  he  was  proprietor  of  The  Union  until 
disabled  by  a  stroke  of  paralysis,  when  he 
retired  from  journalis-m  and  never  resumed 
.it  again.  Later  he  took  an  active  part  in 
public  affairs,  serving  as  justice  of  the  peace 
for  a  number  of  years,  and  city  clerk  for 
several  years.  He  died  in  Champaign,  but 
his  wife  is  still  living  and  continues  to  make 
her  home  in  Champaign. 

Our  subject  is  the  youngest  in  their  fam- 
ily of  seven  children  who  lived  to  maturity, 
the  others  being  Anna,  now  the  widow  of  Al- 
len Allsbrook,  and  a  resident  of  Chicago; 
Charles  H.,  a  mechanical  and  civil  engineer 
for  the  Madison  &  Hagler  zinc  works  at  La- 
Salle,  Illinois,  one  of  the  largest  in  the  world ; 
William  H.,  bookkeeper  in  the  American 
Trust  &  Savings'  bank  of  Chicago;  Emma 
M.,  who  lives  with  her  mother:  Harry  L., 
commercial  and  financial  editor  of  the  Kan- 
sas City  Star;  and  Arthur].,  who  is  in  busi- 
ness in  Chicago. 

The  boyhood  and  youth  of  J.  G.  Nicolet 
were  spent  in  the  city  of  his  birth,  where  his 


business  interests  still  remain,  though  since 
his  marriage  he  has  resided  in  Urbana. 
He  was  liberally  educated  in  the  city  schools, 
and  at  the  age  of  nineteen  accepted  a  posi- 
tion with  the  American  Express  company, 
which  he  filled  for  one  year.  He  then  en- 
tered the  employ  of  the  E.  H.  Sperry  Cycle 
company  of  Champaign,  remaining  with 
them  a  year,  and  in  1893  established  a  bi- 
cycle business  of  his  own  at  No.  3  South 
Neil  street,  which  he  carried  on  for  a  year. 
Subsequently  he  was  connected  with  the 
Riley  Cycle  company,  and  since  leaving 
their  employ  has  been  engaged  in  his  pres- 
ent business  at  different  places  in  the  city, 
removing  to  his  present  location  in  Febru- 
ary, 1898.  He  possesses  a  thorough  and  prac- 
tical knowledge  of  every  detail  of  the  bicycle 
business,  is  well  equipped  (or  doing  in  a  most 
workmanship  manner  all  kinds  of  repairing, 
from  luendinga  puncture  to  building  an  en- 
tire wheel,  He  also  makes  a  specialty  of 
of  all  kinds  of  fine  repair  work  on  guns, 
typewriters  and  delicate  machinery  of  all 
kinds,  and  keeps  on  sale  the  leading  makes 
of  wheels.  By  energy,  skill  and  determined 
application,  he  has  established  through  his 
own  efforts  a  successful  and  prosperous 
business  which  is  constantly  increasing. 

On  the  23d  of  February,  1898,  in  New 
Orleans,  Mr.  Nicolet  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Lulu  Burt,  and  to  them  has  been 
born  one  child,  Clara.  Socially  Mr.  Nico- 
let is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Maccabees 
and  the  Royal  Circle,  and  politically  is  a 
Republican,  taking  an  active  part  in  public 
affairs,  and  serving  on  different  central  com- 
mittees. 

WILLIAM  FACKLER  is  one  of  the  most 
progressive   agriculturists  of    Tolono 
township,  his  property  being  kept  under  fine 


WILLIAM  FACKLER  AND  WIFE. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


417 


cultivation,  and  substantial  improvements 
being  added  by  him  from  time  to  time. 
Financially,  he  has  made  a  success,  and 
within  a  few  years  has  advanced  to  a  position 
of  affluence  by  the  exercise  of  the  natural 
business  talents  with  which  he  is  endowed. 

He  is  a  native  of  Richland  county,  Ohio, 
his  birth  having  occurred  December  29, 
1843.  His  parents,  John  and  Elizabeth 
(Crall)  Fackler,  were  natives  of  Lancaster 
county,  Pennsylvania.  The  father  went  to 
the  Buckeye  state  in  early  manhood,  and 
there  successfully  operated  a  farm  until 
1864,  when  he  sold  out,  and  removed  to 
Champaign  county,  Illinois.  Purchasing 
some  land  (that  now  in  the  possession  of  his 
son,  Sylvanus)  he  improved  it, erecting  build- 
ings and  fences,  setting  out  shade  trees  and 
an  orchard,  and  making  other  material  im- 
provements. The  thrifty,  systematic  man- 
ner in  which  he  conducted  all  of  his  trans- 
actions was  inculcated  in  his  sons,  all  of 
whom  became  well-to-do  business  men. 
John  Fackler  departed  this  life  in  1894,  and 
his  wife  survived  him  only  three  years.  Two 
of  their  nine  children  died  in  infancy. 
Elizabeth,  deceased,  was  the  wife  of  Samuel 
Lavenspire,  of  Ohio;  Matthias  is  a  well 
known  farmer  of  the  same  state;  John  is  a 
farmer  of  Crittenden  township,  Champaign 
county;  Henry  owns  a  large  farm  in  Mis- 
souri; and  Sylvanus,  as  previously  men- 
tioned, carries  on  the  old  homestead  in 
Tolono  township.  Albert,  the  youngest,  a 
resident  of  Tolono,  is  a  teamster  and  dray- 
man. 

In  the  common  schoolsof  Ohio,  William 
Fackler  obtained  a  liberal  education,  and 
under  his  father's  tutelage  he  learned  agri- 
culture, in  its  various  details.  When  the 
Civil  war  came  on,  he  enlisted  in  the  Twen- 
tieth Ohio  Infantry,  serving  for  one  year  as 
22 


a  member  of  Company  F,  and  taking  part 
in  the  battles  of  Thompson's  Hill,  Fort  Gib- 
son, Black  River,  and  the  siege  of  Vicks- 
burg.  He  was  so  fortunate  as  to  escape  all 
injury  in  these  engagements,  though  he  was 
often  placed  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight. 
After  he  had  received  an  honorable  dis- 
charge he  returned  home  and  worked  for 
his  father  for  some  time.  In  1870  he  pur- 
chased eighty  acres  of  wild  land  in  Tolono 
township,  and  assiduously  set  about  the  im- 
provement of  the  place.  He  did  consider- 
able ditching  and  tiling,  erected  a  conven- 
ient house  and  barns,  and  later  bought  ad- 
ditional land,  until  he  now  owns  three  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres  of  valuable  land,  situ- 
ated on  sections  4  and  34.  Neatness  and 
thrift  are  among  Mr.  Fackler's  characteris- 
tics, and  he  has  just  cause  for  pride  in  the 
model  homestead  which  he  controls. 

In  1870  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Fackler 
and  Minerva  Rush  was  solemnized.  She 
was  born  in  Pennsylvania  and  came  to  Illi- 
nois when  young,  her  father  later  becoming 
a  prosperous  farmer  of  Crittenden  township. 
George,  the  eldest  child  of  our  subject  and 
wife,  is  renting  land  in  Colfax  township,  and, 
as  he  is  unmarried,  his  sister  Annie,  widow 
of  George  Barnhart,  keeps  house  for  him. 
Alexander  married  Miss  Erne  Clark,  of  Sa- 
dorus,  and  is  farming  in  Colfax  township. 
The  younger  children,  Edward,  Lizzie, 
Harry,  Charles,  Alonzo,  Walter  and  Myrtle, 
are  at  home  with  their  parents,  who  have 
lost  one  child,  Daniel,  who  died  in  infancy. 

The  Fackler  family  is  identified  with  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  Our  subject 
is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America,  belonging  to  Tolono  Camp,  and  he 
also  is  an  honored  member  of  the  Tolono 
post  of  the  Grand  Army.  In  his  political 
faith,  he  is  a  Democrat. 


418 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


RR.  BUSEY.  The  natural  advantages 
of  this  section  attracted  at  an  early  day 
a  superior  class  of  settles,  thrifty,  industrious, 
progressive  and  law-abiding,  whose  influence 
has  given  permanent  direction  tothe  develop- 
ment of  the  locality.  Among  the  worthy 
pioneers  of  Champaign  county  the  Busey 
family  hold  a  very  prominent  place.  They 
were  the  second  family  to  locate  within  its 
borders,  the  first  being  that  of  G.  W.  B. 
Sadorus,  of  whom  mention  is  made  else- 
where in  this  volume. 

R.  R.  Busey,  who  is  now  living  a  retired 
life  in  the  village  of  Sidney,  was  born  in 
Shelby  county,  Kentucky,  April  29,  1825, 
and  is  the  sixth  child  and  oldest  son  living  in 
the  family  of  Matthew  and  Sarah  (Fibel) 
Busey,  both  natives  of  Germany.  With 
their  respective  families  they  came  to 
America,  the  Buseys  making  a  settlement  in 
Virginia,  the  Fibels  in  Maryland,  but  after  a 
short  residence  there  both  families  removed 
to  Kentucky,  where  the  parents  of  our  sub- 
ject were  married.  The  father  was  engaged 
in  farming  in  that  state  until  1829,  when 
with  his  family  he  emigrated  to  Illinois, 
locating  near  what  was  known  as  Big  Grove, 
which  then  formed  a  part  of  Vermilion 
county,  but  is  now  in  Champaign  county. 
There  he  pre-empted  land  and  when  it  came 
into  market  purchased  seventeen  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  unbroken  prairie  land. 
Indians  still  inhabited  this  region,  wild  game 
of  all  kinds  abounded,  wolves  and  deer  were 
seen  in  large  numbers,  and  the  nearest 
market  was  Chicago.  In  those  early  days 
the  Busey  family  lived  principally  by 
hunting,  raising  only  what  produce  was 
necessary  to  supply  their  own  needs,  though 
about  once  a  year  they  would  taken  a  wagon 
load  of  produce  to  Chicago,  where  it  was 
exchanged  for  the  necessities  of  life,  the 


trip  consuming  several  days.  Urbana  was 
built  later  upon  ground  donated  by  an  uncle 
of  our  subject  as  a  town  site.  As  the  coun- 
try became  more  thickly  settled  they  farmed 
more  extensively,  and  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject became  quite  a  successful  man.  In  his 
political  views  he  was  a  Democrat.  He 
died  on  March  21,  1864,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
five  years,  and  the  mother  departed  this  life 
May  13,  1887,  at  the  advanced  of  ninety-six 
years.  They  had  eleven  children,  who 
reached  years  of  maturity,  namely:  Nancy, 
Fountain  J.  and  Mary,  all  now  deceased; 
Jane,  widow  of  John  Phillipe,  and  a  resident 
of  near  Mahomet,  this  county;  Elizabeth, 
widow  of  Elijah  Weaver  and  a  resident  of 
Fairmount,  Vermilion  county;  R.  R. ,  our 
subject;  John,  deceased;  Matthew,  an  in- 
valid, of  Urbana;  Isaac,  a  prosperous  farmer 
of  Missouri;  Sarah,  deceased;  and  Melissa, 
wife  of  William  Peck,  of  Ohio. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  acquired 
rather  a  limited  education  in  the  primitive 
public  schools  of  this  region  which  existed 
during  his  boyhood.  The  school  house  was 
built  of  rough  logs  and  the  seats  were  slab 
benches.  He  attended  school  here  only  a 
short  time  during  his  early  years,  the  re- 
mainder of  his  time  being  devoted  to  the 
improvement  of  the  home  farm.  He  re- 
mained under  the  parental  roof  until  nine- 
teen years  of  age,  when  he  went  to  live  with 
a  sister  who  had  lost  her  husband,  and  made 
his  home  with  her  for  four  years,  looking 
after  her  interests.  The  following  year  he 
worked  as  a  farm  hand,  and  then  purchased 
a  tract  of  land  in  Somer  township,  which 
together  with  some  given  him  by  his  father 
made  him  a  comfortable  farm.  He  im- 
proved the  rough,  unbroken  prairie,  erected 
good  buildings  thereon,  and  made  other 
necessary  improvements.  He  finally  dis- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


419 


possd  of  this  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  located  north  of  Urbana.  and  pur- 
chased three  hundred  acres  in  Sidney  town- 
ship, to  the  improvement  and  cultivation  of 
which  he  at  once  turned  his  attention.  He 
tiled  the  land,  set  out  trees,  built  fences 
and  substantial  buildings,  and  placed  the 
land  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  Mr. 
Busey  continued  to  successfully  engage  in 
general  farming  until  1896,  when  he  lost  his 
home  and  its  contents  by  fire.  He  then  re- 
moved to  the  village  of  Sidney,  where  his 
son  had  previously  erected  a  good  modern 
cottage  and  exchanged  places  with  him, 
the  son  taking  charge  of  the  farm  and  re- 
building the  old  home  which  he  now  occu- 
pies. 

On  the  1 3th  of  January,  1850,  Mr.  Busey 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Susan 
George,  who  was  born  in  Pickaway  county, 
Ohio,  January  5,  1829,  a  daughter  of  Joseph 
V.  and  Nancy  (Bradford)  George,  also  na- 
tives of  that  county.  She  is  one  of  a 
family  of  ten  children,  and  the  oldest  of  the 
four  now  living,  the  others  being  Joseph  B., 
a  resident  of  Gifford,  Illinois;  Daniel  T.  V., 
a  resident  of  Missouri;  and  Taylor,  of 
Champaign  county,  Illinois.  Of  the  six 
children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Busey  one 
died  in  infancy.  The  others  are  still  living, 
namely:  (i)  Matthew  C.,  a  resident  of 
Somer  township,  this  county,  is  married  and 
has  four  children,  Etta,  Estella,  Adelbert 
and  Delilah.  (2)  Joseph  V.,  an  employe 
in  the  Big  Four  car  shops  and  resident  of 
Urbana,  is  married  and  has  one  child,  Car- 
rie. (3)  Scott,  who  is  in  the  coal  and  feed 
business  at  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  is  mar- 
ried and  has  one  daughter,  Mabel.  (4)  Till- 
man  is  married  and  lives  on  a  part  of  his 
father's  farm  in  Sidney  township.  (5)  Ar- 
thur L.,  who  lives  at  the  old  homestead,  is 


married    and    has  two  children,  Elsie   and 
George. 

Mr.  Busey  casts  his  ballot  with  the  Dem- 
ocratic party,  but  has  never  been  prevailed 
upon  to  accept  office,  preferring  to  devote 
his  entire  time  and  attention  to  his  business 
interests.  He  is  an  honest  and  industrious 
man  who  merits  and  receives  the  respect 
and  esteem  of  all  with  whom  he  comes  in 
contact.  His  wife  is  an  earnest  member  of 
the  Christian  church,  and  he  contributes 
liberally  to  its  support.  As  an  honored  pioneer 
and  worthy  citizen  he  is  certainly  deserving 
of  prominent  mention  in  the  history  of  his 
adopted  county. 


THOMAS  O.  DARRAH,  who  has  been 
actively  associated  with  the  upbuilding 
of  Champaign  county  ever  since  the  close  of 
the  Civil  war,  is  well  entitled  to  honorable 
mention  among  the  pioneers  and  represent- 
ative citizens  of  this  section.  He  is  of 
Scotch  ancestry  on  his  father's  side,  his 
great-grandfather  having  removed  from  the 
landof  theheatherand  thistle  to  Virginia  at  an 
early  day  in  the  history  of  this  country. 
There  his  son  James,  grandfather  of  our 
subject,  was  born  in  1775  and  married,  and 
another  son,  Van,  served  throughout  the 
war  of  the  Revolution.  James  Darrah  chose 
Nancy  Kent  for  a  wife,  born  in  1780,  and 
together  they  went  to  Harrison  county, 
Ohio,  and  engaged  in  farming  when  that 
locality  was  a  wilderness.  Later,  he  set- 
tied  in  Pike  county,  Illinois,  and  there 
passed  his  last  years.  Both  himself  and 
wife,  who  were  active  in  the  work  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  were  buried  in 
the  cemetery  at  Hinman  Chapel,  where  a 
monument  was  erected  to  their  memory. 
The  parents  of  Thomas  O.  were  John 


42O 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


and  Elizabeth  (Orr)  Darrah.  The  father 
was  born  in  Harrison  county,  Ohio,  in  July, 
1810,  and  the  mother  was  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania, and  eight  years  older  than  her 
husband.  She  was  a  daughter  of  William 
Orr,  whose  birth  occurred  in  Ireland.  For 
many  years  John  Darrah  carried  on  a  large 
farm  five  miles  north  of  Delaware,  and  also 
managed  a  ferry  on  the  river  and  kept  a 
hotel.  About  September,  1839.  he  removed 
to  Griggsville,  Pike  county,  Illinois,  and 
after  renting  a  farm  for  five  years  he  bought 
a  quarter  of  section  of  wild  land,  three  miles 
north  of  New  Salem.  Later,  he  purchased 
additional  property  until  he  owned  four 
hundred  acres,  and  was  known  as  one  of  the 
well-to-do  farmers  of  that  vicinity.  He  was 
very  devout,  and  his  home  was  open  to  all 
of  the  ministers  and  brethren  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church,  particularly.  In  1865 
he  sold  his  farms  in  Pike  county  and  invested 
in  half  a  section  of  railroad  land  in  Pesotum 
township,  paying  thirty-seven  and  a  half 
dollars  an  acre.  He  mad.e  many  fine  improve- 
ments upon  this  homestead,  and  subsequent- 
ly divided  his  estate,  giving  a  liberal  share 
to  each  of  his  children.  His  wife  died  Sep- 
tember 12,  1868,  and  on  the  2Oth  of  March, 
1886,  he  was  summoned  to  his  reward.  He 
was  a  class  leader  and  steward  in  the  church, 
and  held  the  office  of  justice  of  the  psace 
for  four  years.  His  seven  children  were: 
James  W.,  of  Tolono;  Dr.  A.  T.  Darrah, 
deceased;  Lucinda  is  the  wife  of  Joshua 
Curtman,  of  Douglas  county:  Jane  is  the 
fourth  in  order  of  birth;  Matthew  S.  resides 
in  St.  Louis  and  William  H.  lived  in  Sa- 
dorus,  Illinois,  where  he  died  October  26, 
1894. 

Thomas  O.  Darrah  was  born  in  Dela- 
ware county,  Ohio,  March  12,  1839,  and 
was  only  six  n:onths  old  when  his  parents 


came  to  Illinois.  He  attended  what  was 
known  as  the  Teneriffe  school,  located  at 
one  corner  of  his  father's  farm,  during  the 
three  or  four  months'  winter  term,  and  at 
last  engaged  in  teaching  on  his  own  account 
for  a  couple  of  winters.  He  came  to  Cham- 
paign county  in  1865,  and  after  his  marriage 
settled  upon  an  eighty-acre  tract  which  his 
father  gave  him.  Later,  he  bought  twenty- 
five  acres  more  of  the  old  homestead  and 
erected  a  substantial  house,  and,  after  pay- 
ing for  all  this  and  other  needed  improve- 
ments, he  bought  eighty  acres  of  his  brother. 
By  judicious  tiling  and  ditching,  he  suc- 
ceeded in  rendering  every  yard  of  his  prop- 
erty suitable  for  cultivation,  whereas  about 
one-third  of  it  had  formerly  been  under 
water  at  least  a  portion  of  the  year.  Dur- 
ing his  residence  there  he  rarely  was  out  of 
office,  for  he  was  alive'  to  his  duty  as  a  citi- 
zen, and  yielded  to  the  earnest  wishes  of 
his  neighbors  when  they  solicited  him  to  ac- 
cept positions  of  responsibility.  For  twelve 
years  he  was  road  commissioner;  for  a  long 
period  served  as  school  trustee,  and  for  five- 
years  was  supervisor.  His  influence  ever  was 
felt  upon  the  side  of  progress,  and  in  the 
discharge  of  his  duties  he  gave  perfect  sat- 
isfaction to  all  concerned. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Darrah  and  Arclis- 
sa  Nelson  took  place  December  i,  1870. 
Her  father,  Benham  C.  Nelson,  was  born 
born  June  10,  1815,  in  Pendleton  county, 
Virginia,  and  with  his  parents,  Benjamin, 
born  1781,  and  Delphina  Nelson,  located  in 
Ironton,  Ohio,  and  subsequently  removed 
to  Anderson,  Indiana.  There  Mr.  Nelson 
died,  but  his  wife,  Delphina,  who  was  born 
September  15,  1792,  died  at  the  home  of 
her  son,  John  Nelson,  December  12,  1877. 
B^nham  C.  Nelson  married  Lydia  Smith, 
August  10,  1837.  She  was  born  in  Gallia. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


42  i 


county,  Ohio,  July  24,  1818.  a  daughter  of 
John  and  Eve  Smith.  John  Smith  was 
born  in  1/90.  The  former  died,  when  in 
his  seventy-ninth  year,  in  Perry  township, 
July  5,  1869,  and  the  latter,  born  in  1790, 
died  May  20,  1863,  in  her  seventy-third 
year,  had  been  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  for  thirty-nine  years.  Mr. 
Nelson  settled  in  Douglas  county,  Illinois,  in 
1856,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  he  owned 
a  splendidly  improved  farm  of  four  hundred 
acres  in  Tuscola  township,  and  another 
place  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres.  Nel- 
son's Chapel,  well  known  in  that  section,  is 
situated  on  his  homestead,  and  no  one  in 
that  neighborhood  was  more  zealous  in  the 
work  of  his  denomination.  He  was  sum- 
moned to  his  reward  April  14,  1878,  and 
was  long  survived  Ly  his  widow,  who 
passed  away  June  23,  1894,  loved  and  vene- 
rated by  all  who  knew  her.  Their  son 
Henry  died  in  this  county,  September  9, 
1874.  Winfield  Scott,  another  son,  born 
July  28,  1849,  now  resides  in  Kansas  City, 
as  does  Cassius,  whose  birth  occurred  Jan- 
uary 1 8,  1860.  Philena,  born  October  2, 
1851,  is  the  wife  of  P.  J.  Gates,  and  lives' 
upon  the  old  family  homestead  of  H.  R. 
Nelson;  and  Familiar,  born  June  5,  1857,  is 
the  wife  of  Howard  Gates,  of  Champaign. 
Mrs.  Darrah  was  born  in  Lawrence  county, 
Ohio,  January  30,  1847.  The  children  of 
our  subject  and  wife  are  two  in  number, 
Mcrtie  M..  born  May  4,  1872,  and  Sylvia 
M..  April  8,  1878.  The  former  is  the  wife 
of  Grant  Crawford,  a  prominent  business 
man  of  Pesotum.  They  were  married  Janu- 
ary 7,  1892,  and  have  two  children,  Hazel 
and  Mabel.  S.  M.  Darrah,  who  received 
an  excellent  education,  completing  his  stud- 
ies in  the  Champaign  schools,  is  a  partner 
of  his  sister's  husband,  Mr.  Crawford. 


On  the  9th  of  January,  1894,  Mr.  Dar- 
rah removed  to  Champaign,  and  now  is 
practically  retired.  He  owns  a  fine  place 
of  two  acres  at  No.  613  South  Randolph 
street,  and  has  a  comfortable,  modern  resi- 
dence. On  coming  here,  he  identified  him- 
self with  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  and  is  a  class-leader;  and  at  this 
time  all  his  family  belong  to  the  church. 
In  former  years  he  was  never  free  from  offi- 
cial responsibility  in  the  church,  but  he  now 
desires  to  leave  this  to  the  younger  and 
more  vigorous  members.  He  served  faith- 
fully as  Sunday  school  superintendent,  class 
leader  and  steward,  at  the  same  time  liber- 
ally contributing  to  the  financial  needs  of 
his  home  church  and  the  general  work  of 
the  denomination.  His  record  is  that  of  an 
upright,  honorable  man,  just  and  conscien- 
tious in  all  his  dealings  with  his  fellowmen." 


/CHARLES  G.  DE  LONG,  a  well-to-do 
\^  farmer  and  highly  esteemed  citizen  of 
Sidney  township,  Champaign  county,  Illi- 
nois, residing'on  section  30,  where  he  owns 
two  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land,  was 
born  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Ontario,  in  Os- 
wego,  New  York,  July  28,  1832,  and  is  a 
son  of  George  and  Amelia  (Farrington)  De 
Long,  the  former  a  native  of  Duchess 
county,  the  latter  of  Herkimer  county,  New 
York.  In  early  life  the  father  first  engaged 
in  the  fur  business,  and  later  was  in  the 
wholesale  grocery  business  in  Oswego,  New 
York,  until  1838,  when  he  removed  to 
Kenosha  county,  Wisconsin,  and  turneJ  his 
attention  to  agricultural  pursuits.  He  owned 
and  successfully  operated  a  farm  in  that 
county  for  many  years,  but  finally  sold  out 
and  came  to  Illinois  in  1888.  After  livin 


422 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


one  year  in  Phijo,  he  moved  to  the  farm  of 
our  subject  in  Sidney  township,  and  erected 
thereon  a  cottage,  making  it  his  home  until 
called  to  his  final  rest  December  31,  1893. 
He  was  a  prosperous  man  who  was  highly 
respected  by  all  who  knew  him.  His  esti- 
mable wife  died  in  Wisconsin,  1882.  To 
this  worthy  couple  were  born  five  children, 
of  whom  one  died  in  infancy.  The  others 
are  Charles  G. ,  our  subject;  Matilda,  a 
resident  of  Sidney  township,  this  county; 
Horace  T. ,  who  is  now  living  retired  in 
Racine,  Wisconsin;  and  James  H.,  who 
served  for  two  years  in  the  Wisconsin 
cavalry  during  the  Civil  war,  and  is  now  liv- 
ing at  the  Soldiers'  Home  in  Milwaukee. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  on 
a  farm  near  Kenosha,  Wisconsin,  and  be- 
gan his  education  in  the  district  schools  of 
the  neighborhood,  though  he  completed  his 
education  by  a  course  in  the  high  school  at 
Racine.  Until  twenty-seven  years  of  age 
he  remained  at  home  assisting  his  father  in 
the  farm  work. 

In  1859  Mr.  DeLong  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Edna  Moore,  who  was  born 
in  Massachusetts,  in  1840,  and  they  became 
the  parents  of  eight  children,  all  living  with 
the  exception  of  Clarence  M.,  who  died  at 
their  home  in  1895.  The  others  are  as  fol- 
lows: (i)  George  A.,  who  for  sixteen  years 
has  been  very  successfully  engaged  in  the 
grain  and  agricultural  implement  business 
in  Foosland,  Champaign  county,  married 
Lillie  Townsend  and  has  six  children  living, 
Alton,  Stanley,  Mary,  Charles,  Willard.  and 
Glenn;  and  Oral,  deceased.  (2)  Charles 
B.,  who  has  been  engaged  in  the  same 
business  at  Fithian,  Vermilion  county,  Illi- 
nois, for  the  past  twelve  years,  married 
Minnie  Berkenbusch,  and  has  two  children, 
Ruth  and  Clarence.  (3)  Effie  is  at  home 


with  her  parents.  (4)  Minnie  is  the  wife  of 
Eugene  Burr,  of  Philo  township.  (5)  Clin- 
ton, a  well-to-do  farmer  who  owns  and  suc- 
cessfully operates  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land  in  Colorado,  is  married  and 
has  had  three  children,  Hazel,  deceased, 
Oliver  and  Edna.  (6)  William  H.,  a  dealer 
in  wagons,  buggies  and  agricultural  imple- 
ments, also  a  grain  buyer,  of  Sadorus,  Illi- 
nois, married  Lydia  Lavenhagen  and  has 
one  daughter,  Edna.  (7)  Edwin  is  also  a 
resident  of  Sadorus,  where  he  is  engaged  in 
the  banking  business'and  associated  with  his 
brother  in  the  grain  business. 

After  his  marriage,  Mr.  De  Long  located 
on  a  farm  which  he  owned  in  Kenosha 
county,  Wisconsin,  and  continued  its  opera- 
tion until  1861,  when  he  sold  his  property 
there  and  came  to  Champaign  county,  Illi- 
nois, locating  on  rented  land  near  Philo, 
where  he  made  his  home  for  two  years.  In 
1863  he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  in 
Sidney  township  of  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  Company  on  seven  years  time,  and 
at  once  began  to  improve  and  cultivate  the 
same.  As  a  general  farmer  he  met  with 
most  excellent  success,  and  added  to  his 
farm  from  time  to  time  until  he  now  has  two 
hundred  acres  of  highly  cultivated  and  well 
improved  land  in  Sidney  township,  besides 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  improved 
land  in  Otero  county,  Colorado,  near  Rocky 
Ford.  He  always  enjoyed  good  health  en- 
til  1892,  since  which  time  he  has  suffered 
with  rheumatism  and  has  been  forced  to  re- 
tire from  active  labor.  He  now  superin- 
tends all  of  his  land,  but  oversees  its  oper- 
ation and  keeps  everything  in  good  repair. 
He  has  made  all  of  the  improvements  upon 
the  home  farm,  has  laid  over  two  thousand 
rods  of  tiling,  has  planted  orchards  and 
also  groves  of  shade  trees,  has  erected  good 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


423 


and  substantial  buildings,  and  has  made 
many  other  improvements  which  add  greatly 
to  the  value  and  attractive  appearance  of 
the  place.  He  is  a  thorough  and  systematic 
farmer  of  good  business  and  executive  abil- 
ity, and  the  success  that  has  crowned  his 
efforts  is  well  merited.  Mr.  De  Long  has 
always  been  a  stanch  supporter  of  the  Re- 
publican party  and  its  principles,  but  has 
never  been  an  aspirant  for  office.  Both  he 
and  his  wife  hold. membership  in  the  Pres- 
byterian church  of  Philo,  and  are  liberal 
supporters  of  the  same. 


CHARLES  N.  WRISK,  deceased,  was 
\-J  one  of  the  most  enterprising  farmers 
and  largest  land  owners  in  Sidney  township, 
as  well  as  one  of  its  most  highly  esteemed 
and  honored  citizens.  He  was  born  in  Rip- 
ley  county,  Indiana,  in  June,  1833.  When 
fourteen  years  of  age,  he  went  to  Jackson- 
ville, Illinois,  where  he  had  a  cousin  living 
and  there  he  found  employment  with  a  car- 
penter, and  worked  at  the  trade  for  two 
years,  attending  school  whenever  he  had  the 
opportunity,  this  being  the  first  chance  he 
had  of  getting  an  education. 

In  1849  Mr.  Wrisk  went  to  Coles  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  where  he  found  employment 
with  a  force  engaged  in  building  a  new  rail- 
road through  that  section.  With  the  money 
he  had  saved  in  Jacksonville,  he  purchased 
a  team  and  wagon,  and  during  the  winter 
hauled  ties  for  the  construction  gang.  He 
also  worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade  when 
the  opportunity  presented  itself,  and  he 
rented  a  small  farm  which  he  hired  a  man 
to  cultivate.  He  was  always  willing  to  un- 
dertake any  kind  of  work  by  which  he  could 
make  an  honest  living,  and  by  good  man- 


agement succeeded  in  saving  a  little  money, 
with  which  he  stocked  his  farm.  He  after- 
ward purchased  land  in  Sidney  township, 
this  county,  though  he  continued  to  remain 
in  Coles  county  doing  anything  which  he 
found  profitable  until  his  marriage. 

Mr.  Wrisk  was  married,  in  1860,  to 
Miss  Mary  J.  Ashley,  a  daughter  of  William 
and  Sarah  A.  (Beever)  Ashley,  old  settlers 
of  Coles  county,  where  their  ten  children 
were  born  and  reared.  Four  of  this  number 
are  still  living.  ( i )  Mary  J. ,  now  Mrs.  Wrisk 
was  born  near  Charleston,  Illinois,  in  1843, 
when  the  country  round  about  was  nearly 
all  wild  prairie  and  the  schools  were  very 
few  and  widely  scattered.  She  therefore 
had  little  opportunity  to  attend  school,  and 
her  education  was  mostly  received  at  home. 
(2)  Maria  is  the  wife  of  Frederick  Myers,  a 
farmer  living  near  Charleston.  (3)  John 
was  a  soldier  of  the  Civil  war  when  very 
young,  and  after  his  discharge  was  unable 
to  do  manual  labor  on  account  of  ill  health. 
He  is  now  an  inmate  of  the  Soldiers'  Home 
at  Danville,  Illinois.  (4)  Frank  is  a  repre- 
sentative farmer  of  Missouri.  Mrs.  Wrisk's 
father  died  at  his  home  in  Coles  county  in 
1897,  her  mother  in  1898.  They  were 
prosperous  and  highly  respected  people  of 
that  county. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wrisk  were  born  two 
children.  Flora,  the  older,  married  William 
Swearingen,  of  Sidney,  by  whom  she  had 
two  children:  Daisy  L.,  who  is  now  attend- 
ing school  in  Marion,  Indiana,  and  is  taking 
a  special  course  in  elocution;  and  Guy,  who 
is  attending  school  in  Sidney.  Both  reside 
with  their  grandmother,  Mrs.  Wrisk.  For 
her  second  husband  Flora  married  Eugene 
Goldsmith,  who  is  in  the  employ  of  an  ex- 
press company  in  Chicago,  where  they 
reside,  and  by  that  union  she  has  three 


424 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


children:  Edith,  Lillian  and  Violet.  John 
F. ,  the  only  son  of  our  subject,  lives  in 
Sidney  and  manages  the  farms  belonging  to 
his  mother.  He  is  also  a  land  owner  in  Sid- 
ney township,  and  is  one  of  the  representative 
and  prominent  young  men  of  the  community. 
He  married  Katie  Morrison,  a  native  of 
Arkansas,  and  they  have  two  children, 
Morris  Verne  and  Daisy  P. 

After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Wrisk  operated 
his  farm  in  Coles  county  for  two  years,  and 
then  sold  his  property  and  came  to  Cham- 
paign county,  having  contracted  for  forty 
acres  of  land  in  Sidney  township  on  seven 
years'  time.  He  broke  his  land  and  planted 
it  in  wheat.  He  marketed  his  crop  the  next 
year  and  with  the  proceeds  finished  paying 
for  his  land,  receiving  a  discount.  In  this 
way  he  began  a  successful  career  in  Cham- 
paign county.  For  four  years  he  made  his 
home  in  the  village  of  Sidney  before  purchas- 
ing the  farm,  and  worked  at  his  trade  of  a 
carpenter.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  built 
a  small  house  upon  his  land  and  otherwise 
improved  the  place.  He  added  to  it  from 
time  to  time  by  the  purchase  of  forty  and 
eighty  acre  tracts  until  in  1897  he  owned 
nine  hundred  and  seventy  acres  of  well  im- 
proved and  valuable  land.  He  did  not 
actively  engage  in  farm  work  himself,  but 
rented  the  land  or  hired  men  to  operate  it 
for  him,  while  he  superintended  the  work 
and  kept  up  the  repairs  in  buildings,  fences, 
etc.  He  had  the  land  thoroughly  tiled  and 
placed  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 
He  added  to  his  possessions  by  judicious 
investments,  and  became  one  of  the  most 
successful  men  of  the  township.  In  1885 
he  bought  the  home  in  Sidney  now  occupied 
by  his  widow,  paying  for  the  same  fifteen 
hundred  dollars.  He  always  made  a 
specialty  of  the  raising  and  shipping  of  hogs 


and  is  said  to  have  marketed  more  .than  any 
other  man  in  the  township. 

In  1894  Mr.  Wrisk  suffered  a  stroke  of 
paralysis,  which  necessitated  his  giving  up 
all  work,  and  though  not  confined  to  his 
bed  was  unable  to  go  about.  His  faithful 
wife  attended  to  his  every  want,  and  took 
all  the  care  of  him  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  September  18,  1898,  at  his  home 
in  Sidney.  He  was  very  much  attached  to 
his  home  and  family,  their  every  wish  be- 
ing gratified  if  it  was  wjthin  his  power.  His 
record  was  that  of  a  man  who  by  his  own 
unaided  efforts  worked  his  way  upward  to  a 
position  of  affluence.  His  life  was  one  of 
industry  and  perseverance,  and  the  syste- 
matic and  honorable  business  methods  he 
followed  gained  him  the  confidence  and 
goodwill  of  the  entire  community  in  which 
he  lived.  Since  her  husband's  death  Mrs. 
Wrisk  has  added  many  improvements  to  the 
property  left  by  him,  and  has  carried  out 
his  wishes  as  far  as  it  has  been  within  her 
power  to  do  so.  She  is  a  woman  of  good 
business  and  executive  ability,  and  ever 
proved  a  fathful  helpmeet  to  her  husband. 
She  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church 
and  is  held  in  high  regard  by  all  who  know 
her.  Although  Mr.  Wrisk  was  not  a  mem- 
ber of  any  religious  denomination,  he  gave 
liberally  to  the  support  of  church  work,  and 
took  an  active  interest  in  educational 
affairs. 


PATRICK  McCOY,  a  retired  agricult- 
1  urist  of  Thomasboro,  Illinois,  is  an 
honored  representative  of  the  early  settlers 
of  this  county,  and  a  true  type  of  the  ener- 
getic, hardy  men  who  have  actively  assisted 
in  the  development  and  improvement  of 
this  beautiful  and  fertile  agricultural  coun- 


PATRICK   McCOY. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


427 


try.  He  is  a  native  of  County  Derry,  Ire- 
land, and  a  son  of  John  and  Nancy  McCoy. 
He  had  one  brother,  Thomas,  who  also  died 
in  Ireland. 

It  was  the  6th  of  December,  1850,  that 
Patrick  McCoy  landed  in  the  new  world. 
He  remained  in  New  York  city  and  state 
until  1852,  when  he  came  west  to  Kokomo, 
Indiana.  In  1859  he  came  to  Champaign 
county,  and  in  1864  he  took  up  his  residence 
on  section  10,  Somers  township,  where  he 
followed  farming  with  marked  success  until 
May  4,  1897,  when  he  laid  aside  active 
labor  and  moved  to  the  village  of  Thomas- 
boro,  Rantoul  township,  where  he  has  since 
lived  a  quiet  and  retired  life.  He  married 
Miss  Margaret  Quinn,  also  a  native  of  Ire- 
land, and  before  leaving  that  country  a  son, 
John,  was  born  to  them.  John  married 
Elizabeth  Somers,  of  Somers  township,  and 
to  them  were  born  eight  children,  six  of 
whom  are  still  living.  They  reside  on  the 
old  home  on  section  10,  Somers  township. 

Although  Mr.  McCoy  met  with  some 
obstacles  in  the  path  to  success,  he  steadily 
prospered,  and  to-day  is  the  owner  of  a  val- 
uable farm  of  four  hundred  acres  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation.  Some  years  ago 
he  became  involved  in  a  long  and  trying 
litigation,  and  through  no  fault  of  his  own 
lost  a  large  part  of  his  hard  earned  proper- 
ty. Notwithstanding  this  misfortune,  he 
has  by  his  untiring  industry  and  upright 
dealings  succeeded  in  accumulating  a  hand- 
some competence,  and  now  in  his  declining 
years  is  surrounded  by  all  the  comforts 
which  make  life  worth  the  living.  Alth6ugh 
now  about  eighty  years  of  age  he  still  en- 
joys good  health  and  is  quite  active  for  one 
of  his  years. 

Mr.  McCoy  is  a  devout  and  active  mem- 
ber of  the  Catholic  church,  to  which  he 


has  ever  been  a  liberal  contributor,  having 
subscribed  largely  to  the  building  fund  of 
two  churches,  and  presented  a  bell  to 
the  church  in  Champaign  and  one  to  the 
church  in  Thomasboro,  each  costing  five 
hundred  dollars.  He  has  recently  pur- 
chased a  monument  for  his  burial  lot  in  the 
Catholic  cemetery  at  Champaign,  the  cost 
of  which  was  one  thousand  dollars.  He  is 
charitable  and  benevolent,  and  has  been 
especially  generous  to  the  children  of  his 
deceased  brother,  and  lately  sent  a  present 
of  five  hundred  dollars  to  his  niece.  By 
his  ballot  he  supports  the  men  and  measures 
of  the  Republican  party,  and  for  some  years 
held  the  office  of  highway  commissioner  in 
Somers  township.  He  has  always  led  a 
straightforward,  honorable  and  upright  life; 
has  been  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  fore- 
most men  in  the  community  where  he  re- 
sides, and  has  the  respect  and  confidence  of 
all  with  whom  he  has  come  in  contact, 
making  many  friends  and  no  enemies. 


JAMES  W.  CRAW,  one  of  the  most 
prominent  and  successful  farmers  and 
stock  buyers  of  Colfax  township,  residing 
on  section  26,  was  born  in  Greene  county, 
Illinois,  November  23,  1864,  and  is  a  son  of 
Charles  W.  and  Lucy  (Rieves)  Craw,  the 
former  a  native  of  Franklin  county,  Ver- 
mont, the  latter  of  Greene  county,  Illinois. 
His  paternal  grandparents  were  Allen  and 
Lucy  (Griswold)  Craw,  also  natives  of 
the  Green  Mountain  State,  born  in  1798 
and  1800,  respectively.  After  farming  in 
Vermont  for  several  years,  the  grandfather, 
in  1837,  removed  with  his  family  to  Greene 
county,  Illinois,  where  he  began  a  success- 
ful career  as  an  agriculturist,  acquiring  four 


428 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


hundred  acres  of  land  which  he  fully  im- 
proved. After  a  residence  there  of  twenty- 
eight  years,  he  sold  .his  property  and,  in 
1865,  came  to  Champaign  county,  where  he 
again  invested  in  prairie  land,  and  after 
overcoming  many  obstacles  he  made  of  the 
place  a  fine  farm.  As  a  farmer  and  stock 
raiser  he  met  with  most  excellent  success, 
and  gave  to  each  of  his  three  sons  a  farm. 
His  last  years  were  spent  in  retire- 
ment from  active  labor  in  Sadorus,  where 
he  purchased  a  home  and  lived  quietly  until 
called  to  his  final  rest  in  1887,  at  the  age 
of  eighty-nine  years.  His  wife  died  in  1889, 
at  the  same  age.  This  worthy  couple  were 
honored  pioneers  of  Illinois,  and  with  char- 
acteristic Yankee  pluck  and  courage,  they 
overcome  all  the  obstacles  in  that  path  to 
success,  and  were  able  to  give  their  children 
a  good  start  in  life.  Only  two  of  their  family 
are  now  living,  Samuel,  of  Colfax  township, 
and  Jane,  a  resident  of  Sadorus.  In  order  of 
birth  the  children  were  George  B.,  who  was 
twice  married,  and  by  the  first  wife  had  one 
daughter,  Mrs.  Lochrie,  of  Missouri,  and 
by  the  second  two  daughters,  Mrs.  William 
Odell,  of  Colfax  township,  and  Edith,  of 
Sardorus;  Lucinda,  who  died  leaving  one 
daughter,  now  a  resident  of  Independence, 
Missouri;  Polly,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
eleven  years;  Charles  W.,  father  of  our  sub- 
ject; Jane  and  Samuel,  previously  men- 
tioned; and  Edmund,  who  was  born  in  this 
state,  and  was  the  first  buried  in  the  family 
cemetery  in  Colfax  township. 

Reared  on  the  home  farm.  Charles  W. 
Craw  acquired  in  his  youth  the  knowledge 
which  in  later  years  made  him  one  of  the 
successful  farmers  of  Greene  and  Cham- 
paign counties.  He  owned  a  valuable  and 
highly  improved  farm  of  three  hundred  and 
fifty  acres  in  Colfax  township,  which  he 


operated  for  many  years,  at  the  same  time 
giving  special  attention  to  stock  raising. 
He  also  owned  and  conducted  a  general 
store  in  Sardorus,  and  continued  to  actively 
engage  in  business  until  a  short  time  before 
his  death.  After  a  successful  career  as  a 
merchant  and  farmer,  he  passed  away  in 
1889,  honored  and  respected  by  all  who 
knew  him.  His  estimable  wife  still  survives 
him,  and  makes  her  home  in  Sadorus.  To 
them  were  born  nine  children,  of  whom  the 
eldest  died  when  young,  in  Greene  county, 
Illinois;  Fanny  is  the  wife  of  D.  W.  Smith, 
of  Sadorus;  Nellie  is  the  wife  of  Fred  Geiser, 
a  soldier  in  the  regular  army,  now  stationed 
at  Jefferson  Barracks,  Missouri;  Sylvester,  a 
hardware  merchant  of  Cerro  Gordo,  Illinois, 
is  married  and  has  two  children,  Lloyd  and 
Mary  F. ;  James  W.,  our  subject,  is  next  in 
order  of  birth;  Elmer  a  farmer  of  Colfax 
township,  is  married  and  has  one  son, 
Charles;  Lida  is  living  with  her  mother  in 
Sadorus;  William,  also  at  home,  conducts 
a  restaurant  in  that  town;  and  John  W.  is 
married,  and  is  a  barber  of  Sadorus,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  Sparks  &  Craw. 

James  W.  Craw,  whose  name  introduces 
this  sketch,  attended  the  common  schools 
of  Colfax  township  until  seventeen  years  of 
age,  and  then  entered  the  high  school  at 
Champaign,  where  he  pursued  a  two-years' 
course.  Returning  home  at  the  end  of  that 
time,  he  took  charge  of  the  farm  for  his 
father,  and  successfully  carried  it  on  until 
the  latter's  death.  In  1890  he  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Nettie  Cook,  who  was 
born  near  Litchfield,  Illinois,  in  1866,  a 
a  daughter  of  William  Cook,  whose  sketch 
will  be  found  on  another  page  of  this  vol- 
ume. One  daughter  blesses  this  union, 
Hazel  G.,  born  April  8,  1892. 

Mr.  Craw  has  continued  to  reside  on  the 


HE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


429 


old  homestead,  and  in  its  operation  has  met 
with  marked  success.  During  the  winter 
months,  for  the  past  seven  years,  he  has 
engaged  in  buying  stock  of  all  kinds  for 
shipment  to  the  Chicago-  market,  and  in 
this  undertaking  has  also  prospered.  In 
politics  he  is  an  ardent  Republican;  has 
been  a  member  of  the  township  central  com- 
mittee ten  years;  and  is  now  a  member  of 
the  county  central  committee,  He  has  been 
a  delegate  to  nearly  all  the  local  conven- 
tions of  his  party,  and  one  year  was  a  dele- 
gate to  the  state  convention.  In  1892  and 
1893  he  was  supervisor  of  his  township,  be- 
in  at  that  v  "o  the  youngest  member  of  the 
board.  He  also  served  as  assessor  two 
years;  has  been  school  director  six  years, 
and  has  been  elected  for  a  third  term.  He 
has  been  clerk -of  the  school  board,  and  is 
now  pathmaster  of  his  district.  He  is  quite 
a  prominent  and  active  worker  for  his 
party's  interests,  and  though  living  in  a 
Democratic  township,  he  has  been  honored 
by  his  fellow  citizens  with  several  official 
positions,  the  duties  of  .which  he  has  most 
faithfully  and  satisfactorily  discharged.  His 
wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal church,  and  he  is  a  liberal  supporter  of 
the  same. 


HENRY  TROWBRIDGE  JONES,  in- 
structor in  the  forge  shop  and  engine- 
ering department  of  the  University  of  Illf- 
nois,  at  Champaign,  is  a  man  whose  skill 
in  mechanical  lines  and  sound  judgment 
have  been  important  factors  in  his  success. 
Throughout  his  career  of  continued  and 
far-reaching  usefulness  his  duties  have  been 
performed  with  the  greatest  care,  and  busi- 
ness interests  have  been  so  managed  as  to 
win  him  the  confidence  of  the  public  and 


the  prosperity  which  should  always    attend 
honorable  effort. 

Mr.  Jones  was  born  in  Repton,  Derby- 
shire, England,  March  5,  1838.  His  father, 
John  Jones,  was  born  in  Leicestershire,  in 
1805,  near  the  site  of  the  historical  "Bos- 
worth  field"  and  the  estate  of  Lord  Byron. 
His  ancestors  were  members  of  the  British 
army,  and  his  nephews  participated  with 
credit  in  the  Crimean  war.  On  account  of 
his  parents  dying  young,  John  Jones  was 
reared  by  his  father's  sister  and  her  husband, 
Peter  Bamford,  of  Repton,  England,  who 
were  active  dissenters  from  the  Church  of 
England,  building  and  donating  to  the  new 
sect  the  chapel  and  parsonage  of  their  na- 
tive town  and  supporting  the  same  during 
their  lifetime.  Their  nephew,  John  Jones, 
shared  his  relatives  religious  belief  and  be- 
came a  stanch  Congregationalist,  filling  the 
office  of  deacon  in  the  same  church  until 
his  removal  to  America  with  his  family  in 
August,  1856.  He  succeeded  to  the  busi- 
ness of  his  uncle — that  of  general  black- 
smithing  and  dealing  in  hardware,  employ- 
ing in  the  former  enterprise  several  journey- 
men and  apprentices,  so  called.  He  was 
married  in  1836  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Johnson, 
who  died  in  1848,  leaving  four  children, 
namely:  Sarah,  who  married  A.  Millett,  of 
Springdale,  Iowa,  and  died  in  1879;  Henry, 
the  subject  of  this  sketch,  Fannie,  wife  of 
S.  Richards,  of  Omaha,  Nebraska;  and  Liz- 
zie, widow  of  C.  Stamp,  of  Rankin,  Illi- 
nois. For  his  second  wife  the  father  mar- 
ried Mrs.  Ann  Bourne,  by  whom  he  had  two 
children:  John  C.,  who  died  November  13, 
1870;  and  Mary  Ann,  wife  of  J.  Morrison, 
living  near  Fayetteville,  Arkansas. 

Henry  T.  Jones,  the  only  living  son  of 
John  Jones,  and  the  subject  of  this  article, 
received  his  early  education  in  the  schools 


430 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


of  his  native  town.  Having  a  taste  for  me- 
chanics he  entered  his  father's  establishment 
at  about  the  age  of  fifteen  years.  He  took 
a  lively  interest  in  the  trade  and  learned 
rapidly  under  the  tutorship  of  his  father. 
Later  he  went  to  London  to  complete  his 
technical  training,  and  soon  afterward  se- 
cured a  position  as  chief  engineer  in  a  hydro- 
pathic establishmeut  at  Sudbrook,  a  suburb 
of  London.  That  position  he  held  until  he 
decided  to  try  his  fortune  in  a  new  world, 
so  emigrated  with  his  parents  to  America  in 
August,  1856,  locating  first  near  Iowa  City, 
Iowa,  among  the  Friends  or  Quakers, 
through  whose  neighborh'ood  ran  the  famous 
underground  railroad.  There  the  Jones 
family  obtained  their  first  idea  of  the  evils 
•of  slavery,  and  soon  espoused  the  cause  of 
abolition.  This  sentiment  was  deepened  by 
the  sojourn  of  the  illustrious  John  Brown  in 
that  vicinity  during  the  winter  of  1856-7. 
The  following  winter  several  of  Brown's 
afterward  famous  "sixteen"  also  wintered 
in  that  section,  and  during  the  time  stirred 
the  country  with  their  speeches  against 
slavery.  Among  these  patriots  was  Richard 
Realf,  of  England,  an  ex-attache  of  the 
Byron  household,  afterward  the  brilliant 
poet  and  journalist,  having,  like  Lord  Byron, 
the  same  love  of  liberty  in  his  soul.  He 
war  a  frequent  guest  at  the  Jones  home, 
where  mutual  reminiscences  of  the  mother 
country  filled  the  hours.  Old  John  Brown, 
himself,  taciturn  and  brave,  often  stopped 
at  the  Jones  shop,  and  a  warm  friendship 
sprang  up  between  the  men. 

In  the  fall  of  1858  the'Jones  family  came 
to  Illinois  having  purchased  a  tract  of  land 
in  Vermilion  county,  near  the  present  site  of 
Rankin,  where  they  conducted  business  in 
their  line  in  connection  with  farming  until 
1859,  when  our  subject  launched  out  for 


himself  at  Blue  Grass,  Illinois,  a  town  near 
-Rankin.  Here  while  working  at  his  trade, 
Mr.  Jones  invented  the  double  cultivator 
which  he  never  patented,  but  is  credited  with 
the  invention.  In  the  fall  of  1859  he  won 
first  premium  at  the  Vermilion  County  Fair 
for  making  the  best  horseshoes,  though  he 
was  only  twenty-one  years  of  age  at  that 
time. 

Mr.  Jones  was  married,  September  10, 
1861,  to  Miss  Susan  Belle  Lionberger,  who 
was  born  in  Luray,  Virginia,  December  21, 
1844,  and  had  come  to  Illinois  about  that 
time,  her  family  having  political  preference 
for  the  north  during  those  stormy  days  in 
her  native  state.  Her  immediate  relatives 
were  noted  for  their  adherence  to  the  Union 
during  the  existence  of  the  Confederacy,  her 
cousin,  John  Lionberger,  a  member  of  Con- 
gress from  Virginia,  standing  solidly  by  the 
Union  in  opposition  to  his  constituency,  pre- 
ferring deposition  to  sacrifice  of  principle. 
His  nephew,  Isaac  Lionberger,  of  St.  Louis, 
became  assistant  secretary  of  the  interior 
under  President  Cleveland.  Mrs.  Jones' 
parents  were  David  and  Emily  (Skidmore) 
Lionberger,  the  former  born  in  November. 
1817,  the  latter  June  27,  1824.  Her  father 
died  September  10,  1857,  and  in  1861  her 
mother  married  William  Chenoweth,  of 
Champaign,  who  died  October  2,  1869. 
She  was  again  married,  September  18,  1877, 
her  third  husband  being  James  Davis,  who 
died  May  18,  1880.  By  her  first  union  she 
had  six  children  as  follows:  Samuel,  born 
September  17,  1842,  died  'in  the  service  of 
his  country,  September  25,  1862;  Susan 
Belle,  wife  of  our  subject,  is  next  in  order  of 
birth;  Jennie  S.,  born  April  14,  1847,  's  tne 
wife  of  T.  E.  Mullin,  of  Champaign;  Vannie, 
born  March  5,  1849,  is  the  wife  of  G.  C. 
Spencer,  a  tobacconist  of  St.  Louis,  Mis-  < 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


souri;  Calvin,  born  July  10.  1851,  is  a  farmer 
of  Cumberland  county,  Illinois;  and  Clar- 
ence, born  March  13,  1856,  is  also  a  tobac- 
conist of  St.  Louis. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jones  were  born  three 
children:  Emma  T.,  born  August  7,  1862, 
is  the  wife  of  P.  T.  Spence,  a  conductor  on 
the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad,  living  in 
Zanesville,  Ohio;  John  T.,  born  March  16, 
1865,  died  February  24,  1883;  and  Grace 
T. ,  born  November  29,  1869,  is  the  wife  of 
A.  L.  Marion,  money  clerk  at  the  city  office 
of  the  Adams  Express  Company  in  St. 
Louis. 

In  1863  Mr.  Jones  purchased  a  farm  near 
Rankin,  Illinois,  upon  which  he  located,  and 
in  conjunction  with  farming  he  conducted  a 
general  blacksmithing  business  and  also 
manufactured  wagons,  agricultural  imple- 
ments and  farmers'  supplies.  In  November, 
1872,  he  removed  his  business  to  the  town 
of  Rankin.  retaining  the  farm  and  carrying 
on  the  business  until  September.  1881,  when 
he  sold  the  latter  and  moved  his  family  to 
Champaign.  Here  he  was  connected  with 
the  Robinson  &  Burr  machine  shops  until  he 
entered  the  University  of  Illinois  in  1893  as 
instructor  in  the  forge  shop  and  engineering 
department  of  the  institution.  His  work 
consists  of  instruction  in  the  characteristics 
of  iron  and  steel,  their  process  of  formation, 
resistance  of  same  as  material,  and  the  com- 
mercial and  industrial  value  of  each  in  ap- 
plied mechanics.  He  has  ever  taken  a  kindly 
interest  in  instructing  students,  and  has 
most  capably  and  satisfactorily  filled  his 
present  responsible  position. 

Politically  Mr.  Jones  is  a  Republican. 
He  has  been  a  deacon  in  the  Baptist  church 
for  over  twenty  years,  and  has  always  taken 
a  warm  interest  in  the  cause  of  Christianity 
and  reform.  He  was  licensed  to  preach  by 


his  home  church  in  1870,  but  has  never 
used  the  privilege  to  any  great  extent.  His 
life  is  exemplary  in  all  respects  and  he  has 
ever  supported  those  interests  which  are 
calculated  to  uplift  and  benefit  humanity, 
while  his  own  high  moral  worth  is  deserving 
of  the  highest  commendation. 


JESSE  H.  CLARK,  a  leading  citizen 
and  progressive  agriculturist  of  Colfax 
township,  Champaign  county,  residing  on 
section  12,  is  a  native  of  Illinois,  his  birth 
occurring  in  Kendall  county,  in  1858.  His 
parents,  William  and  Charlotte  E.  (Hall) 
Clark,  were  both  natives  of  Clinton  county, 
Pennsylvania,  the  former  born  in  1827,  the 
latter  in  1832,  and  there  the  father  success- 
fully engaged  in  farming  until  1856,  when 
he  came  to  Illinois,  which  was  then  consid- 
ered the  far  west.  He  purchased  a  farm  in 
Kendall  county,  which  he  fully  improved 
and  operated  for  eighteen  years.  Success 
attended  his  well-directed  efforts,  and  on 
selling  that  place  he  went  to  Virginia,, 
where  he  purchased  one  hundred  and  fifty 
acres  of  land  covered  with  yellow  pine  tim- 
ber, to  the  cutting  of  which  he  devoted  his 
energies  for  nine  months,  but  at  the  end  of 
that  time,  having  a  chance  to  sell  his  land 
at  an  advantage,  he  disposed  of  the  same 
and  returned  to  Illinois  in  1875,  this  time 
locating  in  Colfax  township.  Champaign 
county.  Here  he  purchased  the  south  half 
of  section  12,  which  at  that  time  was  only 
partially  improved,  and  paid  for  the  same 
twenty  dollars  per  acre.  Under  his  able 
management  the  farm  was  soon  placed  un- 
der a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  other- 
wise improved  by  the  erection  of  a  good  set 
of  farm  buildings.  He  continued  to  en- 


432 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


gage  in  mixed  farming  until  1892,  when  he 
turned  over  the  management  of  the  farm 
to  our  subject,  and  purchased  a  home  in 
Decatur,  where  he  now  resides.  To  keep 
in  touch  with  his  friends,  he  embarked  in 
the  insurance  business,  which  he  has  since 
successfully  carried  on.  He  is  enterprising 
and  energetic,  and  the  prosperity  that  he 
has  achieved  is  certainly  well-merited.  As 
a  Republican,  he  has  always  taken  quite  an 
active  and  prominent  part  in  local  politics, 
but  has  never  been  a  politician  in  the  sense 
of  office  seeking.  On  leaving  the  farm  he 
was  serving  as  treasurer  of  the  school 
board  of  Colfax  township,  having  always 
taken  a  commendable  interest  in  keeping 
up  good  schools.  His  children  are  E.  How- 
ard, a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  now  a 
successful  farmer  of  Kansas,  who  is  married 
and  has  two  children:  Jesse  H. ,  our  sub- 
ject; Minnie,  at  home  with  her  parents  in 
Decatur;  Emma,  a  bookkeeper  for  a  firm 
in  the  Marquette  building,  Chicago;  and 
and  Nellie,  bookkeeper  for  the  Art  Marble 
Works  of  the  same  city.  Both  are  talented 
young  ladies. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  educated 
in  the  common  schools  of  Kendall  and  Cham- 
paign counties,  and  has  spent  his  entire  life 
on  the  home  farm  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits.  After  his  marriage  he  rented  a 
part  of  the  farm,  and  when  his  father  moved 
to  Decatur  he  assumed  control  of  the  whole 
place.  He  has  made  a  specialty  of  the 
raising  of  grain,  and  in  his  labors  has  met 
with  well-deserved  success.  Since  taking 
charge  of  the  farm  he  has  fully  tiled  the 
land,  and  in  1899  laid  eight  car-loads  of  tile, 
although  hundreds  of  dollars  had  previously 
been  expended  in  draining  the  land. 

In  1888  Mr.  Clark  married  Miss  Mattie 
Smith,  who  was  born  near  New  Philadel- 


phia, Ohio,  in  1868,  a  daughter  of  Thomas 
C.  and  Sarah  A.  Smith.  The  father,  who 
was  an  Ohioan  by  birth,  spent  his  last  days 
in  Kansas,  where  his  death  occurred,  but 
the  mother  is  still  living  at  their  home  in 
Claflin,  that  state.  He  was  a  farmer  by  oc- 
cupation. Mrs.  Clark  is  the  second  of  their 
four  children,  the  others  being  Flavius  G., 
Ocie,  wife  of  William  Jones,  and  Dillie  A., 
wife  of  Ulysses  Hardten.  Our  subject  and 
his  wife  had  six  children,  of  whom  Bessie 
died  in  infancy.  Those  living  are  Floyd 
J.,  Everett  H.,  Nora  C.,  Elsie  H.  and  Flor- 
ence. 

Politically  Mr.  Clark  is  identified  with 
the  Republican  party,  and  socially  is  con- 
nected with  the  Modern  Woodmen  Camp  of 
Tolono.  He  is  an  active  and  influential 
member  of  the  Prairieview  Presbyterian 
church,  of  which  he  is  an  elder,  while  his 
wife  belongs  to  the  same  church.  He  is  a 
man  highly  respected  and  esteemed  by  all 
who  know  him. 


TAMES  A.  TALBOTT.  The  splendid 
<J  farm  owned  by  this  gentleman  in  Har- 
wood  township  is  a  standing  monument  to 
his  industry,  perseverance  and  good  man- 
agement. He  comes  under  the  category  of 
self-made  men,  as  his  success  in  life  is  due 
entirely  to  his  own  well-directed  efforts. 
Throughout  life  he  has  devoted  his  time  and 
energies  to  agricultural  pursuits,  and  now 
makes  his  home  on  section  25,  Harwood 
township,  Champaign  county,  Illinois. 

Mr.  Talbott  was  born  in  Tucker  county, 
West  Virginia,  October  16,  1844,  and  is  a 
son  of  Benjamin  J.  and  Sarah  (Parsons) 
Talbott,  also  natives  of  that  state.  His 
maternal  grandfather  was  James  Parsons,  a 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


433 


wealthy  farmer,  slave  holder  and  cattle 
raiser  of  Tucker  county,  where  he  owned  a 
large  amount  of  property.  Our  subject  was 
reared  on  the  home  farm  and  attended  the 
subscription  schools  of  the  district,  remain- 
ing at  his  birthplace  until  twenty  years  of 
age.  In  1865  he  accompanied  his  parents 
on  their  removal  to  Vermilion  county,  Illi- 
nois, where  the  father  died  a  year  later. 
The  mother  died  in  1879,  while  visiting  in 
California.  Our  subject  is  the  fourth  in 
order  of  birth  in  their  family  of  nine  chil- 
dren, six  of  whom  are  still  living,  five  sons 
and  one  daughter:  Abraham  P.  and  John 
W.  are  still  engaged  in  farming  in  Vermilion 
county;  George  T.  follows  the  same  pursuit 
near  Fort  Scott,  Kansas;  David  P.  is  a  far- 
mer of  California;  and  Anjoreta  is  the  wife 
of  George  Hessler^a  retired  farmer  of  Dan- 
ville, Vermilion  county,  Illinois,  by  whom 
she  has  had  four  children:  Laura,  Ackerson, 
Lloyd  and  Leonidas,  deceased. 

On  locating  in  Vermilion  county,  James 
A.  Talbott  purchased  a  small  farm  in  Mid- 
dlefork  township,  where  he  operated  for 
about  five  years.  He  was  married,  Febru- 
ary ii,  1875,  in  Champaign  county,  to  Miss 
Ruth  A.  Lefever,  a  daughter  of  John  and 
Mary  (Arbuckle)  Lefever.  Her  father  was 
a  prosperous  farmer  of  this  county,  where 
both  parents  died,  and  her  death  occurred 
at  the  home  of  our  subject  in  Harwood 
township,  October  30,  1889.  By  that  union 
were  born  four  children;  Charles  B  ,  born 
in  Harwood  township,  January  11,  1878,  is 
a  farmer  residing  at  home;  Lucy  A.,  born 
August  23,  1879,  is  the  wife  of  Emanuel 
Rowe,  a  farmer  of  Harwood  township,  and 
they  have  one  child;  Frank  W. ,  born  March 
25,  1884,  and  Earl  P.,  born  July  25,  1887, 
are  both  at  home.  Mr.  Talbott  was  again 
married,  June  28,  1892,  his  second  union 


being  with  Mrs.  Eliza  J.  (Lipes)  Lefever, 
who  was  born  in  Ohio,  June  10,  1855.  Her 
first  husband,  Isaac  Lefever,  was  a  farmer 
of  Champaign  county,  where  he  died  about 
sixteen  years  ago,  leaving  her  with  two 
children:  Minnie  A.,  born  in  this  county, 
October  2,  1879,  is  now  the  wife  of  Lewis 
Smith,  a  farmer  of  Kerr  township;  and  Ross 
W.,  born  January  n,  1882,  assists  our 
subject  in  the  operation  of  his  farm.  By 
his  second  marriage  Mr.  Talbott  has  no 
children. 

After  his  first  marriage  he  moved  to 
Ford  county,  Illinois,  where  he  was  en- 
gaged in  farming  for  two  years,  and  in  1877 
came  to  Champaign  county,  purchasing  a 
small  farm  in  Harwood  township,  which  he 
operated  for  five  years.  At  the  end  of  that 
time  he  bought  his  present  farm  of  six  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres,  to  the  improvement 
and  cultivation  of  which  he  has  since  de- 
voted his  energies,  transforming  it  into  one 
of  the  most  desirable  places  of  this  section 
of  the  county.  Starting  in  life  for  himself 
without  means, he  has  by  persistent  industry, 
good  management  and  untiring  energy  be- 
come one  of  the  most  prosperous  and  sub- 
stantial citizens  of  the  community.  In  his 
political  views  he  is  a  Democrat,  and  has 
most  efficiently  served  as  a  school  director 
for  the  past  ten  years.  Religiously  he  is  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  church,  and  he  is 
held  in  the  highest  respect  and  esteem  by 
all  who  know  him. 


CHARLES  H.  BALDWIN,  proprietor 
V_>  of  a  livery  stable  in  Sadorus,  is  one 
of  the  wide-awake,  progressive  young  busi- 
ness men  of  that  section.  He  is  a  native  of 
Champaign  county,  born  in  Pesotum  town- 


434 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ship,  March  7,  1874,  and  is  a  son  of  Clar- 
ence L.  Baldwin,  whose  sketch  appears  on 
another  page  of  this  volume.  Our  subject 
received  his  education  in  the  common 
schools  of  Pesotum  township,  and  remained 
on  the  home  farm  until  nineteen  years  of 
age  when  he  went  to  Chicago  and  entered  the 
Polytechnic  school,  where  he  pursued  a 
commercial  course,  graduating  in  1894. 

On  his  return  home,  Mr.  Baldwin  worked 
on  the  farm  for  one  year,  and  in  1897  pur- 
chased an  interest,  with  Jesse  Bentley,  in 
the  livery  stable  business  at  Sadorus. 
After  this  partnership  had  existed  about 
eighteen  months,  Cyrus  Craw  bought  Mr. 
Bentley's  interest,  the  firm  becoming  Bald- 
win &  Craw.  In  March,  1900,  our  subject 
purchased  Mr.  Craw's  interest  and  is  now 
carrying  on  the  business  alone  with  marked 
success,  receiving  a  liberal  patronage.  He 
is  enterprising,  energetic  and  reliable,  and 
stands  high  in  the  esteem  of  his  business 
associates  and  fellow  citizens.  In  politis 
he  is  an  ardent  Republican. 

Mr.  Baldwin  was  married,  in  January, 
1898,  to  Miss  Grace  Burns,  a  native  of  Indi- 
ana, and  a  daughter  of  Aaron  and  Mary 
Burns,  now  residents  of  Sadorus.  By  this 
union  has  been  born  one  child,  Alta. 


F^LI  H.  DICK,  deceased,  was  for  many 
L-/  years  one  of  the  best  known  and  most 
extensive  farmers  and  land  owners  of  Cham- 
paign county,  his  home  being  in  the  village 
of  Philo  for  the  past  eighteen  years.  He 
was  born  on  a  farm  in  Baltimore  county, 
Maryland,  August  15,  1822,  and  was  a  son 
.of  Adam  and  Temperance  (Wadlow)  Dick, 
the  former  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  the 
latter  of  England.  From  Maryland  the 


family  removed  to  Ohio,  and  later'to  Mont- 
gomery county,  Indiana,  where  the  parents 
spent  their  last  days.  For  a  number  of 
years  the  father  engaged  in  general  farming, 
and  in  that  occupation  was  very  successful. 
He  had  four  children,  of  whom  two  died 
when  young.  The  only  one  now  living  is 
Elizabeth,  widow  of  Levi  Curtis.  She  re- 
sides on  the  old  homestead  in  Montgomery 
county,  Indiana. 

Our  subject,  who  completes*  the  family, 
attended   the  common,.schools  of  his  native 
state,  and  was   fifteen   years    of   age  when, 
with    his    parents,    he    removed    to    Ohio, 
where  the  following  three  years  were  passed > 
a  part  of  the  time  being  devoted  to  his  edu- 
cation.     The  family  then  removed  to  Mont- 
gomery county,  Indiana,  and  he  assisted  his 
father  in   the  operation   of   the  home   farm 
until  twenty-six  years  01  age.    He  was  mar- 
ried in     Montgomery    county,    in    1847,    to 
Miss    Jane     P.     Meharry,     a    daughter    of 
Thomas  and    Unity   (Patton)  Meharry,  who 
are  mentioned  more    fully   in    the  sketch  of 
William    Meharry  on   another   page   in  this 
volume.      Mrs.  Dick  was  born    in    Fountain 
county,    Indiana,    February    18,   1829.    and 
by  her  marriage  became  the  mother  of  three 
children:      (i)  Ellen  married  R.  N.  Cording, 
of  Montgomery  county,    Indiana,  and   died 
leaving  one   son,  Eli   J.,  still   a   resident  of 
that    county.      (2)     Jesse  Newton,    born  in 
Tippecanoe  county,  Indiana,    December  7, 
1857,  received   a  common-school  education 
and  remained  at  home   until   his   marriage, 
which  was  celebrated  April    15,  1879,  Miss 
Harriet  Luse  becoming   his  wife.      She  was 
born  near  Pleasant  Hill,  Indiana,  February 
22,   1857.      They  have  two  children:    Pearl, 
now  the   wife  of   Mark   Maddux,  by   whom 
she  has  one   child;  and  Elma  Jane.      J.  N. 
Dick  engaged  in  farming  in   Philo  township 


E.  H.  DICK. 


MRS.   E.  H.  DICK. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


439 


until  1892.  and  since  then  has  practically 
lived  retired  in  the  village  of  Philo.  He  is 
a  Democrat  in  politics  but  has  never  been 
an  aspirant  for  office.  (3)  Emaline  Smith, 
the  second  child,  died  at  the  age  of  four 
years. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Dick  located 
upon  a  farm  in  Montgomery  county,  Indi- 
ana, which  he  had  previously  purchased, 
and  in  its  operation  he  met  with  marked 
success.  He  added  to  his  possessions  until 
he  became  one  of  the  largest  land  owners 
in  his  section  of  the  county,  and  for  several 
years  he  continued  to  devote  his  time  and 
attention  to  the  improvement  and  cultiva- 
tion of  his  property  there,  carrying  on  gen- 
eral farming  and  stock-raising.  On  the  5th 
of  April,  1878,  he  and  his  family  came  to 
Champaign  county,  Illinois,  having  the  year 
previously  purchased  a  large  farm  in  Crit- 
tenden  township,  comprising  four  hundred 
and  eighty  acres;  he  then  purchased  the 
north  half  of  section  20,  Philo  township, 
which  at  that  time  was  only  partially  im- 
proved. He  at  once  began  building  fences 
and  breaking  the  soil  for  his  crops.  He 
added  to  his  land  another  three  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  in  Philo  township  and 
two  hundred  acres  in  Urbana  township. 
Although  he  removed  to  the  village  of  Philo 
in  1880,  he  continued  to  superintend  the 
operation  of  his  land,  and  was  thus  actively 
engaged  in  business  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  January  31,  1897. 

In  politics  Mr.  Dick  was  a  Democrat, 
and  an  ardent  worker  for  his  party,  but 
would  never  accept  office,  believing  others 
better  suited  for  that  work.  He  always  in- 
terested 9 himself  in  anything  that  would 
advance  the  welfare  of  his  town  or  the  peo- 
ple's interests;  was  popular  socially,  and 
was  a  consistent  member  and  liberal  sup- 

23 


porter  of  the  Philo  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  His  integrity  stands  an  unques- 
tioned fact  in  his  history;  endowed  by 
nature  with  a  sound  judgment  and  an  accu- 
rate, discriminating  mind,  he  feared  not  the 
laborious  attention  to  business  so  necessary 
to  success,  and  this  essential  quality  was 
guided  by  a  sense  of  moral  right  which 
would  tolerate  the  employment  only  of  the 
means  that  would  bear  the  most  rigid  ex- 
amination and  by  a  fairness  of  intention  that 
neither  sought  nor  required  disguise. 


JOSEPH  T.  ROBERTS,  an  active  prom- 
inent and  enterprising  citizen  of  Colfax 
township,  who  is  successfully  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits  on  section  13,  was 
born  in  Bucks  county,  Pennsylvania,  Janu- 
ary 17,  1859,  and  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and 
Osey  E.  (Morgan)  Roberts,  also  natives  of 
the  Keystone  state,  where  for  several 
generations  the  ancestors  of  our  subject 
have  made  their  home.  The  father  owned 
land  there  and  followed  the  occupation 
of  a  farmer.  In  1868  he  brought  his  family 
to  Champaign  county,  Illinois,  and  took  up 
his  residence  in  Tolono  township,  where  he 
purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
land,  which  he  improved  and  successfully 
operated  until  his  death  in  1877,  dying  from 
overwork  and  exposure.  His  wife,  who  still 
survives  him,  moved  to  Champaign  in  1888,. 
and  there  she  continues  to  make  her  home 
with  her  two  daughters.  In  the  family 
were  thirteen  children,  those  living  being' 
Mary,  wife  of  William  J.  Cross,  a  carpenter 
and  builder  of  Champaign;  Joseph  T. ,  our 
subject;  Lydia  A.,  wife  of  E.  Tenbrink,  a 
farmer  of  Boone  county,  Iowa;  Sarah  E. 
and  Flora  P.,  who  live  with  their  mother  in 
Champaign;  and  Fannie  E. ,  wife  of  D.  E. 


440 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD 


Harris,  a  confectioner  of  that  city.  Several 
of  the  children  died  at  the  old  home  in 
Pennsylvania  when  young,  and  the  others 
died  in  this  county  after  reaching  maturity. 

Our  subject  received  his  education  in 
the  common  schools  of  this  county,  and  un- 
der the  direction  of  his  father  he  early  ac- 
quired an  excellent  knowledge  of  agricult- 
ure. After  the  death  of  his  father  he  as- 
sumed the  management  of  the  home  farm 
and  supported  his  mother  and  sisters  until 
the  latter  were  able  to  care  for  themselves, 
helping  them  through  school  after  their  re- 
moval to  Champaign. 

In  1888  Mr.  Roberts  married  Miss  Ida 
V.  Carper,  who  was  born  in  De  Witt  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  January  8,  1865,  a  daughter  of 
Philip  and  Harriet  R.  (Cresap;  Carper,  the 
former  a  native  of  Indiana,  the  latter,  of 
Ohio.  Her  parents  were  married  in  De 
Witt  county,  and  carne  to  Champaign  coun- 
ty in  1870,  locating  in  Colfax  township, 
where  the  father  followed  and  operated  a 
farm  and  also  engaged  in  teaching  school. 
At  the  age  of  sixty-six  years, he  is  now  living 
retired  in  Seymour,  this  county.  His  wife 
is  now  sixty  years  of  age,  and  both  still  en- 
joy good  health.  They  are  highly  respected 
and  esteemed  by  all  who  know  them.  Of 
the  twelve  children  born  to  them,  eleven 
are  still  living,  namely:  Daniel  W.,  a  physi- 
cian of  Henning,  Vermilion  county,  Illinois; 
Ida  V.,  wife  of  our  subject;  Eusebius  F. , 
who  is  living  on  the  old  homestead  in  Colfax 
township;  Elizabeth  A.,  wife  of  Charles 
Koble,  a  farmer  of  Scott  township;  Cleora, 
wife  of  Frank  Cade,  a  farmer  living  near 
Seymour;  George  W.,  a  resident  of  Colfax 
township;  Philip  M.,  who  is  living  near 
Seymour  in  Scott  township;  Eugene,  Ulys- 
sesG.,  L.  Clarissa  and  Guy  E. ,  all  at  home. 
Mrs.  Roberts  was  educated  in  the  com- 


mon schools  of  Colfax  township  and  at  Sey- 
mour, and  successfully  engaged  in  teaching 
for  three  years  prior  to  her  marriage.  Five 
children  were  born  to  our  subject  and  his 
wife,  but  one  died  in  infancy.  The  others 
are  Harry  V.,  born  in  April,  1890;  Hattie 
E.,  born  in  June,  1891;  Joseph  E.,  born  in 
October,  1892;  and  Ernest  M.,  born  in 
March,  1895. 

Having  previously  purchased  a  farm  of 
eighty  acres  on  section  13,  Colfax  town- 
ship, Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roberts  began  their  do- 
mestic life  there,  and  have  since  made  it 
their  home,  his  time  and  attention  being 
devoted  to  general  farming.  Politically  he 
has  always  been  identified  with  the  Repub- 
lican party,  has  served  as  commissioner  of 
highways  for  three  years,  and  is  now  one  of 
the  drainage  commissioners  on  a  branch  of 
the  Kaskaskia  river  for  his  township,  this 
being  one  of  the  important  offices  of  the 
c6unty.  He  has  also  served  as  school 
director  for  a  number  of  years,  and  all  of 
his  official  duties  have  been  performed  in  a 
most  commendable  and  satisfactory  man- 
ner. Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  Sadorus 
Camp,  No.  3302,  M.  W.  A.,  of  which  he 
has  been  Venerable  Consul  since  the  lodge 
was  organized. 


OINEHART  p..  RATTS,  M.  D.,  the  lead- 
IV  ing  physician  of  Longview,  Illinois,  was 
born  in  Washington  county,  Indiana,  No- 
vember 19,  1854,  a  son  of  John  and  Mary 
(Hinds)  Ratts,  also  natives  of  Indiana.  The 
grandfather,  Rinehart  Ratts,  was  born  in 
North  Carolina,  in  1800,  but  at  an  early  day 
moved  to  Washington  county,  Indiana, 
where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life. 
He  purchased  a  tract  of  land,  probably  from 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


441 


the  government,  and  devoted  his  time  and 
energies  to  agricultural  pursuits.  He  died 
at  the  age  of  eighty  years,  and  his  wife, 
who  was  born  in  the  same  year  as  himself, 
survived  him  five  years.  They  had  a  family 
of  seven  children,  all  of  whom  grew  to  ma- 
turity. In  this  family,  John  Ratts,  the 
father  of  our  subject,  was  fourth  in  order  of 
birth.  He  also  followed  the  occupation  of 
farming  and  was  a  progressive,  enterprising 
and  successful  man.  He  never  left  Wash- 
ington county,  Indiana,  dying  there  during 
the  Civil  war,  in  1862.  His  widow  subse- 
quently married  George  Phillips,  of  Brown 
county,  Indiana,  who  has  been  dead  a  num- 
ber of  years,  and  she  now  makes  her  home 
with  the  Doctor  in  Longview,  Illinois,. 
Her  parents  were  Samuel  and  Kate  Hinds, 
pioneers  of  Washington  county,  Indiana, 
where  they  continued  to  make  their  home 
throughout  life,  both  dying  when  past  the 
age  of  eighty  years.  Their  children  were 
Mary  Ann,  Frank,  Philbert,  Lizzie,  Delilah, 
Pleasant,  Milton  and  Pressey.  The  only 
members  of  this  family  living  in  Illinois  be- 
sides Mrs.  Ratts  are  Frank  and  Philbert, 
of  Hindsboro,  Douglas  county,  for  whom 
the  town  was  named. 

To  John  and  Mary  (Hinds)  Ratts  were 
born  eight  children,  one  of  whom  died  in  in- 
fancy; Marion  is  engaged  in  farming  in  Doug- 
las county,  Illinois;  Lizzie  first  married 
William  Hooker,  now  deceased,  and  second 
S*Smedley,  a  farmer  of  Phillips  county, 
Kansas;  Kate  is  the  wife  of  Frank  Strain, 
also  of  Phillips  county;  Delilah  is  the  wife 
of  Samuel  Nuckles,  of  Paris,  Illinois;  Rine- 
hart  P. ,  our  subject,  is  next  in  order  of  birth ; 
Elmer  is  a  resident  of  Utah  and  Charlie 
is  a  farmer  of  Phillips  county,  Kansas. 

Dr.  Ratts  received  his  literary  education 
in  Salem,  Indiana,  and  later  studied  medicine 


under  Dr.  Roe,  now  of  Redman,  Illinois, 
but  at  that  time  of  Edgar,  Edgar  county. 
After  two  years  spent  with  that  gentleman 
he  entered  the  Kentucky  School  of  Medi- 
cine at  Louisville,  where  he  pursued  a 
three  years'  course  and  was  graduated  in 
1876.  Immediately  after  his  graduation  he 
came  to  Champaign  county  and  located  in 
the  center  of  Raymond  township,  at  which 
time  there  were  no  railroads  nearer  than 
Sidney,  nine  miles  north,  through  which  the 
Wabash  passed,  and  Murdock,  seven  miles 
south,  through  which  the  Indianapolis,  De- 
catur  &  Western  Railroad  passed.  At  the 
time  he  had  but  seven  dollars  in  money  and, 
as  he  expresses  it,  he  got  as  far  away  from 
towns  and  other  doctors  as  he  could,  so 
that  the  people  would  have  to  come  to  him. 
He  remained  at  his  country  location  untU 
the  town  of  Longview  was  laid  out  and 
platted  when  the  Chicago  &  Eastern  Illi- 
nois Railroad  was  built  through  Raymond 
township  within  a  mile  of  his  office.  He 
then  removed  to  Longview,  where  he  has 
since  made  his  home,  and  he  has  a  large 
practice  extending  throughout  this  section 
of  the  county  and  into  the  adjoining  coun- 
ties. During  his  residence  here  many 
other  physicians  have  come  and  gone,  but 
he  has  remained  and  has  met  with  most  ex- 
cellent success.  In  1888  he  embarked  in 
the  drug  business  on  a  small  scale,  but  has 
constantly  added  to  his  stock,  and  now  car- 
ries a  complete  line  of  drugs  necessary  to 
meet  the  demands  of  his  trade. 

In  1878,  Dr.  Ratts  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Fannie  Mathews.  by  whom 
he  had  one  child,  Edith,  who  is  a  graduate 
of  St.  Mary's  in  the  Woods,  a  noted  semi- 
nary of  Indiana,  and  now  a  student  at  the 
Eclectic  Medical  Institute  of  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  this  being  her  second  year  there. 


442 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


The  Doctor  was  again  married,  in  December, 
1891,  his  second  union  being  with  Miss 
Fannie  K.  Gabbard. 

Religiously  Dr.  Ratts  is  a  member  of 
the  Christian  church,  and  fraternally  be- 
longs to  Broadlands  Lodge,  No.  791,  F.  & 
A.  M.;  Longview  Lodge,  No.  254,  I.  O. 
O.  F. ;  and  Longview  Camp,  No.  2863,  M. 
W.  A.  In  his  political  affiliations  he  is  a 
Republican,  and  while  taking  an  active  in- 
terest in  the  success  of  his  party  he  has 
never  aspired  to  office.  He  has  the  entire 
confidence  and  respect  of  his  fellow  citi- 
zens, and  his  skill  and  ability  in  his  chosen 
profession  are  attested  by  the  liberal  patron- 
age he  enjoys. 


JOSEPH  DOTY.  Among  the  influential 
vJ  members  of  the  farming  community  of 
Champaign  county  is  the  gentleman  whose 
name  heads  this  sketch.  He  is  entirely  a 
self-made  man  in  the  truest  sense  of  that 
term,  having  been  the  only  architect  of  his 
own  fortunes,  and  he  has  builded  wisely  and 
well,  raising  himself  from  'humble  circum- 
stances to  a  position  of  affluence  by  l\is  own 
indomitable  energy  and  a  laudable  ambition 
to  succeed.  He  is  now  the  owner  of  a 
valuable  farm  of  two  hundred  acres  on  sec- 
tions 19  and  21,  Tolono  township. 

A  native  of  Pennsylvania,  Mr.  Doty  was 
born  in  Washington  county,  September  24, 
1845,  and  is  a  son  of  Lewis  and  Nancy 
(Seibert)  Doty.  The  father  was  born  in 
New  Jersey  and  followed  farming  through- 
out life,  dying  in  1895.  The  mother  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania,  and  is  still  living  in 
that  state.  They  were  the  parents  of  twelve 
children,  of  whom  two  died  in  infancy.  The 
others  reached  years  of  maturity  and  were 
as  follows:  Rachel  makes  her  home  with 


her  mother  in  Pennsylvania;  Hannah  is  the 
widow  of  John  Kilgore,  a  successful  farmer 
of  that  state;  Stephen  is  a  farmer  of  Tolono 
township,  Champaign  county,  Illinois;  Peter 
followed  the  carpenter's  trade  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  1888;  Thomas 
was  a  member  of  a  Pennsylvania  regiment 
during  the  Civil  war,  and  met  his  death  in 
the  battle  of  the  Wilderness;  Wilson  also 
belonged  to  a  Pennsylvania  regiment  in  the 
same  war,  and  is  now  a  farmer  of  that 
state;  Isaac  is  also  an  agriculturist  of  Penn- 
sylvania; Joseph,  our  subject,  is  next  in 
order  of  birth;  and  Francis  M.  and  Jacob 
are  both  representative  farmers  of  Penn- 
sylvania. 

During  his  boyhood  Joseph  Doty  re- 
ceived only  a  common-school  education,  but 
his  training  at  farm  work  was  not  so  meagre, 
the  summer  months  being  wholly  devoted  to- 
that  occupation.  On  leaving  home  at  the 
age  of  twenty  years,  he  went  to  LaSalle 
county,  Illinois,  where  he  found  employ- 
ment as  a  farm  hand  by  the  month  for  four 
years.  He  then  rented  land  and  began 
working  for  himself,  being  quite  successful 
under  the  circumstances. 

After  living  alone  fortwo  years,  Mr.  Doty 
was  married  in  1871  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Dick, 
the  oldest  daughter  of  Harry  and  Mary 
(Town)  Dick,  natives  of  New  York,  where 
the  father  followed  the  occupation  of  farm- 
ing. Their  other  children  were  Monroe, 
now  a  farmer  of  Moultrie  county,  Illinois*; 
Louisa,  wife  of  William  Driver,  of  Tingley, 
Iowa;  and  Jasper  H.,  a  successful  farmer 
living  near  New  Richmond,  Indiana.  Mrs. 
Doty  was  born  in  Oneida  county,  New 
York,  May  29,  1851,  and  by  her  marriage 
to  our  subject  has  become  the  mother  of 
three  children:  Nellie  Mae,  Lewis  H.  and 
Walter  M. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


443 


For  two  years  after  his  marriage,  Mr. 
Doty  continued  to  engage  in  farming  in  La 
Salle  county,  but  in  1873  disposed  of  his  inter- 
ests there  and  came  to  Champaign  county, 
where  he  rented  land  and  operated  the  same 
quite  successfully  for  ten  years.  In  1883  he 
made  his  first  purchase,  consisting  of  eighty 
acres  of  land  in  Tolono  township,  upon 
which  he  made  his  home  for  ten  years.  He 
also  rented  two  hundred  and  forty  acres, 
and  was  quite  extensively  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  That  he  made  a  success 
is  assured  by  his  purchasing  his  present  farm 
of  two  hundred  acres  in  1897,  all  well  im- 
proved and  under  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion. He  has  been  greatly  assisted  by  the 
encouragement  and  support  of  his  estimable 
wife,  who  has  indeed  been  a  true  helpmeet 
to  him.  Being  a  great  reader,  she  is  fa- 
miliar with  all  the  leading  topics  of  the 
day,  though  by  sickness  her  hearing  has 
been  impaired,  which  causes  her  some  in- 
convenience. Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Doty  are 
faithful  members  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal church  of  Tolono,  and  are  held  in  high 
regard  by  the  entire  community  in  which 
they  live.  In  politics  he  is  a  stanch  Demo- 
crat, and  for  eighteen  years  has  most  cred- 
itably served  as  school  director,  having 
filled  that  position  in  every  district  in  which 
he  has  made  his  home. 


ROBERT  WRIGHT.  Nearly  two-score 
years  ago  this  prominent  agriculturist 
of  Newcomb  township  concluded  to  become 
a  permanent  citzen  of  Champaign  county, 
and  in  every  possible  way  he  has  assisted  to 
develop  and  improve  this  section  of  the 
state.  Educational  matters  and  good  gov- 
ernment have  been  of  grave  concern  to  him, 


as  to  every  patriot,  and  his  influence  always 
has  been  felt  upon  the  side  of  progress. 

Major  Simeon  Wright,  a  native  of  Ver- 
mont, and  a  hero  of  the  war  of  1812,  re- 
moved to  Ohio  at  the  close  of  that  struggle 
with  the  mother  country,  and  settled  in  the 
wilderness.  He  hewed,  literally,  a  farm  out 
of  the  forests  of  Licking  county,  and  by  un- 
tiring energy  reduced  the  land  to  cultiva- 
tion, eventually  making  a  valuable  home- 
stead. One  of  his  sons,  Captain  Hiram 
Wright,  was  the  father  of  the  subject  of 
this  narrative.  Born  in  the  Green  Mount- 
ain state,  in  1803,  he  was  a  mere  child 
when  he  went  to  the  Buckeye  state,  and 
there  in  the  solitudes  of  nature,  he  grew  to 
manhood.  He  won  his  title  during  his  ser- 
vice as  captainof  a  local  company  of  militia, 
but  never  was  called  into  action.  Upon  ar- 
riving at  mature  years,  he  married  Eliza 
Blood,  daughter  cf  Fred  Blood,  an  early 
settler  of  Licking  county  and  formerly  of 
Massachusetts.  Subsequently  he  inherited 
his  father's  farm  and  there  he  continued  to 
live  until  his  children  were  grown.  He  then 
sold  the  place  and  came  to  Illinois,  and 
from  1872  until  his  death,  in  1890,  he  made 
his  home  in  Newcomb  township.  For  sixty- 
four  years  he  had  traveled  life's  pathway  in 
company  with  his  devoted  wife,  who  did 
not  long  survive  him,  as  she  passed  away  in 
the  year  following  his  demise.  They  were 
faithful  members  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal church  and  were  actively  interested  in 
Sunday  schools,  both  in  Ohio  and  in  this 
state. 

Robert  Wright  was  born  in  the  old 
Licking  county  homestead,  January  13, 
1838.  He  received  a  fair  education  in  the 
common  schools  of  the  district,  supplement- 
ing the  knowledge  gained  there  by.  a  year's 
work  in  the  Ohio  Wesleyan  University,  at 


444 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Delaware,  Ohio.  He  was  naturally  an  apt 
student,  and  made  the  best  of  his  advan- 
tages, with  the  result  that  he  easily  ob- 
tained a  certificate  to  teach,  when  he  ap- 
plied for  one,  and  for  several  years  he  was 
successfully  engaged  in  that  line  of  work, 
both  in  his  native  state  and  in  Illinois.  He 
had  mastered  farming  in  its  various  depart- 
ments and  was  especially  interested  in  the 
raising  of  livestock.  Having  become  con- 
vinced that  this  state  afforded  better  oppor- 
tunities in  mairy  respects  to  a  young  man 
ambitious  for  success,  he  made  his  plans  ac- 
cordingly. One  day,  in  1862,  he  might 
have  been  seen  comingalong  the  dusty  high- 
way, driving  a  large  flock  of  sheep  into  the 
land  of  promise,  like  one  of  the  Jewish  pa- 
triarchs in  his  youth,  seeking  a  new  home 
and  "pastures  green."  He  had  made  the 
entire  journey  from  his  old  home  in  Ohio  to 
Champaign  county,  watching  his  flocks  by 
day  and  night,  and  for  thirty-five  days  had 
steadily  pressed  forward  to  the  west.  Here 
he  wandered  with  his  sheep  on  the  prairies 
for  two  seasons,  and  then  made  his  first  pur- 
chase of  land — one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  in  section  32,  Newcomb  township — 
his  present  homestead.  A  small  house  stood 
on  the  property,  but  few  improvements  had 
been  made  and  he  was  obliged  to  break 
most  all  of  the  ground  himself.  In  time 
many  changes  for  the  better  showed  the  dili- 
gence and  wisely  expended  energy  of  the  new 
owner,  and  to-day  this  is  one  of  the  most 
desirable  farms  in  the  county.  A  commo- 
dious house,  and  barns,  fences  and  hedges, 
shade  trees  and  fruit  trees  are  among  the 
substantial  improvements  on  the  place.  For 
several  years  he  was  engaged  in  raising 
sheep  in  largenumbers,  and  his  opinions  upon 
this  subject  were  highly  esteemed.  During 
the  years  of  his  connection  with  the  Farm- 


ers' Institute,  he  has  often-called  upon  been 
to  address  the  assemblage,  and  contributed 
articles  about  sheep-raising  at  four  of  the 
annual  meetings. 

In  this  township,  Mr.  Wright  married 
Eleanor  Banes,  June  18,  1863.  She  was 
born  in  Logan  county,  Ohio,  and  came  to 
Illinois  with  her  father,  Gabriel  Banes,  who 
was  a  native  of  Virginia  and  one  of  the  pio- 
neers of  the  Buckeye  state.  He  died  in 
February,  1853,  a  few  months  after  locating 
in  this  county'.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wright  lost 
one  child,  Olive,  who  died  when  eleven 
months  old.  The  eldest  son.  Charles  C.,  is 
a  successful  farmer  of  this  county.  Ida, 
wife  of  R.  S.  McNeal,  lives  upon  a  farm  in 
this  vicinity.  Kate  is  the  wife  of  G.  H. 
Wright,  a  teacher,  living  in  Fisher,  this 
county,  and  Mrs.  Effie  Staney,  a  widow, 
holds  a  good  position  as  a  stenographer  in  a 
real  estate  office  in  Champaign.  Frank  E., 
a  promising  young  man,  is  at  home,  assisting 
in  the  management  of  the  farm,  and  who  is 
also  in  the  sheep  business. 

Ever  since  casting  his  first  presidential 
ballot,  in  1860,  for  Abraham  Lincoln,  he 
has  been  active  in  the  support  of  the  Re- 
publican party  platform  and  nominees.  He 
has  acted  in  the  capacity  of  clerk,  assessor, 
highway  commissioner  and  school  trustee 
in  this  township,  and  has  been  influential 
in  countless  ways,  in  the  promotion  of  ev- 
erything conducive  to  the  well-being  of  the 
community.  With  his  wife,  he  holds  mem- 
bership in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  of 
Mahomet,  and  is  a  liberal  contributor  to  the 
maintenance  of  religious  enterprises. 


DAVID   NOGLE.      There  are    few  men 
more    worthy    of    representation    in   a 
work  of  this  kind  than    the   subject  of    this 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


445 


biography  who  is  now  living  a  comparatively 
retired  life  in  the  village  of  Sadorus.  His 
has  been  a  long  and  busy  career,  rich  with 
experience,  and  in  which  he  has  established 
himself  in  the  esteem  and  confidence  of 
all  who  know  him. 

Mr.  Nogle  was  born  about  eighteen  miles 
from  Harrisburg,  in  Cumberland  county, 
Pennsylvania,  June  19,  1834,  and  is  a  son  of 
Michael  and  Sarah  (Bruner)  Nogle,  natives 
of  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio,  respectively. 
On  the  paternal  side  his  great-grandfather 
came  from  Germany  and  settled  in  Pennsyl- 
vania at  an  early  day.  The  father  was  a 
teamster  when  a  young  man,  driving  a  six- 
horse  team  with  only  one  line  from  Phila- 
delphia to  Pittsburg,  it  taking  about  sixteen 
weeks  to  make  the  round  trip.  For  twenty 
years  he  was  a  huckster,  and  in  the  latter 
years  of  his  life  devoted  his  time  to  agricult- 
ural pursuits,  following  each  vocation  with 
success.  He  was  a  very  strong  man  phys- 
ically and  always  enjoyed  good  health.  He 
lived  to  be  ninety-two  years  of  age,  dying 
at  his  home  in  Milltown,  Pennsylvania.  Of 
his  ten  children,  three  died  in  infancy,  five 
in  later  years,  and  only  two  are  now  living, 
namely:  David,  our  subject,  and  Isaac,  a 
retired  citizen  of  Indiana. 

David  Nogle  received  his  education  in 
the  common  schools  of  his  native  state  and 
remained  at  home  until  of  age.  In  1856  he 
came  from  Chicago  to  Champaign  county, 
Illinois,  and  on  landing  here  his  capital  con- 
sistedof  butthreegold  dollars.  It  beingthe  fall 
of  the  year  he  had  hard  work  to  find  employ- 
ment. He  stayed  in  Champaign  for  two  days, 
paying  one  dollar  per  day  for  accommoda- 
tions, while  trying  to  find  work.  The  third 
morning  he  refused  to  go  to  his  breakfast  and 
when  questioned  by  the  landlord  explained 
his  circumstances,  telling  him  he  did  not 


want  to  part  with  his  last  gold  dollar. 
Hearing  of  some  one  who  wanted  help,  he 
struck  out  into  the  country,  landing  south  of 
Sadorus,  where  he  found  work  with  William 
Sadorus  husking  corn.  Hiring  for  a  month, 
his  work  proved  so  satisfactory  that  he  re- 
mained in  the  same  employ  for  seven  years. 
For  his  first  month  on  trial  he  received  six- 
teen dollars,  which  seemed  to  him  a  fortune, 
as  in  his  circumstances  he  would  have  been 
willing  to  work  for  almost  any  price,  being 
away  from  home,  among  strangers,  as  well  as 
without  funds.  For  seven  years  he  worked 
faithfully  for  his  employer  and  then  having 
saved  his  money,  he  rented  land  and  began 
farming  on  his  own  account.  Subsequently 
he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  in  Colfax 
township,  which  by  hard  work  he  converted 
into  valuable  and  rich  farm  land,  fully  im- 
proved. In  1873  he  retired  to  the  village  of 
Sadorus,  purchased  a  lot  and  erected  a  house. 
Later  he  bought  ten  acres  adjoining,  and  is 
now  surrounded  by  all  the  comforts  which 
make  life  worth  the  living,  all  of  which  have 
been  acquired  through  his  own  well  directed 
labors  in  former  years.  Upon  his  place  he 
planted  a  fine  orchard,  which  thrived  for 
many  years,  but  has  lived  to  cut  nearly  all 
the  trees  himself. 

In  1861,  Mr.  Nogle  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Isabella  Peat,  who  was  of 
English  parentage,  and  to  them  were  born 
seven  children,  of  whom  one  died  in  infancy. 
The  others  are  Emma  C.,  wife  of  Charles 
McAdams,  a  carpenter  of  Bemis,  Washing- 
ton, by  whom  she  has  one  son,  David  Roy; 
George  W.,  a  farmer  of  Tolono  township, 
this  county;  Charles  H.,  a  prosperous  farm- 
er of  Sadorus  township,  who  is  married 
and  has  one  son,  Claude;  John  T. ,  who 
lives  at  home;  Martha  B.,  wife  of  Jesse  M. 
Sadorus,  whose  sketch  appears  elsewhere 


446 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


in  this  volume;  and  Fanny  H.,  at  home.  In 
1877  the  wife  and  mother  died,  leaving  Mr. 
Nogle  with  six  small  children,  whom  he  suc- 
ceeded in  nobly  keeping  together  for  three 
years,  at  the  same  time  carrying  on  his 
farm. 

On  the  1 2th  of  February,  1880,  he  was 
again  married,  his  second  union  being  with 
Miss  Julia  A.  Payne,  who  was  born  in  Edgar 
county,  Illinois,  in  1841,  a  daughter  of 
James  and  Sarah  (Smith)  Payne,  natives  of 
Washington  county,  Tennessee.  The  father 
lived  to  be  sixty-seven  years  of  age,  the 
mother  seventy-three.  He  moved  from  his 
native  state  to  Edgar  county,  in  1828,  and 
in  1865  came  to  Champaign  county.  His 
wife  belonged  to  a  very  old  family  of  Edgar 
county.  Her  brother,  Abraham  Smith,  was 
born  in  Washington  county,  Tennessee,  May 
*5>  I79^,  settled  in  Edgar  county,  Illinois,  in 
1 839,  and  lived  there  until  his  death,  in  1 894. 
All  of  the  family  were  active  workers  in  the 
Methodist  church.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Payne 
were  born  eleven  children,  but  only  four 
survive,  namely:  Martha,  wife  of  E.  Sterns, 
of  Fisher,  Illinois;  Elizabeth,  proprietress 
of  a  general  store  in  Garden  City,  Kansas; 
Julia  A.,  wife  of  our  subject;  and  Smith, 
who  is  living  retired  in  Garden  City.  By 
his  second  union  Mr.  Nogle  has  two  sons: 
Walter  Smith  and  Alonzo  Payne,  both  at- 
tending school  in  the  village. 

Politically  Mr.  Nogle  is  a  strong  Prohibi- 
tionist. In  early  life  he  used  tobacco,  but  has 
refrained  from  the  same  for  thirty  years.  He 
is  an  interesting  conversationalist  and  takes 
pleasure  in  relating  stories  of  the  early  con- 
ditions of  the  country,  when  the  land  was 
nearly  all  barren  prairie,  covered  with  high 
grass,  and  few  roads  had  been  laid  out. 
After  residing  here  for  about  two  years,  he  took 
a  message  to  Tolona,  and  in  returning  home 


lost  his  way,  which  with  difficulty  he  found 
again.  He  and  his  wife  are  consistent  and 
active  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  and  always  entertain  the  preachers 
stopping  in  their  neighborhood,  theft  home 
being  noted  for  its  hospitality  and  good 
cheer.  Mr.  Nogle  is  a  quiet,  unostenta- 
tious man,  but  he  makes  many  friends,  and 
is  held  in  high  regard  by  all  who  know  him. 


ARNOLD  is  a  representative 
and  prominent  agriculturist  of  Philo 
township,  where  he  owns  and  operates  a 
finely  improved  farm  of  two  hundred  and 
forty  acres  on  sections  35  and  36.  He  thor- 
oughly understands  the  occupation  he  has 
chosen  as  a  life  work,  and  in  his  labors  met 
with  most  excellent  and  well-deserved  suc- 
cess. 

. 

Mr.  Arnold  was  born  in  Saratoga  county, 
New  York,  September  8,  1830,  and  is  the 
second  child  and  oldest  son  in  the  family  of 
Peter  and  Pamila  (Ostrom)  Arnold,  also  na- 
tives of  that  county.  The  father  was  born 
on  a  farm,  September  14,  1803,  and  after 
reaching  a  sufficient  age  he  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits  in  Saratoga  county  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  on  the  old  home- 
stead October  10,  1878.  His  wife,  who 
was  but  a  few  years  younger  than  he,  and 
of  Holland  descent,  died  February  14,  1843. 
In  their  family  were  six  children,  namely: 
Mary,  deceased  wife  of  James  Van  Branken, 
of  Saratoga  county,  New  York;  Cyrus,  our 
subject;  Lucinda,  wife  of  H.  Taylor,  of 
Chautauqua  county,  New  York;  Catherine, 
wife  of  Cyrus  Cole,  who  lives  near  Albany, 
New  York;  George,  who  was  a  resident  of 
Piano,  Kendall  county,  Illinois,  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  and  there  died;  and  Emmett,  a 
resident  of  Burnt  Hills,  New  York. 


CYRUS  ARNOLD. 


MllS.  CYRUS  ARNOLD. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


45i 


Cyrus  Arnold  acquired  his  education  in 
the  common  schools  of  the  early  days  in  his 
home  district,  and  remained  under  the 
parental  roof,  assisting  in  the  labors  of  the 
farm,  until  about  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
when  he  started  for  what  he  termed  the  wild 
west.  He  went  as  far  as  Michigan,  where 
he  was  employed  for  a  time  in  mercantile 
business,  and  later  followed  farming,  re- 
maining in  that  state  for  three  years. 

While  in  Michigan,  Mr.  Arnold  made  the 
acquaintance  of  Miss  Caroline  Francisco,  to 
whom  he  was  married  February  2,  1853. 
She  was  born  in  that  state,  August  14,  1831, 
and  was  well  educated,  attending  the  Albion 
Seminary  until  she  was  called  home  by  the 
death  of  her  mother  to  preside  over  the 
household.  Her  father,  Henry  A.  F*ran- 
cisco,  was  a  very  prominent  man  in  politics 
in  his  community,  and  served  as  county 
judge  of  Jackson  county,  Michigan,  for  a 
number  of  years.  The  town  of  Francisco 
on  the  Michigan  Central  railroad  was  named 
in  his  honor.  Later  he  removed  to  this 
county,  and  in  the  village  of  Philo  died 
September  2,  1875,  at  the  ripe  old  age  of 
eighty-two  years.  He  had  six  children: 
Hester  J.,  who  makes  her  home  with  our 
subject;  Caroline,  wife  of  our  subject;  Mrs. 
H.  J.  Nash,  of  Urbana;  Eleanor,  a  resident 
of  Decatur,  Michigan,  and  the  widow  of 
Captain  Henry  Wheaton,  who  was  killed  in 
the  battle  of  Chapin  Farm  during  the  Civil 
war  while  acting  colonel,  the  commander  of 
the  regiment  having  already  met  death; 
Henry  E. ,  who  died  in  1878  at  his  residence 
in  Philo,  where  his  widow  still  lives;  and 
Horace,  who  died  at  his  home  in  New 
Waverly,  Texas,  in  1882.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Arnold  were  born  six  children,  two  of  whom 
died  in  infancy.  Those  living  are  as  fol- 
lows: (i)  Mary  is  the  wife  of  John  Locke,  of 


Statley,  Illinois,  and  they  have  six  children  liv- 
ing of  whom  two  daughters  are  married,  and 
as  one  has  three  sons  and  the  other  one  son, 
our  subject  is  a  great-grandfather  to  four 
children.  (2)  Emmett,  a  stock  man  of  Fall 
River  county,  South  Dakota,  is  married  and 
has  three  children,  one  son  and  two  daugh- 
ters. (3)  Horace  is  at  home  with  his  parents. 
(4)  Cora  is  the  wife  of  Henry  Lovingfoss,  a 
farmer  of  Philo  township,  and  they  have 
two  sons. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Arnold  continued  their 
residence  in  Michigan  until  1854,  when  they 
sold  tiieir  property  there  and  removed  to 
McHenry  county,  Illinois,  where  for  two 
years  he  successfully  engaged  in  farming 
upon  property  owned  by  his  wife.  At  the 
end  of  that  time  they  went  to  Oswego  town- 
ship, Kendall  county,  where  he  followed  the 
same  pursuit.  Disposing  of  his  interests 
there  in  1867,  he  came  to  Champaign  county, 
and  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  land  where  he  now  resides,  to  which  he 
has  added  as  his  financial  resources  have 
permitted  until  he  now  has  two  hundred  and 
forty  acres.  At  the  time  of  purchase  it  was 
only  partially  improved,  but  under  his  su- 
pervision it  has  become  one  of  the  most  de- 
sirable farms  of  its  size  in  the  township. 
He  has  set  out  an  orchard  and  other  trees, 
has  built  fences  and  erected  barns  and  other 
buildings  upon  the  place  until  it  is  a  highly 
improved  farm,  well  tiled  and  highly  culti- 
vated. With  the  assistance  of  his  son,  he 
continued  to  operate  his  farm  until  1892, 
since  which  time  he  has  practically  lived  a 
retired  life,  while  he  rents  his  land. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Arnold  are  active 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
of  Philo,  and  he  is  now  serving  as  one  of  its 
trustees.  Politically  he  is  an  ardent  Re- 
publican, and  has  been  honored  with  a 


452 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


number  of  local  offices,  the  duties  of  which 
he  has  most  efficiently  and  faithfully  dis- 
charged. During  his  residence  in  Kendall 
county  he  served  as  collector,  and  has  been 
justice  of  the  peace  in  Philo  township  for 
one  year.  A  trust  reposed  in  him  has  never 
been  misplaced,  and  he  merits  and  receives 
the  respect  and  esteem  of  all  who  know  him. 


JOSHUA  SMITH.  It  may  truthfully  be 
be  said  of  Joshua  Smith,  as  one  of  our 
great  English  authors  said  of  a  certain  farmer, 
that  though  his  life  was  quiet  and  unassum- 
ing, and  though,  perhaps,  he  was  not  known 
much  beyond  his  own  county,  yet  wherever 
he  had  dwelt,  the  community  was  the  better 
for  his  sojourn  there — some  highways  had 
been  straightened  and  improved,  some  land 
had  been  made  to  bring  forth  an  abundant 
harvest  under  his  watchful  care  and  diligent 
labors,  or  some  schools  and  churches  had 
been  built  or  maintained  in  part  by  him.  The 
story  may  be  thus  simple,  but  it  is  none  the 
less  enduring,  and  he  who  strives  to  perform 
his  duty  as  a  citizen  and  neighbor,  to  serve 
his  own  generation  to  the  best  of  his  ability, 
is  justly  entitled  to  be  called  one  of  "God's 
noblemen." 

Joshua  Smith  comes  from  one  of  the 
stanch  old  patriotic  families  of  Virginia, 
originally  English  and  Scotch.  His  grand- 
father, Presley  Smith,  served  in  the  war  of 
1812  with  the  rank  of  first  lieutenant,  and 
his  wife,  Rosilla,  was  the  daughter  of  Colo- 
nel McDonald,  who  earned  that  title  by  val- 
iant service  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  After 
matters  had  been  permanently  adjusted  be- 
tween the  colonies  and  the  mother  country, 
Presley  Smith  removed  with  his  family  to 
the  then  new  region  of  Pickaway  county, 


Ohio,  where  he  is  considered  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  county.  His  son,  Wesley, 
was  born  in  Virginia,  in  1814,  and  was 
reared  to  manhood  in  Pickaway  county, 
Ohio.  For  a  wife  he  chose  Eliza,  daughter 
of  William  Scisna,  of  Pennsylvania  and 
later  of  Ohio.  He  did  gallant  service  in  the 
war  of  1812,  being  orderly  on  the  staff  of 
General  Jackson,  and  while  conveying  mes- 
sages to  his  superior,  at  the  battle  of  New 
Orleans,  was  wounded  by  a  gunshot  in  the 
thigh.  Wesley  Smith  located  in  Tippeca- 
noe  county,  Indiana,  and  at  the  end  of 
four  years,  came  to  Illinois.  Here  he  bought 
a  tract  of  timberland  and  pre-empted  an- 
other tract  suitable  for  farming,  in  Piatt 
county.  In  that  locality  he  took  up  his 
permanent  abode,  and  was  actively  engaged 
in  agricultural  pursuits  until  his  death  in 
1847.  His  wife  surviving  him  a  few  years, 
passed  away  in  1855, 

The  birth  of  Joshua  Smith  occurred  in  Pick- 
away  county,  Ohio,  June  29,  1837,  and  as  he 
was  only  six  years  of  age  when  he  arrived 
in  Illinois,  then  a  new  and  very  sparsely 
settled  country,  he  had  small  chance  for  ob- 
taining an  education.  Then,  too,  his  father 
died  when  he  was  a  lad  of  ten  years,  and 
the  cares  and  responsibilities  of  life  fell 
upon  his  youthful  shoulders  when  he  should 
have  had  no  more  serious  battles  than  those 
presented  by  the  multiplication  table.  For 
many  years  he  worked  for  farmers  by  the 
month  and  it  was  not  until  1860  that  he  had 
the  pleasure  of  establishing  a  home  and 
feeling,  in  a  measure  at  least,  the  joys  of 
independence. 

On  the  6th  of  March,  1860,  Mr.  Smith 
and  Martha  E.  Dickson  were  united  in  mar- 
riage. The  lady  of  his  choice  was  born  in 
Mahomet  township,  Champaign  county,  and 
here  grew  to  womanhood.  Her  parents, 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


453 


Amos  and  Rachel  (Pettis)  Dickson,  were 
natives  of  Lewis  county,  Kentucky,  and 
Tennessee,  respectively,  and  were  married 
in  Illinois.  Mr.  Dickson  was  one  of  the 
first  settlers  of  Vermilion  county,  as  he  lo- 
cated there  in  1827.  Of  his  five  children 
who  grew  to  mature  years,  four  still  survive. 
Of  the  three  daughters  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Smith,  only  one  is  now  living,  namely, 
Clara  Belle,  wife  of  O.  M.  Brown,  of  Mans- 
field. The  eldest  daughter,  Eliza  Jane,  be- 
came the  wife  of  A.  J.  Wright,  and  in  June, 
1897,  was  summoned  to  the  silent  land. 
She  left  one  daughter  to  mourn  her  loss, 
Miss  Gertie  Z.,  who  is  now  a  member  of  her 
aunt's  household  in  Mansfield.  Luella 
Kate,  the  second  child  of  our  subject,  died 
when  in  the  second  year  of  her  age. 

Loyally  responding  to  the  call  of  his 
country  in  her  hour  of  peril,  Mr.  Smith  vol- 
unteered his  services  on  behalf  of  the  Un- 
ion, and  sorrowfully  bade  adieu  to  the  young 
wife  whom  he  might  never  again  behold. 
He  was  enrolled  as  a  private  in  Company 
D,  Twenty-fifth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry, 
April  8,  1862,  and  was  sent  to  the  front. 
There  he  participated  in  some  of  the  most 
important  campaigns  of  the  war,  and  soon 
after  the  siege  of  Corinth,  while  engaged  in 
unloading  some  commissary  stores,  accord- 
ing to  orders,  was  disabled  and  sent  to  the 
hospital.  There  he  remained  for  many 
long,  weary  weeks  of  suffering,  and,  as  he 
then  was  not  materially  improved,  he  was 
given  an  honorable  discharge  from  the  ser- 
vice, and  returned  to  his  home. 

After  his  marriage,  and  prior  to  his  army 
service,  Mr.  Smith  had  bought  forty  acres 
of  land  in  Piatt  county  and  had  instituted 
numerous  improvements  upon  the  place. 
Subsequently  he  disposed  of  it  to  good  ad- 
vantage, and  in  1879  removed  to  Cham- 


paign county,  where  he  assumed  the  man- 
agement of  the  old  Dickson  homestead, 
where  he  still  lives.  Building  and  remodel- 
ing the  hou^e  and  barns  and  other  structures 
upon  the  place,  planting  shade  and  fruit 
trees,  placing  tiling  and  ditches  wherever 
necessary,  he  was  a  very  busy  man  for  years, 
and  has  taken  just  pride  in  keeping  every- 
thing about  the  place  in  a  neat  and  enter- 
prising manner.  His  farm  now  is  consid- 
ered a  very  desirable  one,  and,  as  it  is  sit- 
uated only  a  little  over  three  miles  from  the 
village  of  Mahomet,  the  family  are  able  to 
enjoy  many  of  the  special  privileges  which 
town  life  affords.  The  farm  comprises  one 
hundred  and  thirty-five  acres,  all  under 
good  cultivation  and  very  productive. 

Few  of  the  pioneers  of  eastern  Illinois 
can  justly  lay  claim  to  a  longer  continuous 
residence  here  than  can  Mr.  Smith.  It  is 
nearly  fifty-seven  years  since  destiny 
drifted  him  to  this  region,  and,  during  this 
period  he  has  witnessed  vast  changes  for  the 
better,  as  the  swamps  have  been  drained 
by  means  of  tiling  and  ditches,  and  now 
are  accounted  among  the  most  productive 
lands  in  this  section  of  the  state;  well  cul- 
tivated farms  with  a  thriving  agricultural 
population;  flourishing  villages  and  more 
pretentious  cities;  model  school  houses  and 
churches,  and  well-kept  roads  and  bridges, 
now  stand  where  formerly  the  tangled  un- 
derbrush, the  high,  rank  prairie  grass,  the 
pestilential  swamps  knew  no  life  save  that 
of  the  wily  red  man,  the  timid  deer,  the 
snarling  wolf,  and  the  various  wild  birds 
which  delight  in  solitude.  In  the  march  of 
progress  and  civilization,  oar  subject  has 
not  been  a  laggard,  and  whenever  his 
means  and  influence  could  be  utilized  for 
the  welfare  of  his  community,  he  has  not 
been  sparing  of  them.  Modest  and  unas- 


454 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


suming,  he  has  preferred  to  keep  out  of  pub- 
lic office,  but  when  urged  to  accept  such 
responsibilities  has  not  shirked  the  trust, 
and  to  the  best  of  his  ability  has  justified 
his  friends'  faith  in  his  ability  and  integrity. 
For  a  year  prior  to  his  coming  to  this 
county  he  served  as  township  assessor  in 
Piatt  county.  He  also  was  treasurer  of  the 
board  of  highway  commissioners  in  this 
township,  and  for  twenty-four  years  was  a 
member  of  the  board  of  education,  a  por- 
tion of  the  time  acting  in  the  capacity  of 
president  of  that  body.  In  1864  he  cast 
his  first  presidential  ballot  for  Abraham 
Lincoln,  and  at  each  succeeding  election  he 
has  been  prompt  at  the  polls,  ready  to  sup- 
port the  party  which  has  successfully  car- 
ried our  beloved  country  through  some  of 
the  stormiest  seas  which  the  ship  of  state 
has  had  to  encounter. 

In  his  social  and  home  relations,  Mr. 
Smith  is  seen  at  his  best,  and  there,  if  any- 
where, the  true  character  of  a  man  is 
proved.  Both  himself  and  his  estimable 
wife  are  identified  with  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal denomination,  and  for  many  years 
they  have  been  actively  interested  in  its  nu- 
merous departments  of  usefulness,  con- 
tributing loyally  of  their  means  to  the  fur- 
therance of  the  grand  work,  which  is  up- 
lifting and  benefiting  mankind  everywhere. 
Fraternally,  Mr.  Smith  stands  very  high  as 
a  Mason  and  as  a  member  of  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic,  which  now  is  becom- 
ing pathetically  reduced  in  numbers,  each 
year  so  many  thousands  of  the  boys  who 
wore  the  blue  responding  to  the  final  roll- 
call.  He  long  has  been  an  honored  mem- 
ber of  Ephraim  Scott  Post,  No.  464,  of  Ma- 
homet, being  one  of  the  Charter  mem- 
bers. Thirty  years  or  more  ago  he 
joined  the  Masonic  order,  and  at  present  is 


identified  with  the  lodge  at  Mansfield,  the 
chapter  at  Farmers'  City  and  the  com- 
mandery  at  Urbane  He  is  past  master  of 
the  blue  lodge  and  was  made  a  Knight 
Templar  seventeen  years  ago. 


OOBERT  J.  MYERS  is  a  worthy  repre- 
1  \  sentative  of  one  of  the  sterling  o'ld 
Kentucky  families,  -and  possesses  the  strength 
of  character  and  the  fortitude  which  gener- 
ations of  his  ancestors  displayed  in  their 
struggles  with  nature  and  circumstance  on 
the  frontiers  of  civilization  in  this  country. 
Just  one  hundred  years  ago  his  grandfather, 
Captain  Jacob  Myers,  who  was  of  German 
extraction,  and  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
removed  to  the  wilds  of  the  Blue  Grass 
state,  and  settled  upon  a  tract  of  land  in 
Lewis  county.  There  he  developed  a  farm 
and  made  a  beautiful  homestead,  which  was 
handed  down  from  father  to  son  for  several 
generations.  He  served  as  a  soldier  when 
the  second  war  of  the  United  States  with 
Great  Britain  came  on,  and  the  same- spirit 
of  patriotism  has  animated  his  descendants 
wherever  they  have  wandered. 

His  son,  John  M.,  father  of  R.  J.  Myers, 
was  born  on  the  old  homestead  in  Lewis 
county,  and  when  he  arrived  at  maturity  he 
married  Isabelle  Markland,  who  was  born 
in  Adams  county,  Ohio,  where  her  father, 
William  Markland,  was  a  pioneer.  Becom- 
ing the  proprietor  of  the  old  Lewis  county 
farm,  John  M.  Myers  engaged  in  its  cul- 
tivation for  many  years,  and  was  known, 
far  and  near,  as  an  exemplary  citizen  and 
true  exponent  of  grand  Christian  manhood. 

Robert  J.  Myers  was  born  March  23, 
1853,  in  the  old  house  where  his  father's 
birth  had  taken  place,  and  there  his  early 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


455 


years  and  ambitious  youth  were  quietly 
passed,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the 
great  struggle  between  the  north  and  south 
often  raged  not  far  from  his  abode.  He 
aided  his  father  in  the  care  of  the  farm  un- 
til he  reached  his  majority  and  inded 
it  was  not  until  the  Centennial  year 
that  he  concluded  that  he  must  tear 
himself  away  from  the  scenes  of  his 
youth  and  start  upon  an  inde- 
pendent career.  In  company  with  his 
brother,  William,  he  made  the  journey  to 
this  locality  on  horseback,  and  joined  some 
old  friends  from  their  own  state.  Some  time 
antecedent  to  this,  their  father  had  bought 
land  in  Newcomb  township,  and  the  brother 
located  on  the  tract  in  section  29,  while 
Robert  J.  settled  in  section  34.  After  cul- 
tivating that  farm  for  several  years,  in  the 
meantime  making  numerous  valuable  im- 
provements, he  sold  out  to  a  good  advantage, 
and  in  1894  removed  to  his  present  farm,  in 
section  30,  in  the  same  county.  Here  he 
owns  a  quarter  section  of  valuable  land 
which  a  few  years  ago  had  but  little  in  the 
way  of  improvements  to  recommend  it  Mr. 
Myers  has  built  a  pleasant  farm  house  and 
a  large  barn,  besides  making  many  other 
changes  which  add  to  the  desirability  of  the 
place.  He  also  owns  eighty  acres  of  well- 
improved  land  in  this  township,  and  a  tract 
of  timber,  some  forty  acres  in  extent.  He 
has  been  successful  as  a  stock-raiser,  and 
keeps  a  high  grade  of  cattle,  always  having 
a  few  Herefords  on  his  farm. 

His  personal  popularity  and  recognized 
worth  as  a  business  man  and  citizen,  led  to 
Mr.  Myers  being  appointed  as  assessor  of 
Newcomb  township  in  1896,  and  since  then 
he  has  thrice  been  re-elected  and  is  serving 
at  the  present  time.  He  is  conscientious 
and  efficient,  giving  general  satisfaction  to 


all  concerned.  He  is  a  sincere  friend  to  the 
cause  of  education,  and  is  a  member  and 
one  of  the  officers  of  Shiloh  Methodist 
Episcopal  church. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Myers  and  Miss 
Anna  Belle  Gilmore  was  solemnized  in  this 
township,  December  22,  1886.  She  is  a 
native  of  Licking  county,  Ohio,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  George  W.  Gilmore,  who  be- 
came one  of  the  residents  of  this  locality 
about  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago.  A  son 
and  a  daughter  have  blessed  the  union  of 
our  subject  and  wife,  namely:  John  G.  and 
Lela  May,  both  of  whom  are  attending  the 
local  schools.  Mrs.  Myers  and  the  children 
are  actively  interested  in  the  work  of  the 
Shiloh  Methodist  church,  and  are  popular 
with  all  who -know  them. 


JF.  ZIMMER.  That  success  comes  only 
as  the  result  of  well  applied  energy,  un- 
flagging determination,  and  perseverance  in 
a  course  of  action,  when  once  decided  upon, 
it  would  be  well  if  every  one  fully  realized. 
Fortune  rarely  comes  to  the  dreamer  or 
idler  and  only  the  man  who  has  struggled 
and  wrought,  does  she  crown  with  her 
choicest  blessings.  In  tracing  the  history 
of  the  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  rec- 
ord it  is  plainly  seen  that  he  has  been  in- 
dustrious and  enterprising  and  richly  de- 
serves the  prosperity  which  he  now  enjoys. 
Mr.  Zimmer  is  a  native  of  Brownsville, 
Fayette  county,  Pennsylvania,  his  birth 
having  occurred  September  5,  1837.  His 
youth  was  passed  in  Green  county,  where 
he  obtained  a  liberal  education  in  the  pub- 
lic schools,  and  subsequently  pursued  his 
higher  studies  in  the  Waynesburg  Academy. 
Later  he  became  a  teacher  in  the  schools. 


456 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


of  his  native  state,  and  then,  because  he  be- 
lieved that  the  west  afforded  better  oppor- 
tunities to  young  men,  he  came  to  Illinois, 
where  he  readily  found  plenty  of  chances  in 
the  educational  field.  After  spending  some 
time  in  various  parts  of  the  state,  he  located 
in  Logan  county,  where  he  taught  school 
during  the  winters  and  engaged  in  farming 
the  remainder  of  the  year  for  several  sea- 
sons. He  carefully  husbanded  his  means, 
and  in  1873  came  to  Champaign  county, 
where  he  invested  in  eighty  acres  of  land. 
This  tract  was  totally  unimproved,  and  he 
set  about  the  task  of  reducing  it  to  cultiva- 
tion in  such  an  energetic  way  that  ere  long 
the  prairie  yielded  abundant  harvests  and 
brought  him  a  good  return  for  his  toil. 
For  six  winters  after  he  settled  here 
he  taught  in  the  local  shools,  and  he 
has  never  ceased  to  have  a  genuine  interest 
in  the  maintenance  of  good  schools  and  edu- 
cational advantages  for  the  young.  In  time 
he  purchased  eighty  acres  more  of  land  and 
instituted  further  improvements,  including 
the  building  of  a  substantial  house  and 
barns.  His  homestead  which  is  situated  in 
section  17,  Newcomb  township,  is  one  of 
the  best  in  the  township,  and  he  spares  no 
pains  in  keeping  everything  in.  a  thrifty  con- 
dition. In  addition  to  this  place,  he  owns 
half  a  section  of  land  in  Brown  township 
and  a  half  section  in  Vernon  county,  Mis- 
souri. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Zimrner  and  Sarah 
A.  Thompson  took  place  in  Logan  county, 
September  3,  1863.  She  was  born  in  Green 
county,  Pennsylvania,  and  received  her  ed- 
ucation there.  Two  of  the  six  children  born 
to  our  subject  and  wife  died  in  infancy. 
The  eldest  of  the  family,  L.  E.,  is  married 
and  resides  in  this  county.  The  next  son, 
L.  E.  O.,  is  also  married  and  carries  on  a 


farm  in  Brown  township.  D.  E.,  the  eldest 
daughter,  is  the  wife  of  L.  L.  Wright,  a 
farmer  of  this  township,  and  Sarah  A.  lives 
with  her  parents  at  home. 

Politically  Mr.  Zimmer  was  identified 
with  the  Democratic  party  in  former  years, 
but  more  recently  he  has  given  his  alle- 
giance to  the  Republicans.  He  has  served  as 
clerk  of  the  township,  and  has  been  justice 
of  the  peace  for  about  eight  years,  giving 
general  satisfaction  to  every  one  concerned. 
As  previously  stated,  --he  takes  great  inter- 
est in  educational  matters,  and  has  served 
on  the  school  board  for  a  number  of  years. 
Frequently  he  has  been  chosen  as  a  delegate 
to  various  conventions,  and  has  represented 
his  friends  in  an  able  manner.  Socially,  he 
is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  being  connected  with  the  lodge 
at  Fisher.  Both  himself  and  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  at 
Walker  Center. 


EORGE  B.  CRAW.  Champaign  county 
V_J  has  been  the  home  and  scene  of  labor 
of  many  men  who  have  not  only  led  lives  that 
should  serve  as  an  example  to  those  who 
come  after  them,  but  have  also  been  of  im- 
portant service  to  their  town  aud  county 
through  various  avenues  of  usefulness. 
Among  these  must  be  named  George  B. 
Craw,  one  of  the  most  highly  respected  citi- 
zens of  Sadorus,  who  passed  away  May  26, 
1895,  after  a  life  of  industry,  and  rich  in 
those  rare  possessions  which  only  a  high 
character  can  give. 

He  was  born  in  Weybridge,  Vermont, 
June  3,  1820,  and  was  the  oldest  son  of 
Allen  Craw,  whose  family  consisted  of  four 
sons  and  two  daughters  that  reached  matur- 


THE  BIOGRAHPICAL    RECORD. 


457 


ity.  George  B.  and  Samuel  were  the  first 
of  the  family  to  come  to  Champaign  county, 
Illinois,  but  were  later  joined  by  their  par- 
ents and  the  other  children,  who  came  to 
make  their  home  here.  Our  subject  grew 
to  manhood  upon  his  father's  farm  in  Ver- 
mont and  received  a  common-school  educa~ 
tion.  He  was  twenty  years  of  age,  when, 
in  1840,  the  family  emigrated -to  Illinois  and 
took  up  their  residence  in  Greene  county, 
where  the  father  purchased  a  large  farm, 
which  he  improved  with  the  aid  of  his  sturdy 
sons,  building  up  a  substantial  home.  He 
was  quite  extensively  and  successfully  en- 
gaged in  general  farming  and  stock  rais- 
ing. 

On  starting  out  in  life  for  himself,  George 
B.  Craw  purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land  in  Greene  county,  and  built 
thereon  a  house.  Having  secured  a  home, 
he  then  married  Miss  Ann  Wilkinson,  by 
whom  he  had  two  children.  The  son  died 
in  infancy,  but  the  daughter,  Florinda,  is 
now  the  wife  of  John  Lochrie,  of  Jasper 
county,  Missouri,  and  they  have  six  chil- 
dren, four  of  whom  are  married  and  have 
families  of  their  own.  Mrs.  Craw  died  in 
Greene  county  in  1854. 

Wishing  to  leave  the  scene  of  his 
troubles,  Mr.  Craw  came  with  his  brother 
Samuel  to  Champaign  county  in  1857, 
which  at  that  time  was  a  wrid,  unbroken 
prairie  and  swamp,  over  which  roamed 
wild  game  of  various  kinds.  After  years  of 
hard  work  he  succeeded  in  subduing  the 
prairies  and  converting  them  into  valuable 
farm  lands.  He  purchased  ninety  acres  of 
railroad  land  and  eighty  acres  from  private 
parties,  all  in  Colfax  township,  and  he  suc- 
cessfully operated  the  same  until  1876,  when 
he  removed  to  the  village  of  Sadorus,  where 
he  bought  several  lots,  erected  a  house,  and 


lived  retired  thereafter,  enjoying  a  well  de- 
served rest. 

In  1859  Mr.  Craw  was  again  married, 
his  second  union  being  with  Miss  Margaret 
Patterson,  who  was  born  near  Carlinville, 
Macoupin  county,  Illinois,  February  23, 
1838,  a  daughter  of  James  and  Nancy 
(Sparks)  Patterson,  the  former  a  native  of 
Kentucky,  the  latter  of  Virginia,  and  both 
belonging  to  old  families  of  their  respective 
states.  In  his  native  place  Mr.  Patterson 
was  an  overseer  on  his  father's  plantation, 
and  after  coming  to  Illinois  followed  farm- 
ing quite  extensively  on  his  own  account. 
He  was  married  in  Jacksonville,  where  Miss 
Sparks  was  living  at  that  time.  Both  were 
strong  and  active  throughout  life  and  lived 
to  an  .advanced  age,  the  former  dying  in 
1893,  aged  eighty-one  years,  the  latter  in 
1895,  aged  eighty.  They  were  consistent 
and  faithful  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  and  he  was  a  Democrat 
in  politics,  though  he  never  took  an  active 
part  in  public  affairs.  To  them  were  born 
eight  children,  one  of  whom  died  in  early 
childhood.  Those  who  reached  maturity 
were  as  follows:  Samuel,  a  farmer,  died  of 
typhoid  fever  in  1860;  Sarah,  wife  of  R. 
Reagan,  died  of  the  same  disease  the  same 
year;  Margaret  A.  is  now  Mrs.  Craw;  Mary 
is  the  widow  of  William  Crouch  and  lives 
near  the  old  homestead;  John  is  a  farmer  of 
Macoupin  county;  James  cared  for  his  par- 
ents until  their  deaths,  and  purchased  the 
interests  of  the  other  heirs  in  the  old  home- 
stead, where  he  now  resides;  Nancy  died 
unmarried. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Craw  began  their  married 
life  in  the  home  he  had  already  prepared. 
To  them  were  born  two  daughters:  (i) 
Anneta  L.  is  now  the  wife  of  William  O'Dell, 
and  they  reside  on  her  father's  old  home- 


453 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


stead  in  Colfax  township.  They  have  four 
children,  Harry,  Charles,  John  and  Annette. 
(2)  Edy-the,  an  accomplished  young  lady, 
lives  with'her  mother  in  Sadorus. 

After  hisremoval  to  the  village,  Mr.  Craw 
kept  a  fine  team  and  with  his  wife  and 
daughter  woufd  take  long  excursions,  visit- 
ing distant  relatives,  as  he  enjoyed  travel- 
ing in  that  way  in  preference  to  going  by 
rail.  He  was  very  methodical  and  with  true 
Yankee  grit  overcame  all  the  obstacles  in 
the  path  to  success.  Although  never  speak- 
ing to  offend,  he  was  always  firm,  and  was 
upright  and  honorable  in  all  his  dealings. 
By  his  generous  disposition  he  endeared 
himself  to  his  family  and  many  friends,  and 
was  always  the  first  to  hold  out  a  helping 
hand  to  the  needy  or  distressed.  In  1893 
he  was  afflicted  with  a  soreness  in  his  hand, 
which  developed  into  a  cancer,  and  after 
another  year  of  suffering  he  passed  peace- 
fully away  May  26,  1895,  surrounded  by  all 
the  members  of  his  family.  The  property 
he  acquired  was  equally  divided  between  his 
wife  and  daughters.  The  funeral  services 
were  held  at  the  church  and  his  remains 
were  interred  in  the  Craw  cemetery  in  Col- 
fax  township,  which  is  in  sight  of  his  old 
home  there.  He  was  a  devout  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  of  which 
he  was  a  trustee  for  many  years,  and  was  a 
liberal  supporter  of  all  church  work.  So- 
cially he  affiliated  with  J.  R.  Gorin  Lodge, 
No.  537,  F.  &  A.  M..  of  Sadorus,  and  po- 
litically was  identified  with  the  Republican 
party.  He  never  cared  for  political  honors, 
though  for  many  years,  while  a  resident  of 
Colfax  township,  he  was  unanimously  elected 
treasurer  of  the  schools  in  the  township  — 
a  position  he  filled  in  a  faithful  and  credit- 
able manner.  He  labored  with  all  the 
strength  of  a  greatnature  and  all  the  earnest- 


ness of  a  true  heart  for  the  bettering  of  the 
world  about  him;  and  when  he  was  called 
to  the  rest  and  reward  of  the  higher  world 
his  best  monument  was  found  in  the  love 
and  respect  of  the  community  in  which  he 
lived  for  so  many  years. 


HENRY  C.  OWEN,  a  progressive  and 
enterprising  farmer,  residing  on  section 
33,  Ayres  township,  Champaign  county,  Il- 
linois, was  born  in  Randolph  county,  North 
Carolina,  June  26,  1843,  and  is  a  son  of 
Abraham  and  Abbie  (Pierce)  Owen,  also 
natives  of  Randolph  county.  The  family 
was  originally  from  Wales  and  was  founded 
in  this  country  by  three  brothers,  one  of 
whom  was  the  great-great-grandfather  of 
our  subject.  He  located  in  North  Carolina 
in  early  colonial  days  and  continued  his 
residence  there  throughout  the  remainder 
of  his  life.  During  the  Arnold  raid  in  that 
state  the  great-grandmother  of  our  subject 
had  a  string  of  gold  beads  taken,  one  of  the 
soldiers  cutting  the  string  with  his  sword, 
and  her  husband  was  taken  into  the  woods 
and  terribly  beaten  by  them,  but  was  finally 
allowed  to  return  home,  half  dead.  The 
paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject  was 
Oliver  Owen,  who  spent  his  entire  life  in 
Randolph  county,  North  Carolina.  The 
father,  Abraham  Owen,  followed  farming 
in  that  state  until  1851,  when,  on  account 
of  his  opposition  to  slavery,  he  removed  to 
Morgan  county,  Indiana,  where  he  pur- 
chased land  and  continued  to  follow  his 
chosen  occupation  untilhis  death,  which 
occurred  December  29,  1864.  He  also  has 
a  good  knowledge  of  blacksmithing,  was  a 
natural  mechanic,  and,  when  a  young  man, 
worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade  to  some  ex- 


HENRY  C.  OWEN, 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


461 


tent.  His  wife  died  November  12,  1868. 
Both  were  active  and  consistent  members 
of  the  Methodist  church,  and  in  politics  he 
was  first  a  Whig  and  later  a  Republican. 
He  never  aspired  to  official  honors,  though 
he  always  took  an  active  interest  in  political 
affairs  and  did  all  in  his  power  for  the  suc- 
cess of  his  party. 

Our  subject  is  the  third  in  order  of  birth 
in  a  family  of  six  children,  the  others  being 
as  follows  :  Daniel,  a  resident  of  Mortons- 
ville,  Morgan  county,  Indiana;  Anstus,  who 
lives  upon  our  subject's  farm  in  Ayres  town- 
ship, this  county;  Hetty,  who  is  now  acting 
as  housekeeper  for  our  subject;  Eliza,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  thirteen  years;  and  John 
Quincy  Adams,  a  resident  of  Douglas 
county,  Illinois,  who  is  living  two  miles 
northwest  of  our  subject's  farm. 

In  the  schools  of  his  native  county 
Henry  C.  Owen  began  his  education,  but 
the  greater  part  of  it  was  obtained  in  the 
schools  of  Morgan  county,  Indiana,  where 
the  family  located  when  he  was  but  seven 
years  of  age.  On  laying  aside  his  text 
books,  at  the  age  of  seventeen  years,  he 
turned  his  attention  to  farming,  which  oc- 
cupation he  has  made  his  life  work.  His 
labors  were  interrupted  by  his  enlistment, 
in  November,  1864,  in  Company  A,  Thirty- 
third  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry,  com- 
manded by  Captain  Dilley  and  Colonel 
Burton.  After  being  mustered  in  at  Indi- 
anapolis, he  was  assigned  to  a  detached 
regiment,  of  which  Benjamin  Harrison  was 
colonel,  and  was  on  duty  in  Alabama, 
Georgia  and  Tennessee.  He  participated 
in  a  number  of  skirmishes  but  in  no  severe 
engagements  with  the  exception  of  the  bat- 
tle of  Nashville.  He  did  not  join  his  own 
regiment  until  about  April,  1865.  At  Dai- 
ton,  Georgia,  his  command  was  shut  off 

24 


from  the  main  army  by  the  rebels,  and  for 
a  month  lived  on  one-fourth  rations.  One 
night  Mr.  Owen  drew  his  beans  and  after 
eating  a  portion  decided  to  save  the  re- 
mainder for  breakfast,  but  about  midnight 
he  awoke  so  hungry  that  he  could  wait  no 
longer  and  accordingly  finished  them,  leav- 
ing nothing  for  his  breakfast.  He  has  often 
said  that  nothing  ever  tasted  as  good  to 
him  as  those  beans  eaten  in  the  middle  of 
the  night.  He  was  mustered  out  at  Indian- 
apolis, in  April,  1865. 

Immediately  after  his  return  home,  Mr. 
Owen  came  to  Illinois,  and  first  located  in 
Vermilion  county,  where  he  purchased 
forty  acres  of  land,  making  his  home  there 
until  1872.  He  then  purchased  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  on  section  33,  Ayres 
township,  Champaign  county,  and  here  he 
has  since  resided.  When  he  located  there- 
on the  farm  was  but  a  blue  grass  pasture, 
but  he  commenced  at  once  to  improve  and 
cultivate  it,  and  now  has  one  of  the  finest 
farms  of  its  size  in  his  section  of  the  county. 
He  has  given  considerable  attention  to  stock 
raising,  and  now  has  a  fine  flock  of  thor- 
ough-bred sheep,  but  of  late  years  has 
given  more  attention  to  grain.  His  first 
home  here  consisted  of  only  two  rooms, 
but  in  the  fall  of  1892  he  erected  his  pres- 
ent handsome  brick  residence,  which  is  sup- 
plied with  all  modern  conveniences,  includ- 
ing a  furnace  and  telephone. 

On  the  23d  of  April,  1871,  Mr.  Owen 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Augusta 
Anderson,  a  native  of  Sweden,  who  died 
December  14,  1893,  and  was  laid  to  rest  in 
Pleasant  Ridge  cemetery,  Douglas  county. 
She  was  a  faithful  member  of  the  Method- 
ist church  and  a  most  estimable  lady.  The 
children  born  of  this  union  were  Clara  and 
Daniel,  both  at  home.  The  son  is  being 


462 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD 


educated  at  Allerton,  Illinois,  and  when  not 
in  school  assists  his  father  on  the  farm. 

Mr.  Owen  is  a  prominent  member  of 
the  Pleasant  Ridge  Methodist  church,  of 
which  he  is  one  of  the  trustees  and  stewards, 
and  has  also  been  a  teacher  in  the  Sunday 
school  for  a  number  of  years.  The  Repub- 
lican party  finds  in  him  a  stanch  supporter 
of  its  principles,  but  he  does  not  care  for 
political  preferment,  desiring  rather  to  give 
his  individed  attention  to  his  fanning  inter- 
ests. He  has  manifested  his  interest  in 
educational  affairs  by  most  acceptably  serv- 
ing as  school  director  for  seventeen  years. 


W.  MONTGOMERY.  Not 
every  county  in  the  great  state  of  Illi- 
nois was  so  fortunate  in  the  character  of  its 
founders  as  was  Champaign  county,  and, 
undoubtedly,  much  of  its  success  and  re- 
markable prosperity  is  due  to  the  energetic, 
upright  citizens  who  came  here  when  the 
land  was  wild  and  unclaimed,  bearing  little 
promise  of  the  great  future  in  store  for  this 
region.  For  the  most  part  these  sturdy 
frontiersmen  were  law-abiding,  God-fearing 
men,  whose  second  thought,  after  building 
a  sheltering  cabin  for  their  loved  ones  and 
making  some  provision  for  their  immediate 
needs,  was  to  establish  schools  and  churches 
and  start  the  machinery  of  a  useful,  thrifty 
community.  Upon  such  a  substantial  basis, 
and  with  such  citizens,  what  could  be  ex- 
pected other  than  what  has  occurred  in  the 
history  of  this  county? — the  waste  places 
have  been  made  to  "bloom  and  blossom 
like  the  rose,"  and  happy  homes  are  to  be 
found  upon  every  hand. 

George  W.  Montgomery,  one  of  the  true 
and  loyal  citizens  of  Champaign  county  for 


the  past  forty-four  years,  was  born  in  Salem 
county,  New  Jersey,  May  15,  1843.  In 
that  same  county  his  father,  Gilpin  Mont- 
gomery, had  had  his  birth  thirty-five  years 
previously,  and  upon  arriving  at  maturity 
had  married  Elizabeth  McCoombs,  of  that 
locality.  They  removed  to  Ohio  in  the  fall 
of  1849,  and  for  a  period  of  seven  years 
were  engaged  in  farming  near  Urbana.  In 
1856  they  concluded  to  try  their  fortunes  in 
Illinois,  and  after  living  on  rented  land  in 
Mahomet  township  for  about  a  year,  they 
bought  a  partly  improved  homestead  in  the 
same  township.  Building  a  substantial 
barn  and  enlarging  the  house,  and  making 
other  marked  improvements,  they  continued 
to  prosper  and  eventually  owned  two  hun- 
dred acres  -of  productive  land.  The  wife 
and  mother  was  summoned  to  the  silent 
land  in  1864,  and  the  father  died  in  1883, 
at  the  ripe  age  of  seventy-five  years.  His 
last  years  were  passed  in  Erie,  Neosho 
county,  Kansas,  where  his  daughter,  Mary, 
wife  of  Wilson  Weeks,  also  departed  this 
life,  and  where  Abraham  Montgomery  yet 
makes  his  home.  The  oldest  surviving  son, 
Samuel  Hyde,  resides  near  Rising  Station, 
Illinois. 

As  may  be  inferred,  George  W.  Mont- 
gomery had  very  limited  educational  advan- 
tages, for  two  reasons:  first,  that  the  schools 
of  his  boyhood  in  the  localities  where  he 
dwelt  were  poor  in  character;  and,  second- 
ly, that  the  arduous  labors  of  clearing  and 
improving  farms  kept  him  extremely  busy 
the  year  round.  Even  in  the  winters,  when 
some  of  his  comrades  attended  school,  he 
usually  worked  hard  at  cutting  timber,  and 
thus  he  was  left  to  his  own  resources  in  the 
matter  of  education. 

A  very  important  event  in  the  life  of  our 
subject  occurred  when  he  was  twenty-three 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


463 


years  of  age,  as,  on  February  22,  1866  (the 
anniversary  of  the  birth  of  his  illustrious 
namesake),  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Susan  B.  King,  whose  father,  David  King, 
was  an  early  settler  of  this  county,  coming 
here  from  Kentucky.  When  he  retired 
from  active  cares  he  lived  in  Urbana  for  a 
period  and  spent  his  last  days  in  Champaign. 

After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Montgomery  be- 
gan housekeeping  upon  a  farm  in  Mahomet 
township,  and  later  he  carried  on  farming 
in  Hensley  and  Condit  townships.  In  the 
spring  of  1899  he  bought  his  present  home- 
stead, on  section  16,  Mahomet  township  — a 
place  of  fifty-three  acres.  Prior  to  this, 
however,  he  had  owned  land  in  Ludlow 
township,  but  had  not  made  his  home  there. 
He  keeps  a  good  grade  of  horses  and  Jersey 
cattle,  and  has  made  a  specialty  of  this 
branch  of  farming. 

Politically,  our  subject  has  been  a  life- 
long Democrat,  casting  his  first  presidential 
ballot  for  General  George  B.  McClelian,  in 
1864.  In  1896,  as  he  did  not  favor  the 
silver  standard,  he  voted  for  Palmer.  He 
has  never  been  an  aspirant  to  official  dis- 
tinction, nor  would  he  accept  positions 
when  urged  to  do  so.  At  the  same  time 
he  has  liberally  aided  in  the  maintenance  of 
all  worthy  local  enterprises  and  has  per- 
formed his  duty  as  a  citizen  and  neighbor. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  take  a 
deep  interest  in  the  numerous  departments 
of  work  carried  on  by  the  prosperous  de- 
nomination. 


VICTOR     ARNOLD,     an    honored    and 
highly  respected  citizen  of  Condit  town- 
ship, is  now  practically  living  a  retired  life 
on  section  16,  five  miles  from  Fisher,  where 


he  owns  a  highly  cultivated  and  desirable 
farm  of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres. 
He  dates  his  residence  in  Champaign  county 
since  the  spring  of  1865,  and  for  many  years 
he  was  actively  identified  with  its  agricultural 
interests. 

Mr.  Arnold  was  born  in  Jersey  township, 
Licking  county,  Ohio,  December  14,  1821, 
and  is  a  son  of  Charles  Arnold,  whose  birth 
occurred  in  Morris  county,  New  Jersey,  in 
1788.  His  grandfather,  Colonel  Arnold, 
served  with  distinction  as  an  officer  in  the 
Revolutionary  war,  and  his  hotel  at  Norris- 
town,  New  Jersey,  was  used  as  headquarters 
by  General  Washington  when  the  army  was 
in  camp  there.  He  was  a  prominent  man 
of  Morris  county,  and  served  as  sheriff  for 
some  time.  In  his  native  county  Charles 
Arnold  grew  to  manhood  and  married  Eliza- 
beth Wolfe,  who  was  also  born  there,  a 
daughter  of  Squire  Wolfe.  They  continued 
their  residence  there  until  after  the  birth  of 
four  of  their  children,  and  then  moved  to 
Licking  county,  Ohio,  which  at  that  time 
was  a  vast,  unbroken  wilderness.  Mr. 
Arnold  cleared  and  improved  three  farms  in 
that  county,  and  later  removed  to  Delaware 
county,  Ohio,  where  he  spent  his  last  days, 
dying  there  in  1851.  His  first  wife,  the 
mother  of  our  subject,  died  in  1823,  but  his 
last  wife  survived  him  for  a  time. 

Victor  Arnold  is  the  youngest  in  a  family 
of  eight  children,  five  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters, all  of  whom  grew  to  maturity,  but  he 
is  now  the  only  survivor.  He  was  reared 
and  educated  in  Licking  and  Delaware  coun- 
ties, and  remained  at  home,  aiding  in  the 
operation  of  the  farm,  until  sixteen  years  old. 

In  the  former  county  he  was  married,  in 
1842,  to  Miss  Ann  M.  Condit,  who  was  born 
there  and  was  a  daughter  of  Wickliff 
Condit. 


464 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Coming  to  Champaign  county,  Illinois, 
in  1865,  Mr.  Arnold  purchased  his  present 
farm  of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  on 
sections  16  and  17,  Condit  township,  which 
at  that  time  was  all. raw  prairie  land,  and 
the  only  improvement  was  an  old  house. 
He  broke  the  virgin  soil,  built  fences,  set  out 
an  orchard  in  1864,  planted  forest  and 
ornamental  trees,  erected  a  good  set  of  farm 
buildings,  and  later  built  a  comfortable  and 
commodious  residence.  He  continued  the 
cultivation  of  his  land  until  1883,  when  he 
hired  a  man  to  carry  it  on,  while  he  removed 
to  Champaign,  where  he  bought  residence 
property  and  lived  until  1895.  During  that 
year  he  returned  to  the  farm,  which  is  now 
operated  under  his  supervision  and  kept  in 
good  repair  by  him.  Forsorne  years  he  was 
extensively  engaged  in  sheep  raising,  but 
later  turned  his  attention  principally  to  cattle 
and  hogs  and  became  quite  a  successful 
farmer  and  stock  raiser, 

Mr.  Arnold  lost  his  first  wife  in  1892, 
and  her  remains  were  interred  in  Champaign 
cemetery.  She  left  five  children,  namely: 
I.  P. ,  a  business  man  of  Findlay,  Ohio;  J. 
Aubert,  a  commercial  traveler  residing  in  In- 
dianapolis; Julia,  wife  of  George  Barton,  of 
Kansas  City ;  Sarah,  a  resident  of  Champaign ; 
and  Emma  L. ,  wife  of  Rev.  R.  M.  Stephen- 
son,  a  Presbyterian  minister  now  located  in 
Omaha,  Nebraska;  Grant,  the  second  in 
order  of  birth,  died  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
nine  years,  leaving  a  wife  and  two  children. 
Our  subject  was  again  married,  in  Chicago, 
October  10,  1893,  his  second  union  being 
with  Mrs.  Mary  Rupert,  a  daughter  of 
Ephraim  Finch,  of  Monroe  county,  New 
York,  where  she  was  reared  and  educated. 
Her  first  husband,  William  A.  Rupert,  died 
in  Dubuque,  Iowa,  in  1866,  leaving  one  son, 
William  A.  Jr.,  who  is  now  married  and 


lives    in   Yates   Center,    Woodson    county, 
Kansas. 

Originally  Mr.  Arnold  was  an  old-line 
Whig  in  politics  and  cast  his  first  presidential 
ballot  for  Henry  Clay,  but  is  now  identified 
with  the  Democratic  party.  He  was  offici- 
ally connected  with  the  schools  of  his  dis- 
trict for  a  number  of  years,  both  in  Ohio 
and  Illinois,  and  has  always  taken  a  deep 
and  commendable  interest  in  educational 
affairs.  He  and  his  wife  are  consistent 
members  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and 
are  highly  respected  and  esteemed  by  all 
who  know  them  on  account  of  their  sterling 
worth  and  many  excellences  of  character. 


/"CHARLES  NOFFTZ,  a  highly  respected' 
V_y  farmer  and  large  land  owner  residing 
on  section  8,  Pesotum  township,  has  through 
his  own  well-directed  efforts  met  with  won- 
derful success  in  life,  and  is  now  able  to  lay 
aside  all  business  cares  and  spend  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life  in  ease  and  quiet.  As  a 
young  man  of  twenty-three  years  he  came 
to  America,  and  with  no  capital  started 
out  in  a  strange  land  to  overcome  the  dif- 
ficulties and  obstacles  in  the  path  to  pros- 
perity. His  youthful  dreams  have  been 
realized,  and  in  their  happy  fulfillment  he 
sees  the  fitting  reward  of  his  earnest  toil. 

Mr.    Nofftz   was  born   in    Prussia,   Ger- 
many, in  1834,  a  son  of  Charles  and  Anna 
Mary  Nofftz,  also  natives  of    that   country. 
The  father,  who  was  a  laborer  and  well  re- 
spected by  his  neighbors,  died  in  his  native 
land    in    1854,    leaving  a   widow    and    nine 
children,    four    sons    and    five    daughters. 
About  three  years  after  his  death  the  fa  mil] 
emigrated  to  America,    where  the  childrer 
have  made  homes  for  themselves  and  rearec 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


465 


their  families.  Six  of  therr.  are  still  living, 
namely:  Caroline,  wife  of  August  Kreiger, 
a  respected  farmer  of  Pesotum  township, 
this  county;  Minnie,  the  wife  of  F.  Bial- 
eschke,  a  large  land  owner  of  the  same 
township;  Anna,  wife  of  Theodore  Prestine, 
a  farmer  of  Pesotum  township;  Gertrude, 
widow  of  a  Mr.  Esner,  of  Chicago,  where 
she  resides;  Charles,  our  subject;  and  Al- 
bert, a  farmer  of  Pesotum  township.  The 
mother  passed  away  at  the  home  of  our  sub- 
ject in  1880. 

In  the  common  schools  of  his  native 
land  Charles  Nofftz  acquired  a  good,  prac- 
tical education,  and  after  leaving  school 
worked  as  a  laborer,  for  some  years.  He 
was  twenty-three,  when  with  his  mother  and 
her  family  he  came  to  the  United  States, 
where  a  brother  and  sister  of  our  subject 
had  previously  located.  He  spent  three 
months  in  Chicago  working  for  his  brother- 
in-law,  who  had  advanced  the  money  to  pay 
his  passage,  and  then  came  to  Champaign 
county,  where  he  was  employed  as  a  farm 
laborer  for  several  years.  He  was  not  only 
without  capital,  but  was  unable  to  speak 
the  English  language,  and  had  to  begin  life 
here  at  the  bottom  of  the  ladder,  which  he 
successfully  mounted  by  hard  work  a.nd  per- 
severance. 

In  1 86 1  Mr.  Nofftz  married  Miss  Sophia 
Messman,  a  native  of  Germany,  who  came 
to  this  country  with  her  parents.  Of  the 
eleven  children  bon  of  this  union,  one  died  in 
infancy,  and  Dora  died  at  the  age  of  nine- 
teen years.  Those  living  are  as  follows:  (i) 
Albert  J.,  a  prosperous  farmer  of  Pesotum 
township,  is  married  and  has  four  chil- 
dren, Henry,  Emma,  Clara  and  Walter.  (2) 
Rosa  is  the  wife  of  Charles  Cekender,  of  the 
same  township,  and  they  have  nine  children 
Albert,  Minnie,  Charles,  William,  Harry, 


Edward,  Julia,  Kate  and  Edith.  (3)  Will- 
iam, who  lives  upon  a  part  of  his  father's 
farm  and  also  owns  eighty  acres  of  land,  is 
married  and  has  three  children,  Chester, 
Marie  and  William.  (4)  John,  a  farmer  of 
Champaign  township,  is  married  and  has 
two  children,  Clarence  and  Howard.  (5) 
Julia  is  the  wife  of  Paul  Messman  and  has 
two  children  Clarene  and  Mabel.  (6)  George, 
(7)  Charels  and  (8)  Katie  are  all  at  home  with 
their  parents.  (9)  Fred,  who  lives  on  a  farm 
adjoining  his  father's  is  married  and  has  one 
child. 

For  about  three  years  after  his  marriage 
Mr.  Nofftz  continued  to  work  for  others  as 
a  farm  hand,  but  in  1864  purchased  twenty 
acres  of  prairie  land,  and  when  that  was 
paid  for  he  bought  another  twenty  acres. 
He  would  work  by  the  month  for  neighbors 
and  after  the  day's  work  was  done  would 
return  home  and  devote  his  evenings  to  the 
improvement  of  his  own  place,  building 
fences,  cribs,  etc.  In  this  way  he  secured 
a  start  until  able  to  give  his  entire  time  and 
attention  to  his  own  farming.  Success 
attended  his  efforts  and  he  added  to  his  farm 
from  time  to  time  until  he  now  has  four 
hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  valuable  and 
well  improved  land  in  Pesotum  township, 
besides  an  improved  farm  of  the  same  size 
in  Franklin  county,  Nebraska.  Now,  after 
many  long  years  of  hard  work,  he  is  able  to 
retire  from  active  labor  and  enjoy  a  well- 
deserved  rest.  He  has  made  all  of  the  im- 
provements upon  his  place,  including  the 
erection  of  good  and  substantial  buildings 
and  the  planting  of  an  orchard  and  smaller 
friends.  With  the  aid  of  his  sons  and  by 
good  management  he  has  acquired  a  com- 
fortable competence,  but  while  struggling  to 
get  a  start  in  life,  he  was  forced  to  endure 
all  kinds  of  hardships  and  privations,  which 


466 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


seems  to  him  now  almost  impossible.  All 
of  the  sons  remained  home  and  assisted  their 
father  until  they  were  twenty-one  years  of 
age.  He  then  gave  each  one  a  good  team 
of  horses,  wagon  and  harness  and  let  them 
have  eighty  acres  of  land  to  which  to  start 
in  life. 

As  a  Republican,  Mr.  Nofftz  takes  an 
active  interest  in  political  affairs,  but  has 
never  been  prevailed  upon  to  accept  office, 
though  several  positions  have  been  offered 
him.  He  is  an  active  and  prominent  mem- 
ber of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  church  of 
Sadorus,  of  which  he  is  a  liberal  supporter, 
and  was  a  large  contributer  to  the  fund  for 
the  erection  of  the  new  church.  He  is  a 
quiet,  unassuming  man,  but  makes  many 
friends,  and  is  held  in  high  regard  by  all 
who  know  him. 


HUGH  MITCHELL.  For  over  forty 
years  this  gentleman  has  resided  in 
Champaign  county,  and  his  name  is  insep- 
arably connected  with  its  agricultural  inter- 
ests, his  present  home  being  on  section  33, 
Brown  township.  His  thoroughly  Ameri- 
can spirit  and  his  great  energy  have  enabled 
him  to  mount  from  a  lowly  position  to  one 
of  affluence.  One  of  his  leading  charac- 
teristics in  business  affairs  is  his  fine  sense 
of  order  and  complete  system  and  the 
habit  of  giving  careful  attention  to  details, 
without  which  success  in  any  undertaking 
is  never  an  assured  fact.  He  is  a  man  of 
intrinsic  worth,  esteemed  in  all  the  relations 
of  life. 

Mr.  Mitchell  was  born  in  Lancaster 
county,  Pennsylvania,  February  22,  1834. 
His  father,  John  Mitchell,  was  born  in 
Maryland,  in  1802,  and  when  a  young  man 


went  to  Lancaster  county,  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  married  Nancy  Edgar,  a  native  of 
that  state.  He  moved  to  Ohio  in  1834  and 
opened  up  a  farm  in  Harrison  county. 
Being  a  blacksmith  by  trade,  he  also  built  a 
shop,  and  engaged  in  that  business  in  con- 
nection with  farming.  About  1860  he  dis- 
posed of  his  property  in  Ohio,  and  joinec 
his  children  in  Illinois,  locating  in  New- 
comb  township,  Champaign  county.  His 
last  years  were  spent  at  the  home  of  GUI 
subject,  where  he  died  in  the  spring  of 
1896.  His  wife  had  passed  away  some 
years  previous,  dying  in  1874. 

In  Harrison  county,  Ohio,  Hugh  Mitch- 
ell grew  to  manhood,  and  as  his  school 
privileges  were  limited  he  is  practically 
self-educated  as  well  as  a  self  made  man. 
In  1856  he  came  to  Illinois,  and  spent  three 
years  in  herding-  sheep  in  Sangamon  county. 
In  the  spring  of  1859  he  came  to  Cham- 
paign county,  where  he  operated  a  rentec 
farm  for  a  time,  and  with  the  money  h( 
managed  to  save  he  purchased  eighty  acre 
of  land  in  Ringgold  county,  Iowa.  He  sooi 
returned  to  this  county,  however,  and  en- 
gaged in  farming  here  upon  rented  land 
until  the  Civil  war  broke  out. 

In  1862  Mr.  Mitchell  enlisted  as  fiftl 
sergeant  in  Company  F,  One  Hundred  and 
Twenty-fifth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry, 
and  was  later  promoted  to  second  sergeant. 
His  regiment  was  assigned  to  the  Army  of 
Tennessee,  and  participated  in  the  battles  of 
Perryville,  Kenesaw  Mountain,  Chicka- 
mauga  and  Missionary  Ridge.  They  were 
in  the  numerous  engagements  of  the  At- 
lanta campaign,  and  assisted  in  capturing 
Jonesboro,  the  key  to  Atlanta.  After  the 
fall  of  the  latter  city,  they  went  with  Sher- 
man on  the  march  to  the  sea,  and  ther 
through  the  Carolinas,  taking  part  in  the 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


467 


battle  of  Bentonville — the  last  engagement 
of  the  war.  From  there  they  marched  to 
Richmond  and  on  to  Washington,  D.  C., 
where  they  took  part  in  the  grand  review. 
Mr.  Mitchell  was  never  confined  to  the  hos- 
pital and  lost  no  time  from  sickness.  At 
Washington  he  was  mustered  out,  and  hon- 
orably discharged  at  Chicago,  in  June, 
1865. 

After  the  war  Mr.  Mitchell  located  in 
Bloomington,  Illinois,  where  he  engaged  in 
buying  and  shipping  stock  for  about  a  year. 
He  traded  his  Iowa  farm  for  eighty  acres  of 
land  in  Newcomb  township.  Champaign 
county,  upon  which  he  located  in  1866,  and 
again  turned  his  attention  to  agricultural 
pursuits.  He  added  to  his  farm  forty  acres, 
and  later  two  eighty-acre  tracts,  making 
two  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  valuable 
land  in  a  body,  upon  which  he  built  a  good 
substantial  residence  and  barn.  Subse- 
quently he  bought  a  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  in  the  same  township,  and 
made  many  valuable  improvements  thereon. 
After  operating  it  until  1892,  he  purchased 
the  farm  of  four  hundred  and  forty  acres  in 
Brown  township,  where  he  has  since  made 
his  home.  He  is  a  hard-working  and  indus- 
trious man  of  good  business  and  executive 
ability,  and  is  to-day  one  of  the  most  sub- 
stantial citizens  of  his  community,  having 
accumulated  a  fine  estate  of  eight  hundred 
acres  of  land,  divided  into  three  well-im- 
proved and  valuable  farms. 

In  this  county,  Mr.  Mitchell  was  mar- 
ried. September  20,  1870,  to  Miss  Elizabeth 
J.  Groves,  a  native  of  Bunker  Hill,  Macou- 
pin  county,  Illinois,  and  a  daughter  of  Rev. 
Isaac  Groves,  of  Champaign.  She  received 
a  good  education  and  successfully  engaged 
in  teaching  for  some  years  prior  to  her  mar- 
riage. By  this  union  were  born  eight  chil 


dren:  Ralph  is  married  to  Miss  Minerva 
Hinton,  and  is  engaged  in  farming  in  New- 
comb  township;  Charley  married  Miss  Anna 
Cornell  and  follows  the  same  occupation  in 
Brown  township;  Nellie  is  the  wife  of  O.  N. 
Kurtz,  a  farmer  of  this  county;  Minnie  is 
the  wife  of  Adrian  Wornmeldorff,  also  a 
farmer  of  this  county,  John,  Roy,  Frank, 
and  Belle,  all  at  home  attending  the  local 
school. 

Since  voting  for  John  C.  Fremont  in 
1856,  Mr.  Mitchell  has  supported  every 
presidential  candidate  of  the  Republican 
party,  but  has  never  sought  political  pre- 
ferment. He  has  been  connected  with  the 
school  board  for  several  years,  and  always 
takes  an  active  interest  in  any  enterprise 
calculated  to  advance  the  welfare  of  his 
township  and  county.  He  is  an  honored 
member  of  the  Grand  Army.Dewey  Post,  of 
Fisher,  and  both  he  and  his  wife  hold  mem- 
bership in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
of  Shiloh. 


JOSEPH  D.  TAYLOR,  one  of  the  enter 
prising  farmers  of  Champaign  county,  is 
a  self  made  man,  owing  his  present  suc- 
cess and  influence  in  the  community  to  his 
own  industry  and  enterprise  in  the  manage- 
ment of  his  business  affairs.  He  has  been 
a  friend  to  education  and  progress  along  all 
lines,  and  has  used  his  ballot  and  means  for 
the  promotion  of  the  public  weal. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
Simon  Taylor,  was  born  in  Virginia  and  at 
an  early  day  removed  to  Bourbon  county, 
Kentucky.  In  that  locality  John  H.  Taylor 
was  born  in  1809,  and  upon  arriving  at  ma- 
turity he  wedded  Eliza  Liter,  a  native  of  the 
same  county.  They  continued  to  dwell  there, 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


engaged  in    agricultural    pursuits   until    the 
death  of  Mr.  Taylor,  in  1849. 

One  of  the  children  of  John  H.  and  Eliza 
Taylor  was  Joseph  D.,  whose  birth  took 
place  August  4,  1834,  on  the  old  homestead 
in  Bourbon  count)'.  He  received  some  ed- 
ucation in  the  subscription  schools  of  the 
period  and  early  mastered  the  details  of 
farming  under  his  father's  judicious  super- 
vision. In  1861  he  came  to  Champaign 
county,  where  he  had  previously  purchased 
land,  and  where  his  widowed  mother  had 
taken  up  her  abode  some  ten  years  before. 
Arriving  here,  the  young  man  managed  his 
mother's  homestead  for  two  years,  and  then 
traded  his  own  property  in  Mahomet  town- 
ship for  another  tract  near  his  present  res- 
idence. About  that  time  he  returned  to 
his  native  state  and  was  married,  and  with 
his  bride  began  housekeeping  on  his  new 
homestead,  where  they  dwelt  for  seventeen 
years.  A  good  opportunity  then  presenting 
itself,  he  traded  that  place  for  another  one, 
comprising  one  hundred  and  nine  acres,  in 
the  same  township.  He  has  remodeled  the 
house  and  made  various  substantial  improve- 
ments, and  to-day  the  place  is  considered 
one  of  the  valuable  and  truly  desirable  farms 
in  the  township.  He  has  made  a  business  of 
keeping  a  high  grade  of  live  stock,  and  rare- 
ly fails  in  any  of  his  undertakings,  E.S  he  uses 
excellent  judgment  and  common  sense. 
Aided  by  his  wife,  who  has,  indeed,  been  a 
true  helpmate,  he  has  amassed  a  compe- 
tency and  need  have  no  fear  for  his  declin- 
ing years.  He  has  served  as  a  director  of 
the  local  school  board,  but  has  not  been  an 
aspirant  to  public  office.  Politically,  he  is 
a  Democrat  of  no  uncertain  stamp,  and  has 
been  loyal  to  his  party  ever  since  casting  his 
first  ballot  for  Millard  Fillmore  in  1856. 

In  Bath  county,  Kentucky,  the  marriage 


of  Mr.  Taylor  and  Nancy  Spratt  was  solem- 
nized January  12,  1864.  She  was  born  in 
the  county  mentioned,  a  daughter  of  A.  G. 
and  Mary  Ann  (Duty)  Spratt,  also  of  Ken- 
tucky. Eight  children  blessed  the  union  of 
Mr.  Taylor  and  wife.  George  A.  is  married 
and  resides  in  Wyoming,  and  Hattie  is  the 
wife  of  George  C.  Williams,  a  farmer  of  this 
county.  Alice  and  Eliza  D.,  young  ladies, 
are  at  home,  and  Mamie  A.  is  one  at  the 
successful  teachers  of  the  county  schools. 
J.  Frank  and  Grace  are  attending  the  local 
schools.  Kate  was  called  to  the  better  land 
when  in  the  eighth  year  of  her  age.  When 
she  was  young,  Mrs.  Taylor  joined  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  in  her  native 
state,  and  ever  since  that  time  she  has  led  a 
beautiful  Christian  life.  Both  she  and  her 
estimable  husband  possess  many  of  the  traits 
of  character  that  inevitably  endear,  and  their 
friends  are  numbered  only  by  their  acquaint- 
ances. 


CAPTAIN  JOSEPH  DAVIDSON,  de- 
v_>  ceased,  was  one  of  the  prominent  men 
of  Philo  township,  as  well  as  one  of  its  most 
successful  and  prosperous  farmers.  He  was 
born  in  Toronto,  Lawrence  county,  Ohio, 
June  15,  1820,  a  son  of  Colonel  Joseph 
and  Amy  Davidson.  The  father  was  a 
very  influential  and  popular  citizen  of  that 
county,  where  he  served  as  sheriff  for  many 
years;  was  also  a  representative  from  his  dis- 
trict to  the  Legislature  for  four  years,  and 
was  an  officer  in  the  war  of  1812.  By  his 
first  marriage  he  had  only  one  child,  Joseph, 
our  subject.  The  wife  and  mother  died  in 
1829,  and  he  was  again  married.  Four 
children  were  born  of  the  second  union, 
one  son  and  three  daughters,  all  of  whom 
are  now  deceased. 


CAPT.  JOSEPH  DAVIDSON. 


.     THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


Captain  Davidson  remained  on  the  home 
place  until  seventeen  years  of  age,  and 
being  a  poor  boy  he  sought  any  kind  of  em- 
ployment for  his  support.  For  about  eight 
years  he  was  connected  with  the  flat  boats 
on  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  rivers,  plying 
between  Cincinnati  and  New  Orleans,  and 
experienced  the  usual  hardships  and  difficul- 
ties of  river  men.  Later  he  operated  a 
boat  on  the  Tennessee  river,  and  during  the 
war  of  the  Rebellion  was  employed  by  the 
United  States  government,  transporting 
troops  and  supplies.  In  this  business  he 
met  with  excellent  success  financially.  He 
became  captain  of  the  J.  H.  Dohn,  and 
later  built  the  J.  H.  Dohn  No.  2,  of  which 
he  was  in  command.  He  transported  the 
first  prisoners  from  Fort  Donelson  to  Vicks- 
burg  for  exchange,  but  later  his  craft  was 
used  entirely  by  the  army  officials.  He  was 
one  of  the  most  skillful  pilots  on  the  river, 
and  continued  in  that  business  until  1864, 
when  he  sold  his  boats  and  returned  to  Iron- 
ton,  Ohio,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  business  with  his  brother-in-law 
as  partner  and  manager  for  a  year,  at  the 
end  of  which  time  he  came  to  Champaign 
county,  Illinois,  but  for  two  years  longer 
retained  his  interest  in  the  business. 

In  1850  Captain  Davidson  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Eliza  Frampton,  an 
estimable  lady  and  a  native  of  Ohio, 
and  to  them  were  bom  six  children,  two  of 
whom  are  now  living,  Ada,  wife  of  Chester 
E.  Bowman,  a  successful  farmer  of  Tolono 
township,  this  county,  by  whom  she  has 
one  son.  Joseph  C. ;  and  Joseph  M.,  a  grain 
inspector  of  St.  Louis.  The  wife  and 
mother  died  at  their  home  in  Ohio,  in  1856, 
and  the  Captain  was  again  married,  in  1865, 
his  second  union  being  with  Miss  Susan  F. 
Hover,  a  native  of  Chester  county,  Pennsyl- 


vania, and  a  daughter  of  David  and  Eliza- 
beth (Frame)  Hover,  natives  of  Maryland. 
The#  spent  their  last  days  in  Ohio.  Mrs. 
Davidson  had  a  grandfather  and  an  uncle 
who  were  soldiers  in  the  war  of  1812,  and 
another  uncle  in  the  Civil  war.  She  also 
had  three  brothers  in  the  latter  conflict: 
David  E.,  a  major;  James  V.,  a  captain; 
and  Henry  S. ,  a  private.  The  la?t  named 
was  discharged  at  the  end  of  three  years 
from  the  service  on  account  of  illness,  but 
the  others  served  all  through  the  war.  In 
the  family  were  eleven  children,  seven  sons 
and  four  daughters,  all  of  whom  reached 
years  of  maturity,  married  and  had  families. 
Those  still  living  are  Mary  J.,  widow  of  L. 
Minx,  and  a  resident  of  Parkersburg,  West 
Virginia;  Melissa,  widow  of  William  Nich- 
ols and  a  resident  of  Belpre,  Ohio;  Allie  E., 
wife  of  Rev.  Thomas  H.  Rymer,  of  Ripley, 
West  Virginia,  by  whom  she  has  two  sons 
and  a  daughter,  one  son  now  attending  the 
St.  Louis  Medical  College;  Susan,  widow  of 
our  subject;  William  M.,  who  lives  in  Den- 
'  ver,  Colorado,  and  is  interested  in  the  Crip- 
ple Creek  gold  mines;  and  Fleming  S.,  a 
ranch  owner  and  real  estate  dealer  of  Le 
Mar,  Colorado. 

On  coming  to  this  county,  Captain  Dav- 
idson made  his  home  in  Champaign  for 
two  years,  but  preferring  a  more  quiet  life 
than  the  city  affords,  he  purchased  a  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in 
Philo  township,  to  the  improvement  and 
cultivation  of  which  he  devoted  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life.  He  built  a  comfortable 
residence,  good  and  substantial  outbuildings 
for  the  accommodation  of  his  stock,  planted 
an  orchard,  set  out  ornamental  trees  and 
shrubbery,  and  in  other  ways  beautified  his 
place.  He  also  extended  its  boundaries 
from  time  to  time  until  he  became  one  of 


472 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  largest  land  owners  of  his  community, 
having  over  six  hundred  acres  of  well  im- 
proved land  at  the  time  of  his  death,  upon 
which  he  had  expended  several  thousand 
dollars  for  tiling. 

Captain  Davidson  died  at  his  home, 
April  28,  1898,  and  at  his  request  was  buried 
on  the  farm  which  he  loved  so  well.  He 
was  a  kind  and  considerate  husband  and 
father,  and  was  popular  with  his  many 
friends.  Although  he  met  with  some  re- 
verses in  life,  he  steadily  prospered  in  his 
undertakings,  and  the  success  that  came  to 
him  was  due  entirely  to  his  own  good 
management,  hard  work,  perseverance  and 
enterprise,  for  on  starting  out  in  life  for 
himself  he  was  in  limited  circumstances 
and  at  his  death  was  a  comparatively  wealthy 
man.  He  was  a  Republican  in  politics  but 
never  cared  for  the  honors  or  emoluments 
of  public  office,  preferring  to  give  his  undi- 
vided attention  to  his  home  and  farming  in- 
terests. He  was  a  very  charitable  man, 
thinking  nothing  but  good  of  all  men.  He 
assisted  many  men  to  get  a  start  in  life,  and 
in  all  things  was  extremely  liberal.  Mrs. 
Davidson  is  a  most  estimable  woman,  loved 
and  respected  by  all  who  know  her.  For  a 
third  of  a  century  she  was  a  true  and  faith- 
ful helpmeet  to  her  husband,  and  now  cher- 
ishes and  reveres  his  memory  with  a  love  that 
time  cannot  efface.  She  is  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  still  re- 
taining her  membership  in  the  old  church 
in  Ohio,  which  she  joined  when  thirteen 
years  of  age. 


TJEZEKIAH  S.  NICHOLS.  In  study- 
l  I  ing  the  lives  and  characters  of  promi- 
nent men,  we  are  naturally  led  to  inquire 


into  ths  sscret  of  their  success  and  the  mo- 
tives that  have  prompted  their  action.  Suc- 
cess is  a  question  of  genius,  as  held  by  many, 
but  is  it  not  rather  a  matter  of  experience 
and  sound  judgment;  for  when  we  trace  the 
career  of  those  who  stand  highest  in  public 
esteem,  we  find  in  nearly  every  case  that 
they  are  those  who  have  risen  gradually, 
fighting  their  way  in  the  face  of  all  opposi- 
tion, self-reliance,  conscientiousness,  ener- 
gy, honesty — these  are  the  traits  of  charac- 
ter that  insure  the  highest  emoluments  and 
greatest  success,  and  to  these  may  we  at- 
tribute the  success  that  has  crowned  the 
efforts  of  Mr.  Nichols,  a  prominent  busi- 
ness man  of  Sadorus,  Illinois. 

He  was  born  in  Fairfield,  Connecticut, 
April  ii,  1833,  and  is  the  eldest  son  of 
Judson  and  Mary  A.  (Wells)  Nichols,  also 
natives  of  Fairfield,  where  for  generations 
the  Nichols  family  has  lived  and  flourished, 
his  ancestors  being  among  the  early  Pil- 
grims. The  father  was  born  July  19,  1795, 
and  in  early  life  followed  the  sea,  being 
owner  and  captain  of  a  vessel  in  the  mer- 
chant service,  plying  between  New  York 
and  Boston.  He  followed  that  life  for  a 
number  of  years,  but  later  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  agricultural  pursuits,  being  thus  en- 
gaged at  the  time  of  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  Fairfield,  December  14,  1858. 
His  wife  survived  him  many  years,  and 
made  several  visits  to  our  subject  with  her 
daughter,  who  lived  with  her.  She  was 
born  April  27,  1806,  and  died  in  Connecti- 
cut July  5,  1871.  One  son,  Franklin 
Wells,  born  in  1836,  served  as  a  soldier  of 
the  Civil  war  in  a  division  under  General 
Banks,  and  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-six 
years,  from  disease  contracted  in  the  ser- 
vice. Thus  the  family  gave  one  noble  boy 
for  their  country's  cause.  Mary  J.,  the 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


473 


only  daughter,  born  in  1840,  married  David 
H.  Sherword,  and  both  are  now  deceased. 

During  his  boyhood  Hezekiah  S.  Nich- 
ols attended  the  common  schools  and  an 
academy  of  his  native  state.  When  a  lad 
of  fifteen  he  found  employment  on  a  mer- 
chant vessel  engaged  in  the  coasting  trade, 
and  at  the  age  of  nineteen  made  his  first 
trip  round  Cape  Horn,  bound  for  San  Fran- 
cisco, as  second  mate  of  the  vessel.  Arriv- 
ing in  that  city,  he  remained  there  in 
service  on  the  coast  and  rivers  of  California 
for  four  years,  when  he  decided  to  return  to 
his  home  in  Connecticut.  He  made  the 
journey  by  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  being 
there  while  Walker  and  his  filibustering 
party  were  at  work.  On  his  arrival  home 
he  gave  up  a  sailor's  life,  in  1856,  after  hav- 
ing followed  it  for  fourteen  years. 

On  the  5th  of  July,  1856,  Mr.  Nichols 
left  New  York,  for  Chicago,  and  then,  with 
letters  of  introduction  to  prominent  men,  he 
came  to  this  county,  looking  for  a  location. 
In  driving  over  the  county  he  selected  a 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Col- 
fax  township,  which  he  purchased  and  im- 
proved, operating  it  with  varied  success  for 
seven  years. 

After  locating  upon  his  property  and 
partly  improving  it,  Mr.  Nichols  was  mar- 
ried, January  18,  1858,  to  Miss  Eliza  H. 
Wilkinson,  who  was  born  in  Greenfield, 
Illinois,  in  December,  1836.  Her  parents 
were  natives  of  England,  and  on  coming  to 
this  country  first  located  in  Virginia,  but 
later  removed  to  Greene  county,  Illinois, 
where  their  deaths  occurred.  Of  their  chil- 
dren only  two  survive,  namely:  Thomas,  a 
resident  of  Beatrice,  Nebraska;  and  Eliza 
H.,  wife  of  our  subject.  Nine  children 
were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nichols,  but  five 
died  in  early  childhood.  The  others  are  as 


follows:  Judson,  born  December  8,  1859, 
in  Sadorus,  is  now  associated  with  his 
father  in  business,  as  manager  and  partner. 
He  married  Emma  Ford,  of  this  county, 
and  they  have  five  children,  Hezekiah  O., 
Judson,  Jr.,  Mary  E.,  Stanley  and  Sturgis, 
twins.  Mary,  born  in  1866,  is  at  home 
with  her  parents.  Edna,  born  April  26, 
1870,  is  the  wife  of  William  Styan,  an  em- 
ploye of  Joseph  Kuhn,  a  clothier  of  Cham- 
paign, where  they  make  their  home,  and 
they  have  one  child,  Gladys.  Lydia,  born 
in  1896,  is  the  wife  of  Charles  Rock,  of 
Champaign,  an  employe  of  Ottenheimer. 

After  residing  upon  his  farm  in  Colfax 
township  for  seven  years,  Mr.  Nichols  sold 
his  personal  effects,  rented  the  place,  and 
returned  to  his  boyhood  home,  remaining 
there  two  years.  On  again  coming  to  Cham- 
paign county,  he  purchased  property  in  the 
village  of  Sadorus  and  erected  a  modern 
residence  equipped  with  all  the  conveniences 
obtainable.  He  has  eight  acres  adjoining 
the  village,  upon  which  he  has  set  out  fruit 
trees  and  shrubs,  and  has  made  his  place 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  homes  in  the 
locality. 

Having  acquired  in  his  travels  good  busi- 
ness ability,  and  wishing  to  broaden  his 
sphere  of  usefulness,  he  purchased  on  old 
mill  and  elevator  in  Sadorus,  which  he  has 
enlarged  and  remodelled  at  an  expense  of 
several  thousand  dollars,  and  now  has  the 
largest  and  best  equipped  elevator  on  the 
western  division  of  the  Wabash  Railroad. 
It  has  fourteen  dumps,  with  a  bin  capacity 
of  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand 
bushels,  and  is  supplied  with  facilities  for 
grinding  and  shelling  grain,  the  machinery 
being  operated  by  a  forty-horse-power  en- 
gine. For  several  years  Mr.  Nichols  has 
handled  and  shipped  more  grain  than  any 


474 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


two  men  on  the  divison,  and  during  the 
busy  season  has  averaged  about  seventy-five 
carloads  of  corn  per  month.  He  spares 
no  expense  in  keeping  his  elevator  in  repair, 
and  it  is  one  of  the  most  substantial  and 
thoroughly  equipped  buildings  of  its  kind  in 
the  county.  Mr.  Nichols  has  carried  on  the 
grain  business  with  marked  success  since 
1865,  and  also  deals  in  lumber  and  coal, 
and  owns  and  operates  a  general  mercan- 
tile store  with  a  good  paying  trade.  For  a 
number  of  years  he  has  been  interested  in 
the  private  banking  business,  and  having  the 
entire  confidence  of  the  community,  his  de- 
posits amount  to  many  thousand  dollars. 
Associated  with  him  is  his  son  Judson,  who 
is  manager  of  the  business,  under  the  firm 
name  of  H.  S.  Nichols  &  Son.  Both  are  very 
competent  and  thorough  business  men,  and 
in  all  lines  do  the  leading  business  of  the 
town.  Mr.  Nichols'  landed  property  now 
amounts  to  about  six  hundred  acres  of  land, 
and  under  his  supervision  it  has  been  placed 
under  excellent  cultivation,  thoroughly  tiled 
and  well  improved,  being  considered  some 
of  the  best  farming  property  in  the  town- 
ship where  it  is  located. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Nichols  is  a 
Republican,  but  has  never  sought  public 
prominence,  though  he  has  often  had  official 
positions  offered  him.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  school  board  when  the  school  house 
was  erected  at  Sadorus,  and  served  as  jus- 
tice of  the  peace  four  years.  He  has  al- 
ways been  interested  in  securing  anything 
that  would  be  of  advantage  to  his  town, 
and  to  all  charitable  and  church  work  he  is 
a  liberal  giver,  although  not  a  member  of 
any  religious  denomination.  Fraternally  he 
has  been  an  Odd  Fellow  for  many  years, 
and  is  also  a  member  of  J.  R.  Gordon  Lodge, 
No.  537,  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Sadorus. 


In  1879,  in  company  with  a  friend, 
Mr.  Nichols,  went  to  Europe,  and  spent 
several  months  sight-seeing  in  the  different 
countries,  visiting  Switzerland,  Italy,  Ger- 
many, England,  Scotland  and  Holland, 
and  all  places  of  interest  and  historical  fame 
in  each  country.  This  proved  a  very  inter- 
esting and  instructive,  as  well  as  enjoyable 
trip.  In  his  own  state  he  has  seen  and 
noted  the  wonderful  changes  that  have  taken 
place  in  the  last  half  century.  The  barren 
prairies  have  been  converted  into  valuable 
farming  lands  and  drives,  ranging  in  early 
days  from  one  dollar  and  a  quarter  to  five 
dollars  per  acre,  having  risen  to  seventy-five 
and  one  hundred  dollars  per  acre.  In  those 
pioneer  days  he  roughed  it  with  the  early 
settlers  for  several  years,  and  has  ever  borne 
his  part  in  the  development  and  upbuilding 
of  the  county.  He  is  a  man  whom  it  is  a 
pleasure  to  meet,  being  of  a  hospitable  and 
jolly  disposition, — one  who  enjoys  hearing 
and  telling  a  good  story,  and  in  business 
life  he  is  courteous  and  obliging.  He  is 
widely  and  favorably  known  as  one  of  the 
foremost  business  men  of  wealth  in  the 
county,  and  as  such  is  deserving  of  promi- 
nent mention  in  this  volume. 


EDMUND  R.  WADE,  a  well-known  and 
highly  esteemed  citizen  of  Brown  town- 
ship, Champaign  county,  Illinois,  owns  and 
operates  a  fine  farm  of  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  on  sections  34  and  35,  within 
two  miles  of  Fisher.  He  is  a  progressive 
agriculturist  and  a  man  of  good  business 
ability,  who  carries  forward  to  successful 
complete  whatever  he  undertakes. 

A  native    of    Ohio,  Mr.  Wade  was   born 
in  Adams  county,  October  29,   1847,  and  is 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


475 


a  son  of  Marcus  L.  Wade,  who  was  born  on 
the  same  farm  in  1818.  The  grandfather, 
Zephamiah  Wade,  was  a  native  of  Maryland 
and  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Adams  county, 
Ohio,  locating  there  in  1792.  Being  a  sur- 
veyor by  profession,  he  helped  Israel  Donald- 
son survey  that  part  of  the  state.  The 
father  of  our  subject  is  the  youngest  and 
only  survivor  in  a  family  of  fifteen  children, 
seven  of  whom  died  in  childhood.  The 
other  lived  to  a  remarkable  old  age,  William 
being  ninety-two  years  at  the  time  of  his 
death;  Elijah,  eighty-six;  Washburn,  eighty- 
four;  Lydia,  ninety-five;  Mrs.  Christina 
Trenary,  eighty-four;  Mrs.  Ann  Pennywitt, 
eighty,  and  Mrs.  Mahala  Naylor,  seventy- 
eight. 

Marcus  L.  Wade  bought  the  interest  of 
the  other  heirs  in  the  old  homestead,  and 
engaged  in  farming  there  for  some  years, 
but  finally  sold  the  place  and  bought  another 
farm  in  the  same  neighborhood,  where  he 
still  makes  his  home.  He  is  a  hale  and 
hearty  old  man  of  eighty-two  years,  and  has 
spent  the  last  three  summers  with  our  sub- 
ject in  Illinois.  His  wife,  v\ho  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Caroline  Lawzon,  died  in 
1889.  Edmund  R.,  our  subject,  was  their 
only  son,  but  they  had  four  daughters,  two 
of  whom  died  young,  Harriet,  at  the  age  of 
six  years,  and  Sophrona,  at  the  age  of  seven- 
teen. The  others  are  Mary  E.,  wife  of 
James  L.  Canada,  of  Adarns  county,  Ohio; 
and  Irena,  wife  of  Reason  Naylor,  of  the 
same  place. 

In  the  county  of  his  nativity  Edmund  R. 
Wade,  grew  to  manhood,  and  after  attending 
the  home  schools  for  some  years,  he  com- 
pleted his  education  by  a  term  at  Otterbein 
University.  He  was  married,  November  3, 
1870,  to  Miss  Susanna  Potts,  also  a  native 
of  Adams  county  and  a  daughter  of  David 


and  Elizabeth  (Charles)  Potts.  They  began, 
their  married  life  upon  his  father's  farnru 
which  he  assisted  in  operating  for  nine  years, 
and  then  bought  a  place  in  the  same  neigh- 
borhood, where  he  carried  on  farming  for  fif- 
teen years.  In  1865  his  father  had  come  to 
Champaign  county,  Illinois,  and  purchased 
two  hundred  and  forty  acres  in  Brown  town- 
ship, where  our  subject  now  resides,  and. 
had  added  to  it  a  tract  of  eighty  acres  ad- 
joining in  1875.  At  that  time  it  was  par- 
tially improved,  and  he  rented  the  place  for 
several  years,  but  in  the  spring  of  1895  our 
subject  moved  hither  and  has  since  devoted 
his  time  and  attention  to  the  further  de- 
velopment and  cultivation  of  the  farm.  A 
large  and  pleasant  residence  has  been  built, 
and  many  other  improvements  made,  which 
add  greatly  to  the  value  and  attractive  ap- 
pearance of  the  place. 

Mr.  Wade  has  been  called  upon  to 
mourn  the  loss  of  his  wife,  who  died  Janu- 
ary 23,  1897,  and  was  laid  to  rest  in  Naylor 
cemetery.  The  children  born  to  them 
were  Ann  E.,  who  died  in  Ohio  when  a 
young  lady;  Edmund  Lafayette,  who  mar- 
ried Viola  Pritchard  and  resides  in  West- 
field,  Illinois,  where  he  is  pursuing  a  theo- 
logical course  preparatory  to  entering  the 
ministry;  Charles  Henry,  who  married 
Lucy  Ring,  of  Fisher,  and  aids  his  father 
in  carrying  on  the  home  farm;  Elizabeth 
Rosetta,  at  home;  and  Oris  Luther  and. 
Orla  Jefferson,  students  in  the  home 
school. 

Originally  Mr.  Wade  was  a  Republican 
in  politics  and  cast  his  first  presidential  vote 
for  General  U.  S.  Grant  in  1868,  but  of 
late  years  has  supported  the  Prohibition 
party  in  national  affairs,  having  always  been, 
a  friend  of  the  temperance  cause.  At  local 
elections,  however,  he  votes  independent  of. 


476 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


party  ties,  supporting  the  man  whom  he 
believes  best  qualified  for  the  office.  He  is 
now  efficiently  serving  as  school  director  in 
his  district.  Religiously  he  is  a  prominent 
member  of  the  United  Brethren  church  of 
Fisher,  with  which  he  is  officially  con- 
nected, and  has  been  an  active  worker  in 
both  church  and  Sabbath  school  from  his 
youth,  serving  as  superintendent  of  the 
Sabbath  school  a  number  of  times  in  Ohio, 
and  for  a  year  and  a  half  in  this  county. 
He  is  a  true  and  earnest  Christian,  and  is 
highly  respected  by  all  who  have  the  pleas- 
ure of  his  acquaintance. 


JOHN  W.  REACH.  Seventy-five  years 
ago  this  worthy  citizen  of  Tolono 
was  born  in  Rhode  Island,  but  in  view  of 
the  fact  that  his  life  had  been  an  exceeding- 
ly busy  and  active  one,  he  carries  the  weight 
of  his  years  very  lightly  and  bids  fair  to 
enjoy  many  more.  He  has  been  a  witness 
of  remarkable  changes  in  Illinois  during  the 
nearly  half  a  century  of  his  residence  here, 
and  is  deserving  of  much  credit  for  the  part 
which  he  has  played  in  the  achievement  of 
this  grand  result. 

Born  in  February,  1825,  Mr.  Reach  is  a 
son  of  Amasa  and  Abigail  (Hull)  Reach, 
who  were,  likewise,  natives  of  Rhode  Island. 
The  father  owned  land  and  was  occupied  in 
farming  in  his  native  state,  and  later  in 
Vermont  and  New  York.  The  mother  died 
in  the  Empire  state,  and  the  father  then 
diposed  of  his  property  and  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life  in  Illinois.  Of  their 
seven  children,  one  died  in  infancy,  and  only 
John  W.  and  Calista,  widow  of  David 
Morgan,  of  Arkansas,  now  survive.  Eliza, 
Orin,  Caroline  and  Lawson  are  deceased. 


In  childhood  John  W.  Reach  was  taken 
to  Vermont,  and  in  the  schools  of  that  state 
and  New  York  he  obtained  his  education. 
At  the  age  of  eighteen  years  he  secured 
employment  with  the  Canada  &  Great 
Western  Railroad,  in  the  construction  de- 
partment, and  later  performed  work  on 
contract.  In  1853  he  came  to  Illinois, 
where  he  was  placed  in  charge  of  a  con- 
struction train  on  the  Wabash  railroad  and 
assisted  in  laying  the  first  steel  rail  of  that 
system  at  Naples,  Illinois.  This  calling  he 
continued  to  follow  successfully  until  1856, 
when  he  located  in  Springfield,  this  state, 
where  he  was  the  manager  of  a  flour  mill 
for  a  period.  At  length  he  settled  on  a  farm 
in  Champaign  county,  where  he  lived  for 
about  three  years,  when,  desiring  to  give 
his  children  better  educational  advantages, 
he  became  a  resident  of  Sadorus,  Illinois, 
in  1863,  and  remained  there  for  twenty 
years.  In  1883  he  returned  to  the  cultiva- 
tion of  the  soil,  though  his  task  was  merely 
supervising  the  actual  work  and  improve- 
ments on  his  farms.  They  comprise  over 
four  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land,  with 
modern  buildings  and  accessories,  and  are 
situated  in  the  best  portions  of  Tolono,  Pe- 
sotum  and  Colfax  townships.  In  1891  he 
rented  his  property  and  purchased  the  pleas- 
ant home  in  Tolono,  where  he  and  his  es- 
timable wife  reside  to-day.  His  business 
career  is  above  reproach  and  his  example 
should  be  emulated  by  the  rising  generation. 
He  early  recognized  the  fact  that  hard  work 
and  perseverance  are  at  the  root  of  success, 
in  almost  every  instance,  and  he  spared 
himself  no  effort  in  the  accomplishment  of 
the  tasks  which  he  had  set  before  him. 

For  a  wife  Mr.  Reach  chose  Jeanette, 
daughter  of  William  and  Mary  (Olmstead) 
Sebring,  who  were  among  the  earliest  set- 


THE  BIOGRAHPICAL    RECORD. 


477 


tiers  of  La  Salle  county,  Illinois.  Mrs. 
Keach  was  born  in  that  locality  in  1838,  and 
thus  has  been  a  witness  of  nearly  all  of  the 
great  changes  which  time  and  the  progres- 
sive spirit  of  mankind  have  brought  to  this 
state.  The  eldest  child  of  our  subject  and 
wife  was  Hattie,  who  married  Herbert  Craw, 
of  Sadorus,  andis  deceased.  Alma,  the  next 
child,  also  has  passed  away.  She  was  the 
wife  of  Joseph  Goudie,  and  died,  leaving 
one  child,  Ina.  Lewis,  who  carries  on  one 
of  the  farms  belonging  to  his  father,  is  mar- 
ried and  has  two  sons,  Clarence  and  Guy, 
and  one  daughter.  Merle.  Bessie,  who  be- 
came the  wife  of  Ernest  Rutenber,  lives  on 
one  of  her  father's  farms  and  has  one  daugh- 
ter, Marie. 

Mr.  Keach  never  associated  himself 
with  fraternal  organizations,  nor  has  he 
taken  an  active  part  in  politics,  contenting 
himself  with  voting  for  the  nominees  of  the 
Republican  party.  He  has  strenuously 
avoided  holding  public  office,  preferring  to 
to  devote  his  time  and  attention  to  his  busi- 
ness affairs  and  family,  although  while  living 
in  Sadorus  he  served  as  justice  of  the  peace 
for  four  years,  and  for  six  years  he  served  as 
commissioner  of  the  Kaskaskia  special 
drainage  district.  Mrs.  Keach  is  a  faithful 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and 
both  are  liberal  towards  the  poor  and 
worthy  charities. 


O  AMUEL  J.  HICKS,  M.  D.,  the  leading 
Gj  physician  of  Ivesdale  and  a  prominent 
citizen  of  that  place,  was  born  in  Ripley 
county,  Indiana,  August  21,  1863,  and  is  a 
son  of  John  C.  Hicks,  M.  D.,  whose  father 
and  grandfather  were  also  physicians  and 
surgeons  of  this  country.  On  the  maternal 


side  the  latter  was  of  Irish  descent.  The 
father  of  our  subject  has  for  many  years 
been  successfully  engaged  in  practice  at  Na- 
poleon, Indiana.  Although  now  sixty-one 
years  of  age,  he  attends  regularly  to  his 
professional  duties.  He  married  Miss  Adelia 
C.  Lamb,  a  native  of  Butler  county,  Ohio, 
and  to  them  were  born  four  children,  name- 
ly: Samuel  our  subject;  Albert  D. ,  an  em- 
ploye of  the  Big  Four  Railroad  Company; 
Alice  M. ,  at  home  with  her  parents ;  and  Roy 
M.,  who  has  been  employed  as  guard  at  the 
insane  asylum,  at  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  for 
several  years. 

As  a  boy  our  subject  received  his  literary 
education  in  the  common  and  high  schools  of 
Cincinnati,  where  he  lived  with  an  aunt 
until  fifteen  years  of  age.  After  his  gradua- 
tion he  taught  school  for  a  year  and  then 
began  the  study  of  medicine,  becoming  a 
student  at  the  Miami  Medical  College  of 
Cincinnati,  from  which  he  was  graduated 
with  the  degree  of  M.  D.,  March  11,  1890. 
Returning  to  Napoleon,  Indiana,  he  engaged 
in  practice  there  for  six  years,  and  then 
spent  the  following  year  in  Elliot,  Illinois,  at 
the  end  of  which  time  he  came  to  Ivesdale, 
where  he  opened  an  office.  He  is  now  rec- 
ognized as  one  of  the  leading  physicians 
and  surgeons  in  the  western  part  of  the 
county,  and  enjoys  quite  an  extensive  prac- 
tice. 

In  Champaign,  Dr.  Hicks  was  married, 
in  1893,  to  Miss  Fanny  Donley,  who  was 
born  near  Pekin,  Illinois,  in  1872,  and  they 
now  have  two  children:  FerolM.,  aged  six 
years;  and  Ruth  C.,  aged  three.  In  his 
political  views  the  Doctor  is  a  Republican. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America,  and  the  Court  of  Honor,  and  is 
examining  physician  for  these  two  orders, 
also  the  New  York  Life  Insurance  Company 


478 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


and  other  old  line  companies.  He  is  widely 
and  favorably  known,  being  quite  popular 
in  social  as  well  as  business  circles. 


CHARLES  D.  BABB.  One  of  the 
\^f  many  native-born  sons  of  Champaign 
county  who  have  achieved  success  within 
its  borders,  C.  D.  Babb,  is  now  numbered 
among  the  citizens  of  Homer.  He  has  an 
abiding  faith  in  the  future  of  central  Illi- 
nois, believing  that  though  great  prosperity 
has  come  to  this  region  already,  by  the  en- 
ergetic work  and  watchfulness  of  its  resi- 
dents, still  greater  things  are  in  store  for  us, 
and  that,  in  due  time,  it  will  be  a  veritable 
garden  of  bloom  and  beauty,  as  England 
often  is  styled. 

His  father,  Milton  Babb,  a  native  of 
West  Virginia,  was  a  thrifty,  energetic  busi- 
ness man,  and  though  he  died  while  in  his 
prime,  he  left  a  large  estate  and  an  honored 
name  to  his  descendants.  From  his  youth 
he  was  interested  in  live  stock,  buying,  sell- 
ing and  shipping  extensively,  and  his  busi- 
ness brought  him  into  contact  with  people 
throughout  central  Illinois  and  other  states. 
He  owned  a  fine  homestead  in  North  Ogden 
township,  Champaign  county,  where  he  lo- 
cated when  he  was  twenty-five  years  of  age, 
upon  arriving  in  this  state.  This  farm, 
comprising  ten  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  was 
improved  by  him,  and  much  increased  in 
value,  though  his  career  was  cut  short  and 
many  of  his  ambitious  plans  were  not  car- 
ried into  execution.  He  was  a  Republican 
in  his  political  views,  and,  with  his  wife, 
was  a  Methodist  in  religious  belief.  She 
was  Elizabeth  Littler  prior  to  their  marriage 
and  their  four  children  were:  Edwin  P., 
who  married  Emma  Conkey,  and  carries  on 


the  old  homestead  in  Ogden  township;  Alice 
J.,  who  was  the  wife  of  George  Helm,  and 
died  when  twenty-one  years  of  age,  leaving 
two  little  girls,  Mary  A.  and  Mabel  J. ; 
James  E.,  who  wedded  Daisy  Tinkham,  and 
has  one  son,  James  T. ;  and  the  subject  of 
this  sketch.  James  E.,  formerly  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Fry  &  Babb,  attorneys-at- 
law,  in  Chicago,  now  is  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession  in  Lewiston, 
Idaho.  After  the  death  of  her  husband, 
Mr.  Babb,  in  1869,  the  young  widow,  with 
her  four  little  ones,  found  that  her  respon- 
sibilities were  extremely  heavy.  She  is 
still  living,  her  residence  being  in  Homer. 
The  birth  of  C.  D.  Babb  took  place  on 
the  old  homestead  in  Ogden  township, 
January  2,  1867,  and  his  elementary  educa- 
tion was  gained  in  the  common  schools  of 
Homer.  Later  it  was  his  privilege  to  attend 
Illinois  college  at  Jacksonville,  where  his 
brothers  and  sisters  also  were  educated  in 
the  higher  branches.  In  1888  he  obtained 
a  position  as  collection  clerk  in  the  Cham- 
paign National  Bank,  where  he  continued 
for  five  years,  in  the  meantime  gaining  wide 
experience  in  the  banking  business.  In  1 893, 
in  company  with  Eugene  N.  Raynor,  of 
Champaign,  he  established  real  estate  and 
loan  offices  at  Homer,  and  Champaign,  he 
taking  charge  of  the  one  at  Homer,  while 
his  partner  attends  to  the  Champaign  office. 
They  make  a  specialty  of  dealing  in  im- 
proved and  unimproved  property  in  central 
Illinois,  and  are  rapidly  making  a  place  for 
themselves  in  the  esteem  of  the  business 
public.  Enterprise  and  strict  integrity  are 
the  secrets  of  their  success,  and  uniform 
courtesy  marks  their  treatment  of  customers. 
On  the  ist  of  March,  1900,  the  firm  com- 
menced a  general  banking  business  at 
Homer,  and  being  young  and  enterprising 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


481 


men,  having  the  confidence  of  the  business 
community,  there  is  no  doubt  of  their  suc- 
cess. 

On  the  20th  of  April,  1892,  Mr.  Babb 
married  Alta  M.  Woody,  daughter  of  Ancil 
C.  Woody,  who  located  in  this  county  at 
an  early  day,  coming  here  from  Indiana. 
He  was  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  for 
some  time,  and  for  many  years  was  a  whole- 
sale confectioner  of  Decatur.  At  present 
he  is  employed  by  the  wholesale  grocers. 
Peyton,  Palmer  &  Company,  of  Danville, 
Illinois,  as  a  travelling  salesman,  his  family 
residing  in  Homer.  .  His  only  son,  Robert, 
died  in  childhood.  Susan  is  at  home  and 
Mary  is  a  student  in  the  Illinois  Womens' 
College,  at  Jacksonville.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Babb  have  a  little  daughter,  Margaret  Eliza- 
beth. 

Fraternally,  Mr.  Babb  is  a  member  of 
Homer  Lodge,  No.  199,  F.  &  A.  M.  Poli- 
tically, he  is  a  Republican.  Both  he  and 
his  wife  are  identified  with  the  Presbyterian 
church,  and  are  liberal  in  their  contributions 
to  local  enterprises  and  benevolences. 


M 


RS.  HARRIET  H.  RAMEY  is  one  of 
the  honored  pioneers  of  Champaign 
county,  which,  as  she  first  beheld  it,  bore 
little  resemblance  to  the  flourishing  agricult- 
ural tract  of  the  present  day.  Both  she 
and  her  respected  husband  were  active  in  the 
actual  improvement  of  their  homestead,  and 
for  more  than  half  a  century  she  has  mani- 
fested her  deep  interest  in  the  prosperity  of 
this  section. 

Her  parents  were  Valentine  and  Katie 
(Coon)  Mutchler,  natives  of  Virginia  and 
Ohio,  respectively.  The  father  went  to 
Pickaway  county,  Ohio,  in  his  early  man- 

2ft 


hood,  and  there  engaged  in  farming  until 
1822,  when  he  located  in  Marion  county, 
same  state.  There  he  cleared  a  farm  which 
was  covered  with  a  heavy  growth  of  beech 
trees,  and  finally  selling  it  at  a  good  price, 
he  bought  land  on  the  bank  of  the  Sandusky 
river,  and  proceeded  to  run  a  saw-mill  for 
several  years.  He  then  went  to  Indiana, 
where  he  cleared  and  improved  three  hun- 
dred acres  and  passed  his  last  years.  His 
wife  had  died  some  years  previously  in 
Marion  county,  about  1835. 

The  birth  of  Mrs.  Harriet  H.  Ramey 
occurred  in  Pickaway  county,  Ohio,  Decem- 
ber 22,  1 820,  and  her  early  years  were  spent 
upon  her  father's  farms  in  the  depths  of  the 
forest.  She  was  young  when  she  gave  her 
hand  in  marriage  to  Samuel  Ramey,  the 
ceremony  which  united  their  destinies  being 
performed  January  31,  1839.  He  was  a 
native  of  Ross  county,  Ohio,  born  in  1819, 
and  his  father,  Presley  Ramey,  was  one  of 
the  first  settlers  in  that  portion  of  the  state, 
coming  there  from  his  former  home  in  Vir- 
ginia. He  passed  his  last  years  at  the  home- 
of  his  son  Samuel,  his  death  taking  place  irv 
1841. 

For  several  years  subsequent  to  his  mar- 
riage, Mr.  Ramey  rented  land  in  Wyandotte 
county,  Ohio,  and  in  1848  became  to  Piatt 
county,  where  he  bought  a  quarter  section 
of  land.  During  the  years  that  he  made 
his  home  there  he  greatly  improved  the 
place,  and  in  1883  he  was  enabled  to  dis- 
pose of  it  at  a  good  price.  Coming  to- 
Mahomet,  he  built  a  substantial  house,, 
which  still  shelters  his  widow,  and  later  he 
bought  twenty-eight  acres  in  one  tract  and 
sixty-six  acres  in  another  piece  not  far  from 
the  railroad  station.  For  some  years  after 
coming  to  this  place  he  continued  to  cul- 
tivate his  land,  and  was  regarded  as  one  of 


482 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  most  practical  and  successful  agricult- 
urists of  the  town. 

In  all  of  his  dealings  with  his  fellow- 
men,  Mr.  Ramey  was  strictly  upright  and 
just,  his  example  being  well  worthy  of 
emulation.  He  never  failed  to  do  his  full 
share  as  a  public-spirited  citizen,  and  was 
actively  interested  in  the  Democratic  party, 
though  in  local  elections  he  supported  the 
best  man  or  principle  regardless  of  party 
lines.  At  length,  when  his  life  work  had 
been  well  rounded  out,  he  was  summoned  to 
his  reward,  May  28,  1893,  in  the  seventy- 
fifth  year  of  his  age. 

Of  the  six  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Ramey,  four  died  in  early  years,  and 
Stephen,  on  whom  the  worthy  couple  built 
their  brightest  hopes,  died  when  in  his 
eighteenth  year.  One  daughter,  Letha,  sur- 
vives and  is  the  wife  of  William  Comer,  of 
Mansfield,  Illinois,  and  they  have  seven 
children,  in  each  of  whom  Mrs.  Ramey 
takes  great  pride  and  comfort.  For  the 
past  five  years  she  has  had  as  her  constant 
friend  and  companion,  Miss  Eliza  Jane 
Parker,  daughter  of  John  Parker,  of  Pike 
county.  Loved  and  looked  up  to  by  all 
who  know  her,  she  is  quietly  and  happily 
passing  her  declining  years,  secure  in  the 
esteem  and  friendship  of  everyone,  and  free 
from  regrets  over  the  past,  for  she  has 
earnestly  striven  to  do  her  duty  toward  God 
and  man. 


DF.  D.  HINTON.  The  hardy  frontiers- 
man of  America  had  much  greater 
tasks  before  him  than  the  mere  tilling  of  the 
soil — for  forests  there  were  to  raze,  prairies 
to  be  broken,  rivers  to  bridge,  roads  to 
make,  privations  and  hardships  innumerable 
to  endure,  trials  and  dangers  which  might 


make  the  bravest  heart  quail,  yet  rarely  has 
he  faltered  in  the  noble  work,  none  the  less 
grand  because  self-imposed  —  the  work 
which  means  civilization  and  progress  in 
regions  hitherto  uninhabited  save  by  the  red 
men  and  wild  beasts.  In  the  mighty  work 
of  rendering  the  great  state  of  Illinois  a  fit- 
ting place  for  mankind,  D.  F.  D.  Hinton 
certainly  has  done  his  share,  and  no  one  is 
more  deserving  of  praise. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject 
was  one  of  the  sturdy  pioneers  of  Kentucky, 
and  in  that  state  occurred  the  birth  of  the 
latter's  father,  Judge  M.  L.  Hinton.  He 
'  grew  to  manhood  there  and  at  an  early  day 
went  to  Ohio,  where  he  located  upon  a  farm 
in  the  depths  of  the  forests  of  Ross  county. 
He  was  married,  in  the  Buckeye  state,  to 
Rachel,  daughter  of  Daniel  Poffenbarger, 
both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania. 
In  1831  Mr.  Hinton  removed  with  his  fam- 
ily to  Clinton  county,  Indiana,  where  he 
cleared  a  homestead  and  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life,  engaged  in  the  quiet 
routine  of  agriculture.  Becoming  well  known 
and  thoroughly  esteemed,  he  was  honored 
by  being  made  county  judge  and  justice  of 
the  peace.  In  the  last  mentioned  capacity 
he  served  the  people  for  twenty-four  years, 
and  for  a  long  period  he  was  treasurer  of 
the  local  school  board.  Death  put  an  end 
to  his  useful  career  in  1866,  and  he  was 
survived  for  some  eighteen  years  by  his  de- 
voted wife,  who  had  nobly  shared  the 
vicissitudes  of  pioneer  life  with  him. 

The  children  of  Judge  Hinton  and  wife 
were  seven  in  number.  The  eldest,  Isa- 
belle,  is  the  wife  of  Greenbury  Blacker,  of 
Clinton  county,  Indiana.  C.  W.  Hinton, 
who  died  in  Champaign  county  in  1898,  re- 
sided here  for  many  years  and  was  highly 
esteemed.  Paleman,  who  also  died  in  this 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


483 


county,  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  here, 
the  date  of  his  location  here  being  1851. 
D.  F.  D.  is  the  next  in  order  of  birth.  Eve- 
line, wife  of  Samuel  bailey,  lives  in  Clinton 
county,  Indiana,  and  Minerva,  deceased, 
was  the  wife  of  Matthew  Osburn;  Sarah  J. 
died  when  about  ten  years  of  age. 

D.  F.  D.  Hinton  was  born  on  the  old 
homestead  in  Ross  county,  Ohio,  June  20, 
1831,  and  in  infancy  was  taken  to  the 
Hoosier  state,  where  he  spent  his  boyhood. 
He  early  learned  farming  in  its  various 
branches,  and  his  educational  advantages 
consisted  of  a  few  months  schooling  each 
winter  for  a  few  years.  One  of  the  most 
important  events  in  his  life  was  his  marriage, 
October  22,  1851,  to  Fannie  Rowe,  a  school- 
mate and  neighbor.  She  was  born  in  Ohio, 
and  accompanied  her  father,  Samuel  Rowe, 
to  Indiana,  where  the  family  dwelt  for 
years. 

After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Hinton  bought 
one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  in 
Champaign  county,  at  the  land  sale  held  at 
Danville,  Illinois.  This  property,  which 
was  situated  on  the  county  line,  is  the  place 
now  owned  by  R.  Buchan.  In  the  spring 
of  1852  our  subject  moved  to  Newcomb 
township,  and  during  the  ensuing  years  was 
kept  busy  at  the  improvement  and  cultiva- 
tion of  his  farm,  which  he  converted  from 
wild  prairie  into  a  fertile,  beautiful  home- 
stead. Selling  out  in  1867,  he  bought  his 
present  farm  of  eighty  acres,  on  which  then 
stood  a  small  log  cabin,  and  only  a  few  acres 
had  been  broken  by  the  plow.  Years  rolled 
away,  and  great  changes  for  the  better  had 
been  instituted  by  the  enterprising  owner, 
who  later  added  eighty  acres  to  his  original 
purchase,  and  still  later  bought  another 
tract  of  like  dimensions,  thus  making  two 
hundred  and  forty  acres  altogether.  His 


home  is  located  in  section  9,  Newcornb 
township,  where  he  carries  on  a  quarter  sec- 
tion of  land,  having  given  eighty  acres  to  his 
sons.  A  substantial  residence  and  barns, 
orchard  and  numerous  other  improvements, 
testify  to  his  enterprise  and  success. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hinton  nine  children 
were  born.  The  eldest,  Michael,  died: 
November  24,  1897,  but  all  of  the  others 
are  living  and  are  respected  citizens  of  the 
several  communities  in  which  their  lot  is: 
cast.  William  A.  is  engaged  in  farming  on 
the  place  adjoining  the  old  homestead. 
Jordan  F.  is  a  successful  business  man  of 
Fisher.  W.  S.  is  a  farmer  of  Brown  town- 
ship, and  Thomas  D.  is  married  and  carries 
on  a  farm  in  this  township.  Charles  A.  is 
at  home  and  aids  in  the  management  of  the 
farm.  Jeanette,  a  young  lady,  is  at  home, 
while  Rosa  B.  is  the  wife  of  Samuel  Wycoff 
of  this  township,  and  Mary  M.  is  the  wife  of 
Ralph  Mitchell. 

As    was    his    father    before    him,    Mr.: 
Hinton  has  been  a  life-long  Democrat.      He 
has  served    his   neighbors    and    friends   in 
numerous   local    offices,    such  as  township 
assessor,  collector,  trustee  and  commissioner, 
of  highways.      In  the  last-named  position  he 
served  for  twenty-four  years,    a  portion  of: 
that  period  being  treasurer  of  the  board.    He 
also  has  used  his  influence  in  behalf  of  good 
schools  and    educational     facilities  for    the 
young,  and  has  long  been  an  efficient  mem- 
ber of  the  school  board.      Mrs.    Hinton  is  a' 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
and  all    of    the  family  are    identified    with 
the  grand  work  which  this  denomination  is 
carrying    on.      Both    our  subject  and    wife 
have  labored  to  perform  every  duty  devolv- 
ing upon  them  as  parents,   neighbors    and 
citizens,  and  with  fortitude  and  true  heroism 
they    mastered    the    difficulties    of    pioneer 


484 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


life  and  reared  their  children  to  take  hon- 
ored places  in  the  "  world's  broad  field  of 
battle." 


GEORGE  F.  MAXWELL.  Those  who 
are  acquainted  with  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  and  know  something  of  the  disad- 
vantages under  which  he  has  labored  in  the 
battle  of  life  feel  the  highest  respect  and 
admiration  for  him  and  what  he  has  accom- 
plished. He  is  a  man  of  high  principle  and 
courage,  and  by  unflagging  industry  and 
perseverance  in  his  undertakings  he  has  ac- 
cumulated a  considerable  fortune,  and  at  the 
same  time  has  discharged  all  of  the  duties 
of  citizenship  in  a  creditable  manner. 

His  grandfather,  Jonathan  Maxwell,  was 
one  of  the  pioneers  of  Bartholomew  county, 
Indiana,  and  of  Champaign  county,  Illinois. 
He  wedded  Johanna  Sterling,  and  in  1830 
settled  in  this  state,  when  it  was  looked 
upon  as  the  outpost  of  civilization.  Thence- 
forth he  dwelt  in  Mahomet  township,  rear- 
ing his  children  to  take  useful  places  in  the 
community.  One  of  the  number,  Joseph, 
born  in  Batholomew  county,  Indiana,  May 
1 6,  1824,  grew  to  maturity  in  this  town- 
ship and  here  married  Rosanna,  daughter  of 
Samuel  and  Olive  (Franklin)  Hyde,  who 
were  natives  of  Vermont  and  New  York,  re- 
spectively, and  had  settled  in  Illinois  in 
1849.  Joseph  Maxwell  became  one  of  the 
well-to-do  and  influential  farmers  of  this 
county  and,  after  the  death  of  his  beloved 
wife,  January  16,  1883,  he  retired  from  act- 
ive labors  and  spent  his  last  years  in  Mans- 
field, this  state.  His  long  and  useful  career 
was  brought  to  a  peaceful  close  May  9,  1 897. 

Of  the  children  born  to  this  worthy 
couple,  George  F.  Maxwell  was  the  eldest. 
His  birth  occurred  on  the  old  family  home- 


stead in  Mahomet  township,  June  2,  1853, 
and  in  his  boyhood  he  mastered  the  details 
of  farming.  When  he  was  five  years  old 
scarlet  fever  caused  the  loss  of  his  hearing 
and  voice,  and  his  education  was  obtained 
in  the  Jacksonville  Deaf  and  Dumb  Insti- 
tute, where  he  was  graduated  in  the  class 
of  1873.  While  a  student  there  he  became 
acquainted  with  Miss  Phoebe  M.  Bird,  who, 
while  not  entirely  deaf,  had  no  control  over 
her  vocal  organs.  The  attachment  between 
the  young  people  was  genuine  and  finally 
they  were  married,  January  3,  1875,  in  East 
Beatrice,  Nebraska.  Mrs.  Maxwell  is  a 
native  of  the  state  of  New  York,  but  re- 
moved to  Texas  with  her  parents  when  she 
was  four  years  of  age.  Silas  and  Betsey  A. 
(Wooley)  Bird,  for  such  are  their  names, 
also  were  born  in  the  Empire  state,  and 
after  their  removal  to  Texas  the  father  was 
actively  engaged  in  merchandising  and  deal- 
ing in  live  stock.  He  departed  this  life 
February  22,  1859,  when  Mrs.  Maxwell  was 
quite  young. 

After  the  marriage  of  our  subject  and 
wife  they  commenced  keeping  house  on  the 
old  Maxwell  homestead  and  by  diligent  at- 
tention to  every  department  of  farming, 
gradually  acquired  a  competence.  In  1890 
they  located  upon  their  present  place,  on 
section  17,  Mahomet  township.  This  prop- 
erty had  been  improved  materially  by  our 
subject's  father,  and  during  the  past  decade 
many  other  changes  for  the  better  have 
been  instituted  by  the  thrifty  owner.  The 
homestead  comprises  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres,  in  addition  to  which  Mr. 
Maxwell  owns  a  good  residence  in  Mans- 
field, while  his  wife  is  the  possessor  of  two 
lots  and  a  pleasant  house  in  Mahomet.  The 
result  of  their  united  efforts  thus  is  some- 
thing of  which  they  may  justly  be  proud  and 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


485 


though  advantage  has  ofttimes  been  taken 
of  them  by  the  unscrupulous,  the  world,  as 
a  whole,  has  not  used  them  unkindly  and 
their  live?  are  peaceful  and  happy.  They 
have  one  child,  Helen  M.,  a  bright,  promis- 
ing girl,  now  attending  a  neighboring  school. 
She  speaks  the  deaf  and  dumb  alphabet 
with  facility  and  also  has  the  complete  con- 
trolof  her  vocal  organs. 

Politically,  Mr.  Maxwell  favors  the  Pro- 
hibition party  with  his  ballot,  though  in 
former  years  he  supported  the  Democratic 
platform  and  nominees.  Religiously,  both 
he  and  his  estimable  wife  are  Baptists  and 
are  valued  workers  in  the  denomination. 
Their  influence  is  always  found  on  the  side 
of  righteousness  and  progress,  and  the  poor 
and  needy  find  in  them  sincere  friends. 
They  are  loved  and  honored  for,  their  quali- 
ties of  sterling  worth,  and  their  example 
should  prove  an  inspiration  to  all  who  know 
them. 


TJ  GRACE  HAZEN.  Possessing  the  na- 
1  1  tive  talent  and  keen  business  ability  so 
characteristic  of  the  sons  of  New  England, 
Horace  Hazen  has  made  his  own  way  in  the 
world  without  outside  assistance  or  influence, 
and  now,  in  the  evening  time  of  life,  he  en- 
joys the  fruits  of  his  former  years  of  toil, 
and  the  high  regard  of  his  scores  of  friends 
and  acquaintances. 

This  sterling  citizen  of  Newcomb  town- 
ship, Champaign  county,  was  born  July  13, 
1823,  a  son  of  Lyman  and  Polly  (Ingraham) 
Hazen,  and  grandson  of  Solomon  Hazen,  all 
natives  of  the  Green  Mountain  state.  The 
mother  of  our  subject  died  when  he  was  a 
child  of  about  three  years,  and  he  was  taken 
into  the  home  of  Abner  Fuller,  of  Stowe, 
Vermont.  Thatgentlemanand  his  estimable 


wife  were  extremely  kind  to  the  boy,  treat- 
ing him  with  all  of  the  love  and  considera- 
tion they  would  have  manifested  toward  him 
if  he  had  been  their  own  child.  That  he 
appreciated  this  was  shown  later,  when  he 
remained  with  his  foster  parents,  buying  and 
managing  the  old  homestead,  and  caring  for 
them  in  their  declining  years. 

An  important  event  in  the  life  of  Horace 
Hazen  was  his  marriage  to  Sarah  Ann  Kel- 
logg, a  native  of  Vermont,  June  2,  1847. 
She  was  a  daughter  of  Warner  and  Jennie 
(Gregg)  Kellogg,  who,  likewise,  were  Ver- 
mont people.  The  father  came  to  the  west 
with  Mrs.  Hazen  in  1854,  after  the  death  of 
the  mother,  and  died  the  following  winter  at 
Metamora.  Faithfully  and  cheerfully  did 
Mrs.  Hazen  aid  her  husband  in  the  days  of 
his  pioneer  life,  and  she  was  beloved  and 
honored  by  all  who  had  the  privilege  of 
knowing  her.  Shepassed  away  attheir  home, 
January  15,  1897,  and  was  placed  to  rest  in 
the  cemetery  at  Shiloh.  The  four  surviv- 
ing sons  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hazen  are  fine,  en- 
terprising young  business  men.  The  eldest, 
Fred,  married  Lelia  Bonner,  who  was  born 
in  Pickaway  county,  Ohio,  and  for  several 
years  was  successfully  engaged  in  teaching 
in  Champaign  county.  Her  father,  W.  J. 
Bonner,  removed  from  Ohio  to  Illinois  many 
years  ago,  and  here  she  grew  to  womanhood. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fred  Hazen  have  four  chil- 
dren: Kate,  Edna,  George  and  Fred,  Jr. 
Pearl  Hazen,  who  carries  on  a  portion  of  his 
father's  old  homestead,  married  Ada  Jaynes 
daughter  of  Amos  Jaynes  and  has  two  sons 
and  two  daughters:  Sarah,  Horace,  Jennie 
and  Wiley.  Mark,  the  next  son,  married 
Cora  Funston,  daughter  of  John  Funston, 
and  they  reside  in  Champaign.  Dan 
married  Jessie  Reeder,  daughter  of  Jacob 
Reeder,  and  is  a  business  man  of  Fisher,  Illi- 


486 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


nois.  They  have  one  child,  Cecil.  The 
two  daughters  of  our  subject  and  wife,  Ellen 
and  Alma,  were  two  and  seven  years  of  age, 
respectively,  when  the"  death  angel  claimed 
them.  George,  the  oldest  of  the  family, 
was  accidentally  killed.  He  was  married, 
and  his  daughter,  Nellie,  now  is  the  wife  of 
Joseph  Fletcher,  of  Sterling,  Illinois,  and 
their  child,  Mildred,  is  the  only  great-grand- 
child of  our  subject.  Another  son,  Edward, 
lived  to  maturity  and  then  was  summoned 
to  the  silent  land. 

The  first  presidential  ballot  cast  by 
Horace  Hazen  was  given  to  the  free  soil 
candidate  in  1844,  but,  from  the  time  of  the 
organization  of  the  Republican  party,  in 
1856,  he  has  never  failed  to  be  present  at  the 
polls  and  has  supported  the  nominees  of 
that  great  political  body.  He  has  rot  been 
an  aspirant  to  official  distinction,  but  for 
several  years  was  an  efficient  member  of  the 
school  board. 

For  two  or  three  years  subsequent  to  his 
marriage,  Mr.  Hazen  carried  on  a  farm  in 
his  native  state,  and  then,  selling  out,  he 
came  to  the  west.  After  spending  one  sum- 
mer in  Ohio  he  joined  a  colony  of  nine  or 
ten  families  who  drove  across  the  country  to 
Illinois,  and  passed  through  Mahomet,  then 
called  Middleton,  but  continued  to  journey 
to  Clinton,  De  Witt  county,  where  Mrs. 
Hazen's  cousin  was  living.  Thence  they 
proceeded  to  Metamora  and  rented  a  house, 
where  they  lived  that  winter.  In  the  mean- 
time, he  and  three  of  his  brothers-in-law 
bought  adjoining  farms.  On  his  own  tract 
of  eighty  acres,,.  Mr.  Hazen  erected  a. good 
house  and  barn  .and  made  substantial  im- 
provements; including  the  planting  of  an 
orchard  and.  shade  trees.  Later,  he  invested 
in  another  tract  of  eighty  acres  next  to  his 
original  place,  and  finally,  in  1875,  he  sold 


out  at  a  fair  price,  and  came  to  Champaign 
county.  Here  he  purchased  three  hundred 
and  thirty  acres  of  fine  land,  not  far  from 
Shiloh,  and,  as  the  years  passed,  instituted 
numerous  changes  which  greatly  increased 
the  beauty  and  value  of  the  homestead.  His 
object  in  coming  to  Champaign  was  in  order 
to  purchase  enough  land  that  he  might 
settle  his  boys  near  him. 


/CLARENCE  L.  BALDWIN.  Champaign 
V_>  county  has  many  well-to-do  and  suc- 
cessful agriculturists  whose  success  in  life 
is  due  to  their  own  individual  efforts.  Prom- 
inent among  these  is  the  gentleman  whose 
name  introduces  this  review.  He  is  residing 
on  section  18,  Pesotum  township,  where  he 
is  industriously  engaged  in  the  prosecution 
of  his  noble  calling  and  is  meeting  with 
far  more  than  ordinary  success. 

Mr.  Baldwin  was  born  in  Connecticut  in 
1847,  and  is  a  son  of  Samuel  S.  and  Mary 
E.  (Fairchild)  Baldwin,  also  natives  of  the 
Nutmeg  state,  where  their  marriage  was 
celebrated.  After  following  farming  for  a 
time  in  Connecticut  the  father  removed  with 
his  family  to  New  York  state,  where  he 
continued  to  engage  in  his  chosen  occu- 
pation quite  successfully  for  ten  years,  and 
then,  in  1856,  came  to  Champaign  county, 
Illinois,  purchasing  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  land  on  section  i  8,  Pesotum 
township,  which  at  that  time  was  wild  and 
unbroken  prairie  land  and  Sadorus  con- 
tained but  two  shanties.  He  took  up  his 
abode  near  his  tract  and  immediately  be- 
gan to  improve  it.  .  The  first  house  erectec 
was  framed  in  Rome,  New  York,  was 
shipped  by  water  to.  Chicago  and  by  rail  tc 
Tolono.  .By  hard  work  and  with  the  ai< 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


487 


of  his  sons  he  placed  a  part  of  his  land  un- 
der cultivation  the  first  year,  and  later  add- 
ed much  in  the  way  of  improvements, 
building  fences  and  setting  out  fruit  and 
shade  trees,  which  did  much  toward  beau- 
tifying the  place.  He  was  very  active 
throughout  life.  His  death  occurred  in  1874 
and  his  wife  passed  away  in  1876.  Both 
were  consistent  and  active  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  They  were 
the  parents  of  six  children,  four  sons  and 
two  daughters,  namely:  Jerome,  who  was 
a  member  of  an  Illinois  regiment  during  the 
Civil  war  and  is  now  a  resident  of  Chicago; 
Melvin,  a  prosperous  merchant  of  Lower 
California;  Clarence  L. ,  our  subject;  Albert, 
a  farmer  of  Eastern  Kansas;  Martha  L., 
wife  of  Jesse  Cook,  a  merchant  of  Salt  Lake 
City,  Utah,  where  he  owns  a  comfortable 
home;  and  Carrie,  wife  of  James  Little,  who 
is  in  the  oil  business  in  Girard,  Kansas. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  began  his  edu- 
cation in  the  common  schools  of  New 
York,  and  when  ten  years  of  age  came 
with  his  parents  to  this  county,  where  he 
attended  school  in  the  village  of  Sadorus. 
He  lived  at  home  and  assisted  his  father  in 
the  farm  work  until  of  age,  and  then  rented 
land  of  his  father  and  engaged  in  farming 
for  himself. 

In  December,  1869,  Mr.  Baldwin  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  Rawl- 
ings,  who  was  born  in  Rush  county,  Indi- 
ana, in  1851,  a  daughter  of  Coleman  and 
Eleander  (Wells)  Rawlings,  natives  of  Ken- 
tucky. Her  mother  died  in  Indiana  in 
1860,  and  the  following  year  the  remainder 
of  the  family  came  to  Champaign  county, 
Illinois.  The  father  is  still  living  at  the  age 
of  eighty-five  years,  and  now  makes  his 
home  in  eastern  Kansas.  He  has  always 
been  a  very  hard  working  man,  and  has  had 


a  very  eventful  career  as  a  pioneer.  He 
was  three  times  married  and  by  his  first  wife 
had  five  children,  three  of  whom  are  still 
living.  Mrs.  Baldwin's  mother  was  the  sec- 
ond wife,  and  by  that  union  there  were  also 
five  children,  three  now  living,  namely: 
Preston,  who  is  living  in  eastern  Kansas; 
Mary,  wife  of  our  subject;  and  Florence, 
wife  of  A.  Little.  By  the  last  marriage 
there  is  one  child.  Of  the  eight  children 
born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baldwin,  one  died  in 
infancy;  Charles  H.,  proprietor  of  a  livery 
stable  in  Sadorus,  is  married  and  has  one 
daughter,  Alta  M. ;  Edgar  S.,  living  upon  a 
part  of  his  father's  farm  in  Sadorus  town- 
ship, is  married  and  has  one  daughter,  Nel- 
lie; Harry  M.  is  an  employe  of  the  Vandalia 
Railroad  Company  at  Effingham,  Illinois, 
and  Ray  L.,  Walter  J.  Nellie  E.  and  Bert 
P.  are  all  at  home  attending  school. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baldwin  began  their  do- 
mestic life  in  a  rough  house  on  the  site  of 
their  present  comfortable  home.  At  that 
time  the  land  was  wild  and  unimproved,  and 
in  order  to  convert  it  into  a  highly  cultivated 
tract  he  had  to  begin  at  the  very  bottom. 
After  the  death  of  his  father  he  purchased 
the  interest  of  the  other  heirs  in  the  home 
property,  and  is  now  owner  of  the  same, 
having  two  hundred  and  thirteen  acres  of 
land  in  Pesotum  and  Sadorus  township. 
Throughout  his  active  business  life  he  has 
given  his  entire  time  and  attention  to  agri- 
cultural pursuits,  and  has  met  with  most 
excellent  success  in  his  labors,  being  a  thor- 
ough and  systematic  farmer  of  good  business 
and  executive  ability. 

Mr.  Baldwin  is  a  prominent  worker  in 
the  Republican  party  in  his  community, 
though  he  has  never  been  prevailed  upon  to 
accept  any  political  position.  He  has, 
however,  served  as  school  director  in  his 


488 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


district  for  a  quarter  of  a  century,  and  al- 
ways takes  a  deep  and  commendable  inter- 
est in  the  welfare  of  his  township  and 
county.  Althopgh  not  a  member  of  any 
church,  he  is  a  supporter  of  church  work, 
and  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Lodge  at 
Sadorus.  He  is  of  a  jovial  disposition,  has 
the  respect  and  confidence  of  all  who  know 
him,  and  is  very  popular  with  his  many 
friends. 

MORTIMER  SMITH,  an  honored 
pioneer  of  Homer,  has  experienced 
frontier  life  in  many  phases,  and  has  man- 
fully and  indefatigably  labored  for  the  ad- 
vancement of  civilization  throughout  his  long 
and  varied  career.  A  full  account  of  the 
many  enterprises  he  has  undertaken,  the  rail- 
roads he  has  assisted  to  build,  the  roads  he 
has  made,  the  forests  he  has  hewn,  the  land 
he  has  improved,  would  constitute  a  volume 
of  itself,  and  prove  of  interest  even  to  those 
who  are  not  acquainted  with  him,  as  show- 
ing what  may  be  accomplished  by  a  man  of 
determination  and  energy. 

Mr.  Smith  was  born  in  Washington 
county,  Indiana,  March  2,  1833,  and  is 
the  son  of  William  and  Julia  A.  (Ransom) 
Smith,  the  former  a  native,  of  Lancaster- 
shire,  England,  born  April  23,  1801,  and  the 
latter  of  Albany,  New  York,  born  June  12, 
1806.  They  were  married  September  5, 
1826,  in  Harrison  county,  Indiana,  and  be- 
came the  parents  of  six  sons  and  four 
daughters,  as  follows:  Oliver,  born  May  24, 
1828,  died  June  5,  of  the  same  year. 
George  W.,  born  December  22,  1829,  mar- 
ried Louisa  Bliss,  at  Salem,  Indiana,  No- 
vember 22,  1849.  They  have  three  sons 
and  two  daughters.  Mary  E. ,  born  January 
6,  1831,  was  married  in  Hanover,  Indiana, 
November  14,  1854,  to  Daniel  W.  Bowen, 


and  became  the  mother  of  one  son  and  four 
daughters.  She  died  at  Fort  Wayne,  Indi- 
ana, November  12,  1894.  Mortimer  is  the 
subject  of  this  sketch.  Milton  W.,  born  De- 
cember 21,  1834,  was  married  in  Salem, 
Indiana,  in  1863,  to  Margaret  E.  Wiseman. 
Two  daughters  blessed  their  union.  He 
died  in  Scottsburg,  Indiana,  February  14, 
1887.  Sarah  R.  H.,  born  May  26,  1837, 
died  June  9,  of  the  same  year.  William  H. 
H.,  born  April  12,  1839,  married  Cordelia 
C.  Ervin,  at  Homer,  Illinois,  December 
28,  1868,  and  to  them  were  born  four  sons 
and  three  daughters.  Alice  F.,  born  March 
6,  1841,  died  March  19,  1844,  at  Salem,  In- 
diana. Francis  M.,  born  April  24,  1843,  was 
married  September  13,  1870,  at  Homer,  Illi- 
nois, to  Frances  B.  Butler,  and  they  have  one 
son  and  one  daughter.  LoisJ.  A.,  born  May 
10,  1845,  married  Alexander  L.  Thompson, 
at  Homer,  Illinois,  November  10,  1868,  and 
became  the  mother  of  three  sons  and  three 
daughters.  She  died  in  Homer,  Illinois, 
May  27,  1886.  All  the  children  were  born 
in  Salem,  Indiana.  The  parents  are  both 
deceased,  the  father  dying  in  Hanover,  In- 
diana, July  3,  1849,  and  the  mother  in  Ho- 
mer, Illinois,  July  28,  1890. 

Mortimer  Smith  was  reared  on  a  farm 
and  received  the  limited  educational  ad- 
vantages common  to  the  children  of  that 
period  and  locality.  Indeed,  he  was  not 
fourteen  years  of  age  when  he  started  out 
to  fight  the  battle  of  life  for  himself,  at 
least  in  a  measure,  for  he  worked  at  sawing 
wood  and  received  twelve  and  a  half  cents  a 
day,  being  thus  employed  much  of  the  time 
for  two  or  three  years.  He  then  removed 
with  his  parents  to  Scott  county,  Indiana, 
and  there  engaged  in  agriculture  for  one 
season.  He  then  went  to  Hanover,  Indiana, 
where  he  carried  on  a  farm  and  at  the  same 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


491 


time  did  teaming  for  five  or  six  years,  and 
thence  to  New  Orleans  on  a  flat  boat,  the 
trip  taking  fifty  days.  His  experiences  in 
this  line  were  very  novel  and  not  altogether 
pleasant,  for  the  feeling  between  the  north 
and  south  was  waxing  strong,  and  threats 
and  violence  were  more  or  less  open  and  de- 
termined. 

In  1853  Mr.  Smith  came  to  Champaign 
county,  and,  after  clerking  for  a  few  weeks 
in  the  Donahue  House,  at  Urbana,  he  made 
a  contract  with  some  New  York  parties  to 
get  out  ties  and  timber  for  the  new  railroad. 
Hiring  a  number  of  hands,  he  proceeded 
with  them  to  the  present  site  of  Danville 
Junction,  then  a  heavily  wooded  country, 
and  Danville  itself  containing  only  two  brick 
stores.  He  remained  in  the  employ  of  the 
railroad  for  about  a  year,  having  charge  of 
all  the  horses  and  wagons,  and  a  crew  of 
some  sixty  Irishmen  for  grading  the  road- 
bed. Under  his  supervision  the  trees  stand- 
ing where  the  present  depot  and  round- 
house are  located  were  leveled  to  the 
ground.  Later,  he  accepted  a  place  as 
watchman  near  one  of  the  railroad  bridges, 
after  which  he  became  road  foreman  at  Sid- 
ney, Illinois.  Finally,  he  came  to  Homer, 
where  he  was  foreman  for  ten  years,  and 
thus  terminated  his  railroad  service. 

In  1866  Mr.  Smith  purchased  a  tile 
horse-power  mill  from  J.  W.  Penfield,  who 
had  placed  it  on  exhibition  at  Decatur,  and 
for  twelve  years  he  continued  to  operate  the 
mill  at  Homer,  where  he  had  set  it  up.  In 
the  meantime  he  also  bought  three  sawmills 
which  he  placed  in  operation  in  this  vicinity. 
Selling  one  of  them,  he  invested  a  large  sum 
in  the  steam  flouring  mill  belonging  to  John 
Hays.  This  mill,  substantially  built,  and 
four  stories  in  height,  was  situated  in  Homer, 
but  was  destroyed  by  fire  about  two  years 


after  it  came  into  the  possession  of  our  sub- 
ject. He  continued  to  carry  on  the  tile  fac- 
tory until  1894,  when  he  sold  out  and  the 
last  one  of  his  sawmills  was  disposed  of 
more  than  a  score  of  years  ago. 

Gradually,  Mr.  Smith  had  been  accumu- 
lating land,  and  more  and  more  had  devoted 
his  attention  to  agriculture  and  stock  raising, 
in  which  enterprises  he  has  been  very  suc- 
cessful. His  first  purchase  of  land  was  in 
1870,  it  consisting  of  eighty  acres  of  section 
28,  Homer  township,  and  at  the  present 
time  he  owns  twelve  hundred  and  fifty-three 
acres.  This  property,  improved  and  valu- 
able, is  located  in  Champaign  and  Homer 
townships,  and  in  Sidell  township,  Vermil- 
ion county.  The  home  place  of  Mr.  Smith, 
comprising  one  hundred  and  forty  acres, 
lies  at  the  limits  of  the  town  of  Homer, 
about  fifty  acres  being  within  the  corpora- 
tion limits.  He  removed  here  from  his 
former  home  in  the  village,,  about  eighteen 
years  ago,  and  for  some  time  he  has  made  a 
business  of  feeding  hogs  and  cattle  for  the 
market,  shipping  about  two  or  three  car- 
loads of  cattle  each  year. 

The  only  secrets  of  Mr.  Smith's  success 
are  that  he  has  not  scorned  to  perform 
"  honest  work  for  honest  pay,"  and  that  he 
has  been  economical  and  upright  in  all  his 
transactions.  He  merits  and  enjoys  the 
high  respect  in  which  he  is  held  by  his  fel- 
low citizens,  and  is  not  slow  to  manifest  the 
genuine  interest  which  he  maintains  in  the 
progress  of  this  community.  He  served  as 
a  school  director  for  ten  years  and  for  a  like 
period  was  a  highway  commissioner.  He  is 
one  of  the  stockholders  of  the  Homer  Fair 
Association  and  at  different  times  has  in- 
vested money  and  influence  in  local  enter- 
prises. Socially,  he  is  identified  with 
Homer  Lodge,  No.  199,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and 


492 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


politically,  he  is  affiliated  with  the  Repub- 
lican party. 

In  September,  1857,  Mr.  Smith  married 
Jennie,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Elizabeth 
(Jones)  Trisler.  They  were  natives  of  Ohio 
and  became  pioneers  of  Danville,  Illinois, 
as  early  as  18.39.  The  father  was  a  carpen- 
ter by  trade  and  also  was  skilled  as  a  wagon- 
maker,  but  after  his  arrival  in  this  state  he 
engaged  in  farming  in  Vermilion  county  for 
some  time;  later  resumed  his  accustomed 
employment.  Mrs.  Smith,  who  was  born 
in  Danville,  is  one  of  the  three  surviving 
children  of  the  parental  family. 

The  eldest  child  of  our  subject  and  wife 
is  Julia,  wife  of  L.  M.  Yeazel,  of  Homer, 
and  their  children  are  named  respectively: 
Estella,  Jennie,  Nellie  and  Lenia.  Will- 
iam, the  eldest  son,  wedded  Jennie  Robin- 
son and  resides  in  Homer  township.  Clara 
died  at  the  age  of  twenty  months.  Mary  is 
the  widow  of  B.  L.  Poisal,  whose  death, 
February  24,  1899,  was  the  result  of  an  ac- 
cident, and  who  formerly  was  a  general 
merchant  in  Iowa.  Charles,  whose  home  is 
in  Vance  township,  Vermilion  county,  Illi- 
nois, chose  as  his  wife  Elizabeth  Jurgens- 
myer,  and  their  four  children  are  Esther, 
Howard,  William  and  Oral.  Jennie,  who 
is  the  wife  of  Wiley  C.  Wamsley,  a  farmer, 
resides  near  Dumont,  Iowa.  Nellie  is  the 
wife  of  Charles  B.  Coffeen,  who  is  a  miner 
and  prospector  at  Idaho  Springs,  Colorado. 
Harry  J.,  the  youngest  of  the  family,  is  at 
home,  and  loyally  aids  his  father  in  all  of  his 
undertakings. 


WILEY   DAVIS,    who    dates    his   resi- 
dence   in    Champaign    county    from 
February,  1849,  is  one  of  the  honored  citi- 
zens of  this  section   of  the   state.      He   has 


witnessed  almost  the  entire  development  of 
the  county  and  has  aided  materially  in  the 
advancement  of  its  interests  along  all  lines 
of  progress,  and  therefore  is  justly  entitled 
to  representation  in  its  annals. 

The  birth  of  Wiley  Davis  took  place  in 
Neenah,  Licking  county,  Ohio,  May  5,  1819. 
His  father,  Zachariah  Davis,  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of 
Licking  county,  and  his  mother,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Elizabeth  Roberts,  was 
born  in  Virginia.  The  father  was  a  wheel- 
wright by  trade,  and  for  many  years  he  was 
successfully  engaged  in  business  at  Neenah. 
Later  he  came  to  Illinois,  and  his  remain- 
ing years  were  passed  at  the  home  of  his 
daughter  in  Danville.  His  wife  was  sum- 
moned to  the  better  land  in  1847,  and  of 
their  eight  children  who  lived  to  maturity 
only  three  now  survive.  William  Davis  re- 
sides in  Mt.  Pleasant,  Iowa,  where  he  is  en- 
gaged in  farming,  and  Eliza,  wife  of  Robert 
Carnahan,  lives  in  Danville, 

Wiley  Davis  enjoyed  common  school 
privileges,  and  when  a  young  man  learned 
the  butcher's  business.  He  then  carried  on 
a  shop  at  Neenah  in  partnership  with  a 
brother  for  some  ten  years,  and  in  the  be- 
ginning of  1849  he  came  to  this  county  and 
bought  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  his 
present  homestead.  There  was  a  good  log 
house  upon  the  place,  and  about  forty  acres 
had  been  cleared.  He  continued  to  improve 
his  farm,  and,  as  opportunity  offered, 
bought  additional  property,  until  he  owned, 
altogether,  about  eight  hundred  acres.  He 
erected  a  commodious  farm  house  and  large 
barns,  and  greatly  added  to  the  value  and 
desirability  of  his  homestead  in  various 
ways,  until  it  was  conceded  to  be  one  of  the 
best  country  places  in  the  county.  In  1893 
his  house  was  destroyed  by  fire,  and  he  soon 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


493 


set  about  the  building  of  another  one,  de- 
signed on  modern  lines.  This  attractive 
residence,  together  with  all  of  the  numerous 
other  improvements  upon  the  place,  renders 
it  a  pleasant  and  profitable  place  to  dwell. 
Mr.  Davis  has  made  a  specialty  of  raising 
and  feeding  polled  Angus  cattle  and  keeping 
standard  bred  horses  and  other  fine  live 
stock.  In  1899  he  bought  eight  lots  in  the 
village  of  Mahomet,  the  particular  beauty 
of  the  premises  being  the  fine  shade  trees. 
Here  he  has  had  erected  a  large  modern 
house,  with  a  furnace  and  all  of  the  essen- 
tials of  the  ideal  home  of  the  period,  and, 
without  question,  it  is  the  most  beautiful 
residence  in  the  town.  He  has  shown  good 
taste  in  every  detail  of  his  new  house  and 
takes  just  pride  in  fitting  up  his  new  home, 
which  he  has  earned  by  a  long  and  busy 
career.  • 

In  Dayton,  Ohio,  Mr.  Davis  married 
Mary  Jane  Slyder,  a  native  of  that  town,  • 
the  wedding  ceremony  taking  place  Feb- 
ruary 1 8,  1847.  In  1897  they  celebrated 
the  fifteth  anniversary  of  that  event,  a  host 
of  their  friends  coming  from  Champaign  and 
Urbana,  and,  in  fact,  from  all  parts  of  this 
county  to  do  honor  to  the  occasion.  They 
brought  many  beautiful^  and  substantial 
tokens  of  their  respect  and  affection,  and  the 
event  will  long  be  remembered  by  everyone 
present.  Mrs.  Davis  a  daughter  of  the  Rev. 
Elijah  Slyder,  who  for  some  years  was  a 
well  known  citizen  of  Dayton,  Ohio,  but 
who  died  during  the  cholera  epidemic  of 
1831. 

Since  1857,  when  Mr.  Davis  and  wife 
joined  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  they 
have  faithfully  assisted  in  the  noble  work  of 
that  denomination,  and  have  endeavored  to 
live  lives  beyond  reproach.  Politically,  Mr. 
Davis  originally  was  an  old  line  Whig,  and 


cast  his  first  presidential  ballot  for  William 
Henry  Harrison,  in  1840.  When  the 
Republican  party  was  organized,  he  be- 
came an  ardent  supporter  of  that  body, 
and  at  every  election  for  the  past  sixty  years 
he  has  been  at  the  polls,  ready  to  deposit 
his  ballot — a  record  which  is  rarely  beaten. 
He  has  manifested  the  same  devotion  to 
what  he  has  believed  to  be  his  duty  in 
every  branch  of  human  enterprise,  and  his 
example  is  worthy  of  omulation  by  the  ris- 
ing generation.  Fraternally,  he  is  associated 
with  the  Masonic  order,  being  a  Master 
Mason,  and  in  the  Odd  Fellows  Order  he 
is  past  noble  grand.  Both  he  and  his 
estimable  wife  are  highly  esteemed  by  those 
who  have  known  them  almost  a  lifetime, 
and,  as  together  they  struggled  against 
poverty  and  the  hardships  which  only  the 
pioneers  can  know,  so  now  they  are  enjoy- 
ing the  peace  and  plenty  which  they  richly 
deserve. 


JAMES  REARDEN  eminently  deserves 
classification  among  the  purely  self- 
made  men  of  Champaign  county  who  have 
distinguished  themselves  for  their  ability  to 
master  the  opposing  forces  of  life  and  to 
wrest  from  fate  a  large  measure  of  success 
and  an  honorable  name.  He  now  owns  and 
operates  a  fine  farm  of  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  on  section  35,  Brown  and 
Newcomb  township,  pleasantly  located 
within  two  miles  of  Fisher. 

Mr.  Rearden  is  a  native  of  Ireland,  born 
in  county  Cork,  in  1832,  and  is  a  son  of 
Dennis  Rearden.  He  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1846,  when  a  lad  of  fourteen  years, 
landing  in  Baltimore  in  May  of  that  year. 
Going  to  Pennsylvania  soon  afterward,  he 
began  work  on  the  Pennsylvania  Central 


494 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Railroad,  driving  a  team  for  a  short  time  at 
first.  He  helped  build  the  road  to  Pittsburg 
and  remained  with  the  company  for  several 
years.  He  visited  Johnstown  when  it  con- 
tained but  one  overall  store  and  a  black- 
smith shop.  In  1857  he  came  to  Illinois 
and  located  in  Carroll  county,  where  he 
rented  land  and  followed  farming  for  several 
years. 

At  Dixon,  Illinois,  Mr.  Rearden  was  mar- 
ried, in  1865,  to  Miss  Ellen  Burns,  and  soon 
afterward  went  to  Bloomington,  where  he 
worked  on  a  farm  for  three  years.  In  1867 
he  came  to  Champaign  county  and  pur- 
chased forty  acres  of  wild  land  in  Brown 
township,  where  he  now  resides.  He  im- 
mediately commenced  to  break  and  improve 
his  land.  Although  it  was  with  difficulty 
he  managed  to  get  along  during  the  first  few 
years  of  his  residence- here,  he  had  steadily 
prospered  and  is  now  the  owner  of  three 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  the  home  place 
and  has  an  eighty-acre  tract  in  Newcomb 
township.  He  has  made  many  improve- 
ments upon  his  farm,  including  the  erection 
of  good  buildings,  and  now  has  a  very  val- 
uable and  attractive  place. 

Mrs.  Rearden  died  in  July,  1899,  and 
was  laid  to  rest  in  the  Rantoul  Catholic 
•cemetery.  Our  subject  has  one  son,  John, 
who  assists  his  father  in  carrying  on  the 
farm.  In  politics  Mr.  Rearden  is  a  stalwart 
Democrat,  and  in  religious  belief  is  a  Cath- 
olic. Coming  to  America  without  a  dollar 
in  his  possession  he  deserves  great  credit  for 
the  success  that  he  has  achieved  in  life,  it 
being  due  entirely  to  his  industry,  persever- 
ance and  sound  judgment  in  business  transac- 
tions. Upright  and  honorable  in  all  things, 
he  commands  the  respect  and  confidence  of 
all  who  know  him,  and  his  friends  are  many 
throughout  Champaign  county. 


JOHN  CARTER,  a  prominent  citizen  of 
Mahomet  township,  Champaign  county, 
has  dwelt  within  the  borders  of  this  county 
for  just  half  a  century,  and  has  been  very 
active  in  bringing  about  the  peace  and  pros- 
perity which  is  the  lot  of  the  inhabitants  of 
to-day.  Starting  out  in  the  battle  of  life  a 
poor  lad,  he  overcame  the  almost  innumer- 
able obstacles  in  his  pathway,  and  after  en- 
during the  hardships  and  privations  which 
are  the  common  lot  of  the  frontiersman,  he 
achieved  the  success  so  richly  deserved  by 
him. 

The  birth  of  John  Carter  took  place 
seventy-eight  years  ago,  in  Queens  county, 
Ireland.  His  twin  brother,  Robert,  came 
to  Illinois  in  1850,  and  for  many  years  has 
been  numbered  among  the  substantial  agri- 
culturists of  Peoria  county.  He  reared  seven 
children  to  maturity  and  has  lived  to  see 
each  of  them  happily  married,  and  in  homes 
of  their  own.  Our  subject  and  his  brother, 
upon  reaching  manhood,  determined  to  try 
their  fortunes  in  the  west,  then  first  giving 
promise  of  the  great  future  in  store  for  it. 
A  sister  had  preceded  them  and  was  living 
in  Peoria  county,  Illinois,  and,-  after  making 
her  a  visit,  John  Carter  came  to  Cham- 
paign county,  where  he  commenced  work- 
ing by  the  month  for  farmers.  In  1857  he 
located  in  the  village  of  Mahomet,  and  there 
built  a  substantial  two-story  frame  house, 
which  sheltered  himself  and  family  for  up- 
wards of  fourteen  years. 

In  the  meantime  the  war  of  the  Rebellion 
broke  out,  and  Mr.  Carter  enlisted  in  the 
Union  army,  August  8,  1862,  on  the  old  fair- 
grounds, at  Danville,  becoming  a  private  of 
Company  H,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-fifth 
Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  and  later  was 
transferred  into  the  Peoria  Artillery.  He 
was  sent  to  the  front  almost  immediately, 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


495- 


and  participated  in  a  severe  engagement 
with  the  enemy  about  one  month  after  his 
enlistment.  This  was  the  battle  of  Chapel 
Hill.  Kentucky,  and,  though  he  and  his 
comrades  were  in  there  serve  corps,  they  were 
called  upon  to  turn  the  tide  which  seemed 
to  be  going  against  the  Federal  troops,  and 
from  that  time  forward  the  Peoria  Artillery 
was  active  in  numerous  battles.  About  the 
time  that  his  term  of  enlistment  was  draw- 
ing to  an  end,  Mr.  Carter  was  granted  an 
honorable  discharge  on  account  of  disability. 

For  a  short  time  after  his  return  our 
subject  made  his  home,  as  formerly,  in 
Mahomet,  and  then  invested  his  means  in  a 
farm  near  his  present  place  of  abode,  which 
is  on  section  34,  Mahomet  township.  At 
one  time  he  owned  here  some  four  hundred 
and  forty  acres,  well  improved  and  valuable, 
but  he  has  given  property  to  his  sons  and 
now  retains  only  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres.  Each  member  of  the  family  has  been 
industrious  and  energetic,  working  toward  a 
common  end,  mutual  prosperity,  and  each 
deserves  credit: 

When  he  chose  a  wife,  Mr.  Carter  was 
more  than  fortunate,  and  has  found  a  true 
companion  and  helpmate  in  the  lady  who 
formerly  bore  the  name  of  Katherine  Cooke. 
They  were  married  in  Kitcooley,  Ireland, 
September  12,  1848,  and  the  young  wife  did 
not  come  to  the  United  States  until  after 
her  husband  had  arranged  a  home  for  her 
and  saw  his  way  clear  to  provide  well  for 
his  family.  Of  their  eight  children,  five 
manly  sons  are  left  to  cheer  their  hearts  in 
their  declining  years.  Jane,  their  first-born, 
died  when  in  her  fifth  year,  a  little  son  died 
in  infancy,  and  Peter,  a  young  man  of  great 
promise,  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven 
years.  Henry  A.  is  married  a.nd  is  a  suc- 
cessful farmer  in  the  vicinity  of  Ogden, 


Champaign  county.  George  W.,  John  R., 
Oscar  F.  H.  and  Charles  W.  are  practical 
farmers  of  this  or  neighboring  townships, 
the  last  named  remaining  on  the  home  farm, 
where  he  is  of  great  assistance  to  his  father, 
who  is  getting  well  along  in  years. 

Mr.  Carter  cast  his  first  presidential  bal- 
lot in  1 860  for  Abraham  Lincoln,  but  of  late 
years  has  given  his  allegiance  to  the  Dem- 
ocratic party.  Religiously,  he  and  his  wife 
are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  and  both  are  well  and  widely  known 
by  the  people  of  this  section  of  the  county. 
Their  comfortable  house  has  ever  been  hos- 
pitably open  for  the  entertainment  of  their 
many  friends,  or  the  occasional  minister  or 
stranger  whom  circumstances  brought  to- 
their  door.  Hard  and  long-continued  labor 
brought  prosperity  to  them,  but  they  are 
generous  toward  the  needy  and  afflicted. 


A  LBERT  C.  BOND,  a  well-known  dealer 
2\  in  agricultural  implements  at  Ivesdale, 
Champaign  county,  Illinois,  is  now  one  of  the 
leading  business  men  of  that  section.  En- 
terprise, activity  and  energy  are  numbered, 
among  his  chief  characteristics,  and  although 
a  comparatively  young  man  he  has  already 
attained  a  fair  success  in  life. 

A  native  of  Illinois,  Mr.  Bond  was  born 
in  Chicago,  February  26,  1862,  and  is  a  son 
of  Daniel  and  Mary  R.  (Gates)  Bond,  natives 
of  Virginia  and  Vermont,  respectively.  The 
father  who  was  a  farmer  by  occupation, 
moved  from  Chicago  to  Minnesota,  where  he 
followed  his  chosen  calling  for  a  time,  and 
then  came  to  Piatt  county,  Illinois,  where  he 
farmed  successfully  for  thirty  years.  He 
died  December  19,  1894,  but  the  mother  is 
still  living  and  now  makes  her  home  in. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Monticello.  To  them  were  born  twelve 
children,  five  sons  and  seven  daughters,  .but 
three  daughters  died  young.  The  others 
were  Edward  D.,  a  well-known  and  success- 
ful butcher  of  Cannon  City,  Colorado,  who 
is  rated  at  two  hundred  thousand  dollars, 
all  of  which  he  had  made  by  judicious  man- 
agement; Albert  C  ,  our  subject;  Ernest 
E.,  a  conductor  on  the  Traction  Car  Line 
at  Los  Angeles,  California;  Charles  L. ,  who 
is  employed  in  a  butcher  shop  in  San  Fran- 
cisco, California;  Fred  L. ,  at  home  with  his 
mother;  Lillia,  wife  of  James  Markle,  a 
teacher  in  the  Bementhigh  school;  Nellie, at 
home;  Florence,  deceased  wife  of  W.  B. 
O'Neal,  of  Sadorus,  and  Louis,  at  home. 

Albert  C.  Bond  is  indebted  to  the  public 
schools  of  Piatt  county  for  his  educational 
advantages.  He  remained  on  the  home 
farm  until  twenty-four  years  of  age,  and  as 
he  was  thoroughly  conversant  with  every 
department  of  farm  work,  he  successfully 
managed  the  same  for  a  time.  In  1887  he 
went  west  and  found  employment  as  rail- 
way engineer,  having  learned  the  business 
when  a  young  lad  at  home  by  working  in 
different  shops.  At  the  end  of  two  years  he 
turned  his  steps  homeward  and  operated  the 
farm  until  the  fall  of  1899,  when  he  sold  his 
personal  effects  and  removed  to  Ivesdale, 
where  he  purchased  a  building  and  embarked 
in  his  present  business  in  December  of  that 
year.  He  carries  a  full  and  complete  line  of 
wagons,  threshers,  shelters,  traction  engines 
and  all  kinds  of  farm  machinery;  in  fact  there 
is  nothing  used  on  a  farm  or  in  a  shop  but 
what  can  be  found  in  Mr.  Bond's  warehouse. 
He  carries  the  most  complete  stock  of 
any  in  his  line  in  the  western  part  of  the 
county,  and  has  already  built  up  a  Jarge 
trade  extending  far  into  Piatt  county.  Be- 
ing a  competent  business  man  of  known  re- 


liability, his  success  is  assured  as  his  open- 
ing trade  has  passed  his  expectations. 

On  the  29th  of  September,  1895,  vvas 
celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Bond  and 
Miss  Ada  Gates,  who  was  born  near  Watse- 
ka,  Iroiquois  county,  Illinois,  in  1879.  Her 
parents,  Chandler  and  Mary  Gates,  now  re- 
side in  Seymour,  having  made  Champaign 
county  their  home  for  six  years,  and  are 
well  respected  people  there.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Bond  were  born  two  children,  but  one 
died  in  infancy.  Ruth  R. ,  aged  two  years, 
is  now  the  joy  of  the  household. 

Since  attaining  his  majority,  Mr.  Bond, 
has  affiliated  with  the  Republican  party,  but 
has  never  cared  for  official  preferment.  He 
is  a  member  of  Ivesdale  Camp,  M.  W.  A., 
and  both  he  and  his  wife  hold  membership 
in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


WILLIAM  R.  MILLER  is  one  of 
Champaign  county's  native  sons  and 
a  worthy  representative  of  one  of  her  hon- 
ored and  highly  respected  families,  whose 
identification  with  her  history  dates  from  an 
early  period  in  the  development  of  the 
county.  For  many  years  he  was  actively 
identified  with  the  agricultural  interests  of 
the  county,  but  is  now  practically  living  a 
retired  life  upon  his  fine  farm  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  on  section  18,  Pesotum 
township. 

Mr.  Miller  was  born  in  Tolono  town- 
ship, in  September,  1855,  a  son  of 
Isaac  J.  Miller,  whose  birth  occurred  in 
Butler  county,  Ohio,  in  1817.  It  was  in 
1840  that  the  father  came  to  Champaign 
county,  Illinois,  and  was  one  of  the  first 
settlers  of  Sadorus  Grove.  His  children 
were  born  and  reared  in  Tolono  township, 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


497 


where  he  owned  a  large  tract  of  land,  which 
he  improved  and  successfully  operated  with 
the  aid  of  his  sons,  being  engaged  in  general 
farming  and  stock  raising,  his  specialty  be- 
ing hogs.  He  was  three  times  married,  his 
first  wife  being  Elizabeth  Carr,  by  whom 
he  had  five  children,  but  the  only  one  now 
living  is  Jerome  B.,  a  miller  by  trade  and  a 
resident  of  Cheney,  Kansas.  In  1835  tne 
father  married  Elizabeth  Rock,  who  died 
June  6,  1879,  and  by  that  union  had  nine 
children,  two  of  whom  died  young.  The 
others  are  Scipio  A.,  formerly  a  merchant, 
but  now  an  extensive  farmer^  of  Sedgwick 
county,  Kansas;  William  R. ,  our  sub- 
ject, Jefferson  H.,  a  farmer  of  Brown 
county,  Kansas;  Alice  C. ,  wife  of  R.  F. 
Chandler,  of  the  same  county;  A.  J., 
state's  attorney  of  Champaign  county ;Isaac 
G.,  an  engineer  on  the  Missouri,  Kansas  & 
Texas  Railroad  residing  in  Parsons,  Kansas 
and  Mollie  R.,  wife  of  Otis  L.  Barnett,  of 
Eemaha  county,  Kansas.  For  his  third 
wife  the  father  married  Mrs.  Maggie  D. 
Rock.  He  still  enjoys  good  health  at  the 
advanced  age  of  eighty-three  years,  and  is 
now  living  retired  in  Brown  county,  Kansas, 
having  in  former  years  accumulated  a  com- 
fortable competence.  His  ancestors  were 
of  German  lineage. 

During  his  boyhood  William  R.  Miller 
attended  the  common  schools  of  Champaign 
county.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  years  he 
left  home  and  went  to  live  with  his  grand- 
father Rock,  remaining  with  him  until  he 
attained  his  majority.  He  then  removed  to 
Kansas,  where  he  spent  about  six  years  en- 
gaged in  farming  upon  a  quarter  section 
of  land  in  Brown  county,  one-half  of  which 
he  purchased,  while  the  remaining  eighty 
acres  were  given  him  by  his  father. 

During  his  residence  in  that  state,    Mr. 


Miller  returned  to  Illinois,  and  in  October, 
1 88 1,  married  Miss  MattieJ.  Robinson,  who 
was  born  in  Sadorus  township,  this  county, 
in  1862,  a  daughter  of  H.  J.  Robinson.  By 
this  union  have  been  born  two  children:Edith 
J.,  who  is  attending  school  in  Urbana;  and 
Jessie  E. ,  who  is  attending  the  district 
school. 

For  two  years  after  his  marriage,  Mr. 
Miller  continued  to  reside  in  Kansas,  but  at 
the  end  of  the  time  he  sold  his  property 
there  and  returned  to  his  native  state,  pur- 
chasing his  present  farm  on  section  18, 
Pesotum  township,  Champaign  county.  He 
carried  on  general  farming  with  marked  suc- 
cess until  1900,  when  he  rented  his  land, 
and  though  still  residing  on  the  farm,  he  has 
retired  from  active  work.  It  is  operated, 
however,  under  his  supervision  and  is  kept 
in  good  repair  by  him.  He  has  erected 
thereon  a  good  set  of  farm  buildings,  in- 
cluding a  pleasant  modern  residence,  and 
substantial  and  commodious  barns  and  other 
out-buildings.  The  place  is  thoroughly  tiled 
and  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  farm  of  its 
size  in  the  township.  Mr.  Miller  has  made 
a  specialty  of  raising  heavy  draft  horses 
for  market,  and  takes  a  just  pride  in  the 
coach  horses  he  keeps  for  his  own  use.  He 
is  an  enterprising  and  progressive  man 
whose  success  in  life  is  well-merited,  and  he 
commands  the  confidence  and  respect  of  all 
with  whom  he  comes  in  contact  either  in  his 
business  or  social  relations.  Fraternally  he 
is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Lodge  of  Sado- 
rus, and  though  not  a  member  of  any 
church  he  is  a  liberal  supporter  of  those  in- 
terests calculated  to  advance  the  moral  or 
material  welfare  of  his  community.  As  a 
Republican  he  takes  quite  a  prominent  part 
in  local  politics,  but  has  never  sought  polit- 
ical preferment. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ELIAS  O.  CHESTER  is  one  of  the  well- 
known  and  successful  farmers  of  Cham- 
paign county,  though  he  is  now  living  a 
retired  life  on  his  farm  one-half  mile  south 
of  the  city  of  Champaign.  He  was  born  in 
Franklin  county,  Ohio,  October  16,  1829, 
and  is  of  English  descent,  tracing  his  ances- 
try back  to  John  Chester,  a  native  of  Ches- 
ter, England,  who  came  to  this  country 
with  two  brothers  prior  to  the  Revolution- 
ary war,  and  located  in  Connecticut,  after- 
wards moving  to  New  York,  where  Elias 
Chester,  Sr. ,  the  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  born.  The  father,  Elias  Chester, 
Jr.,  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  where  he  made 
his  home  throughout  life,  and  where  he 
owned  a  fine  farm  of  two  hundred  acres, 
following  a  successful  career  as  an  agricult- 
urist. He  married  Anna  M.  Smith,  who 
was  also  born  in  Ohio,  and  who  did  not 
long  survive  her  husband,  both  dying  on  the 
old  homestead  in  the  Buckeye  state.  Our 
subject  is  the  oldest  of  their  six  children;  E. 
E.,  the  next  in  order  of  birth,  is  a  resident 
of  Champaign,  Illinois,  and  is  represented 
on  another  page  of  this  volume;  Ann  mar- 
ried David  Taylor,  and  both  died  in  Iowa, 
where  they  made  their  home;  Martha  is  the 
widow  of  Turner  Hendren,  of  Ohio,  and  she 
now  resides  in  Champaign;  Hubert,  de- 
ceased, was  also  a  resident  of  Champaign 
for  many  years,  and  a  sketch  of  him  and  his 
family  may  also  be  found  on  another  page 
of  this  work;  and  Homer  is  living  in  Chi- 
cago. In  politics  the  Chester  family  were 
Whig,  and  now  Republicans. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  obtained  the 
greater  part  of  his  education  in  the  common 
schools,  but  also  pursued  a  short  elective 
college  course,  well  fitting  him  for  a  suc- 
cessful and  practical  farmer.  On  leaving 
home  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  he 


began  farming  for  himself  in  his  native  state. 
He  prospered  in  the  undertaking  and  soon 
became  quite  well-to-do.  On  the  3ist  of 
January,  1854,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Catherine  Chain,  also  a  native  of 
Franklin  county,  Ohio,  and  to  them  were 
born  two  children:  Belle,  at  home  with  her 
parents;  and  Minnie,  wife  of  George  War- 
rington,  of  Chicago,  superintendent  of  the 
National  Boiler  Works,  by  whom  she  has 
one  son,  Chester  W. 

In  1857  Mr.  Chester  sold  his  possessions 
in  Ohio,  and  moved  with  his  family  to 
Champaign  county,  Illinois,  where  he  pur- 
chased three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
land  in  Champaign  township,  which  at  that 
time  was  only  partly  broken,  prairie  grass 
and  marshes  being  the  principal  features  of 
the  place.  This  farm  was  two  miles  south- 
east of  Champaign,  and  he  there  resided 
for  five  years.  He  then  moved  into  Cham- 
paign and  went  into  partnership  with  Miller 
&  Toll,  raising  broom  corn.  This  partner- 
ship continued  seven  years.  He  then  pur- 
chased half  of  section  14,  a  portion  of 
which  he  still  retains. 

By  persistent  labor  Mr.  Chester  has 
transformed  the  place  into  one  of  the  most 
desirable  farms  of  the  county,  having  tiled, 
ditched  and  otherwise  improved  it  by  the 
erection  of  good  and  substantial  buildings. 
He  has  raised  large  crops  of  broom  corn, 
making  a  specialty  of  that  product  for  a 
quarter  of  a  century  and  devoting  between 
two  and  three  hundred  acres  to  the  same. 
Prices  have  been  good  and  he  has  steadily 
prospered.  He  has  disposed  of  a  part  of 
his  land,  but  still  retains  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres,  upon  which  he  has  erected  a 
pleasant  residence  supplied  with  all  modern 
conveniences.  For  the  past  ten  years  he 
has  engaged  only  in  the  stock  business  and 


K.   0.   CHKSTKK. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


501 


in  farming  to  a  limiied  extent,  and  is  now 
practically  living  retired. 

Mr.  Chester  lost  his  first  wife  in  1867, 
and  the  following  year  married  Miss  Fran- 
ces Virginia  Skinner,  who  was  born  in  New 
York,  Orange  county,  and  when  a  child,  in 
July,  1858,  was  brought  by  her  parents  to 
Champaign  county,  where  she  grew  to 
womanhood,  and  has  since  resided.  She  is 
the  eldest  of  six  children.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Chester  have  five  children,  namely:  Paul, 
now  a  successful  physician  of  Chicago;  Earl, 
an  electrician  with  the  Western  Electric 
Company,  of  that  city,  both  graduates  of 
the  Illinois  University;  Velma  E.  and  Roy 
died  in  infancy;  and  Mabelle,  who  is  at- 
tending school  in  .Champaign. 

Mr.  Chester  has  lived  a  rather  quiet 
life,  but  has  always  identified  himself  with 
any  movement  to  better  the  condition  of 
his  town  or  the  people.  In  politics  he  has 
always  been  a  strong  Republican,  but  has 
been  prevailed  upon  to  accept  office,  though 
often  solicited  to  do  so,  but  persistently 
refused.  Since  1857  he  has  lived  in  or 
near  Champaign,  having  resided  upon  his 
present  farm  for  twenty-eight  years,  and 
for  forty-three  years  has  retained  the  same 
postomce-box  in  the  postoffice  at  Cham- 
paign. He  is  a  prominent  and  influential 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  church  of  that 
city,  has.  always  taken  an  active  part  in  its 
work,  and  has  served  as  elder  for  forty-three 
years.  Mrs.  Chester  was  reared  in  the 
Methodist  faith,  but  after  her  marriage  she 
united  with  the  Presbyterian  church,  of 
which  body  nearly  all  the  family  are  now 
members. 

HON.   HUGH   J.    ROBINSON,     whose 
home  is  on  section  33,  Sadorus  town- 
ship, is  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  in- 

26 


fluential  men  in  his  community  and  a  leader 
of  the  Democratic  party  in  Champaign 
county,  his  large  acquaintance  and  un- 
bounded popularity  giving  him  an  influential 
following,  while  his  shrewd  judgment  of 
men  and  affairs  make  his  counsel  of  value 
in  all  important  movements.  In  business 
circles  also  he  takes  a  foremost  rank,  his 
success  as  an  agriculturist  being  all  the  more 
notable  from  the  fact  that  it  has  been  se- 
cured by  his  own  judicious  management. 

Mr.  Robinson  was  born  of  Scotch  parent- 
age near  Belfast,  Ireland,  March  28,  1833, 
and  is  a  son  of  Robert  and  Maria  M.  (Jack- 
'son)  Robinson,  the  latter  a  first  cousin  of 
General  Jackson.  The  parents  were  both 
born  in  Scotland,  and  in  early  life  the 
father  served  as  an  officer  in  the  British 
army.  The  mother  died  in  Ireland  when 
our  subject  was  but  two  years  of  age,  and 
in  1837  the  father  came  with  his  family  to 
the  United  States,  locating  first  in  Dutchess 
county,  New  York,  where  he  followed  farm- 
ing for  some  time.  Later  he  removed  to 
Fond  du  Lac  county,  Wisconsin,  where  he 
improved  and  opened  up  a  new  farm,  and 
where  he  continued  to  make  his  home  until 
called  from  this  life  in  1852.  In  religious 
belief  he  was  an  Episcopalian.  Of  his  nine 
children,  six,  three  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters, reached,  years  of  maturity,  namely: 
John,  a  farmer,  who  died  in  Harrison- 
county,  Iowa,  in  1898;  Hugh  J.,  our  sub- 
ject; William  K.,  deceased,  who  was  en- 
gaged in  lumbering  in  Utah;  Mary  A.,  wife 
of  J.  C.  Johnson,  of  Harrison  county,  Iowa; 
Eleanor,  widow  of  William  Hall,  and  a 
resident  of  the  same  county;  and  Jane, 
wife  ofThomas  Hasty,  of  Greenwood  county, 
Kansas. 

Our   subject    received  a  good    practical 
education    in    a  select  school  in    Dutchess 


5O2 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD 


county,  New  York.  He  grew  to  manhood 
upon  his  father's  farm  in  Fond  du  Lac 
county,  Wisconsin,  and  remained  with  him 
until  the  latter's  death  in  1852.  In  October 
of  the  same  year  he  started  out  to  seek  his 
fortune  with  no  capital  but  a  pair  of  willing 
hands  and  a  determination  to  succeed.  He 
took  a  boat  to  Chicago,  but  from  there 
walked  to  Urbana,  not  having  money  enough 
to  pay  for  a  conveyance,  and  when  he 
landed  here  he  had  the  munificent  sum  of 
three  dollars  and  a  half.  With  the  pluck 
characteristic  of  his  race,  he  secured  em- 
ployment with  J.  S.  Gere,  a  contractor  fur- 
nishing ties  to  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
for  their  first  track  bed.  Not  having  any 
unnecessary  expenses,  he  saved  a  little 
money.  He  soon  won  the  confidence  and 
esteem  of  his  employers,  by  steady  work 
and  fidelity  to  duty,  and  was  subsequently 
taken  into  partnership,  the  firm  being  Gere 
&  Robinson  until  the  death  of  the  senior 
member. 

In  1853  Mr.  Robinson  went  to  Douglas 
county  and  assisted  in  building  a  mill  at 
Bourbon,  furnished  by  contract  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  thousand  tiesto  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral and  Wabash  Railroads,  and  sixty-  five  hun- 
dred cords  of  wood  for  the  former  company. 
Being  successful  in  this,  he  invested  his 
money  in  land  in  Champaign  county,  pur- 
chasing, in  1858,  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  barren  prairie  land  in  Sadorus  town- 
ship, in  which  locality  there  were  but  few 
cabins  and  these  were  widely  scattered. 
After  filling  his  contracts  with  the  railroad 
companies,  he  disposed  of  his  interests  in 
Douglas  county,  and  in  1860  took  up  his 
residence  upon  his  farm,  which  at  that  time 
was  half  covered  with  water.  He  first 
erected  a  cabin  and  then  began  to  improve 
his  place  by  fencing  and  draining.  At  first 


he  engaged  in  general  farming  on  a  small 
scale,  but  being  very  successful,  he  branched 
out  and  kept  adding  to  his  land  and  making 
better  improvements  in  buildings  and  tiling, 
having  expended  many  hundred  dollars  in 
this  way.  He  now  owns  a  valuable  farm 
of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  on  sec- 
tion 33,  Sadorus  township,  all  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation,  and  by  his  labors  and 
good  management  he  has  made  enough 
money  to  enable  him  to  retire,  so  that  he 
now  rents  his  farm,  giving  his  time  to  the 
enjoyment  of  the  pleasures  he  has  justly 
earned.  Besides  his  property  in  this  coun- 
ty, Mr.  Robinson  owns  a  large  cattle  ranch 
in  Haskill  county,  Kansas,  near  Santa  Fe, 
which  is  now  yielding  him  a  good  income. 
His  farm  work  has  been  devoted  entirely  to 
the  raising,  feeding  and  shipping  of  stock. 
In  his  place  he  has  erected  a  barn  with  a 
capacity  of  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
tons  of  hay,  and  other  buildings  in  propor- 
tion for  the  accommodation  of  his  extensive 
business. 

On  the  8th  of  October,  1856,  Mr.  Rob- 
inson was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Jane 
Thrasher,  who  was  born  in  Geauga  county, 
Ohio,  in  1833,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Jacob 
Thrasher,  and  by  this  union  were  born  three 
children,  namely:  (i)  Robert  T.,  a  miller 
of  Urbana,  married  Lillias  Kellar,  and  they 
have  one  daughter,  Estella.  (2)  William 
C. ,  who  owns  two  hundred  acres  of  land 
adjoining  his  father's  on  section  33,  Sadorus 
township,  married  Edith  Styan,  who  was 
born  in  England,  and  came  to  this  country 
in  1 88 1  with  her  parents.  They  have  two 
children,  Nellie  and  Olive.  (3)  Mattie  is 
the  wife  of  William  R.  Miller,  whose  sketch 
appears  elsewhere  in  this  volume.  The 
wife  and  mother  died  July  4,  1874,  and  in 
1875  Mr-  Robinson  married  Miss  Jennie 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


503 


Hutchinson,  a  native  of  Calhoun  county, 
Michigan,  a  daughter  of  Captain  Scott 
Hutchinson.  By  this  union  there  was  born 
one  son,  John  W. ,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
four  years. 

In  religious  belief  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robin- 
son are  Universalists.  .Socially  he  is  a  char- 
ter member  of  J.  R.  Gorm  Lodge,  No.  537, 
F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Sadorus,  and  he  also  holds 
membership  in  the  chapter,  R.  A.  M.,  of 
Bement,  and  the  commandery,  K.  T.,  of  Ur- 
bana.  Since  1866  he  has  been  prominently 
identified  with  the  political  affairs  of  the 
county,  serving  from  that  year  until  1896  as 
supervisor,  only  being  out  of  office  a  few 
terms.  In  1896  when  his  name  was  again 
put  before  the  people,  he  refused  to  become 
a  candidate  for  re-election,  having  already 
served  eleven  consecutive  terms.  From 
force  of  habit  he  still  goes  to  Urbana  when 
the  board  is  in  session  as  he  enjoys  talking 
over  old  times  with  his  associates,  and  his 
advice  is  often  sought  on  matters  of  import- 
ance that  come  before  that  body.  His  first 
office  in  Sadorus  township  was  that  of  col- 
lector, which  he  filled  for  three  years.  He 
has  been  officially  connected  with  the  schools 
during  his  entire  residence  in  the  county, 
having  served  as  director  and  treasurer  of 
the  board  for  many  years,  and  as  a  trustee 
continuously  since  1880.  During  his  term 
as  supervisor  the  court  house  was  enlarged 
and  improved;  the  dredging  was  done  for 
the  drainage  of  lands  in  the  county;  and 
nearly  all  the  iron  bridges  of  creeks  and 
rivers  were  constructed.  He  served  faith- 
fully the  people  he  represented.  Though  a 
Democrat  in  politics,  he  is  always  the 
choice  of  the  people  of  his  home  county, 
and  when  nominated  for  representative  to 
the  Forty-first  General  Assembly  in  1898, 
he  was  elected  on  the  minority  ticket.  He 


received  twenty-two  thousand  votes  and  is 
conceded  to  have  polled  the  largest  number 
of  votes  of  any  one  in  the  state  of  Illinois. 
He  is  now  a  candidate  for  re-election  and 
as  he  is  the  choice  of  both  the  Democratic 
and  Republican  parties  he  will  certainly  re- 
ceive the  nomination.  He  is  eminently 
public-spirited  and  progressive,  with  the  best 
interests  of  the  community  at  heart,  and 
his  popularity  is  therefore  justly  merited. 

Mr.  Robinson  has  always  had  excellent 
health,  and  now  intends  spending  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life  in  ease  and  quiet,  enjoy- 
ing the  fruits  of  former  toil.  He  has  trav- 
eled quite  extensively,  spending  his  winters 
in  California,  Florida,  New  Orleans,  Hot 
Springs  or  wherever  he  may  desire  to  go. 
Travel  and  his  social,  genial  nature,  have 
made  him  an  entertaining  companion,  and 
he  is  a  stanch  and  loyal  friend,  fond  of  good 
fellowship  and  devoted  to  those  who  have 
his  confidence. 


JACOB  HAYWARD.  More  than  two- 
score  years  have  passed  since  Ja:ob 
Hayward  came  to  Champaign  county  to 
make  a  permanent  abiding  place,  and  dur- 
ing this  period  he  has  been  numbered  among 
the  leading  agriculturists  of  thisregion.  His 
record  has  been  one  of  strict  business  in- 
tegrity and  justice,  and  like  a  true  and  public 
spirited  citizen,  he  always  has  cast  his  influ- 
ence on  the  side  of  education  and  progress. 
Our  subject's  father  and  grandfather 
bore  the  same  Christian  name  as  himself. 
The  latter,  who  was  a  tanner  by  trade,  was 
a  resident  of  Maryland,  and  three  of  his 
sons,  Jacob,  Joseph  and  Thomas,  followed 
the  same  business  in  Maryland,  and  later 
owned  large  tanneries  in  Fayette  county. 


504 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


Indiana.  The  father  of  our  subject  was 
born  near  Baltimore,  Maryland,  April  25, 
1806.  He  worked  at  his  accustomed  calling 
in  Cincinnati  prior  to  settling  in  Fayette 
county,  and  after  locating  in  the  Hoosier 
state  he  became  more  and  more  interested 
in  the  management  of  his  farm,  and  kept  in- 
vesting in  land  until  he  owned  a  large  estate, 
and  finally  gave  up  his  tannery.  He  was 
united  in  marriage  in  Fayette  county  to  Re- 
becca Crandall,  February  24,  1828.  She 
was  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  a  daughter  of 
Elihu  Crandall,  whose  birth  occurred  in 
New  Jersey.  In  the  fall  of  1865  Mr.  Hay- 
ward  removed  to  the  vicinity  of  Hiawatha, 
Kansas,  and  there  he  passed  to  his  reward 
some  twenty  years  later.  His  widow  then 
lived  with  a  daughter  until  her  death,  De- 
cember i,  1894,  when  she  was  placed  by 
the  side  of  her  husband  in  Hiawatha  ceme- 
tery. Eight  of  their  eleven  children  sur- 
vive: Mary  Rose,  a  widow,  residing  in 
Fayette  county;  Thomas,  a  merchant  of 
Fairfield,  Indiana;  Elihu  and  Jacob,  farmers 
of  this  county;  Joanna,  wife  of  David  Shel- 
ton,  of  Brown  county,  Kansas;  Mrs.  Eliza- 
beth Bacon  and  Mrs.  Rebecca  Hanson, 
widows,  living  in  Hiawatha;  and  Lydia, 
wife  of  Taylor  Hulett,  of  Brown  county, 
Illinois. 

Jacob  Hayward,  of  this  sketch  was,  born 
in  Fayette  county,  May  5,  1839,  and,  like 
his  ancestors,  he  early  learned  to  work  at 
the  various  departments  of  farming  and 
tanning.  Neither  of  these  callings  being  to 
his  liking  at  that  period  of  his  life,  he 
mastered  the  painter's  trade,  and  was  em- 
ployed in  that  line  for  three  years  prior  to 
coming  to  Champaign  county  in  1858.  The 
town  of  the  same  name  was  but  a  cross- 
roads village,  and  he  had  little  opportunity 
to  learn  a  livelihood  at  his  trade,  but  in 


Mahomet  he  fared  better  and  devoted 
twelve  years  to  the  business.  Then  he 
located  upon  a  rented  farm,  and  later  bought 
one  hundred  and  four  acres  adjoining  his 
present  homestead.  This  place  he  pur- 
chased in  1892,  and,  by  remodeling  the 
house,  putting  in  needed  tiling  and  other 
improvements  upon  the  farm,  which  com- 
prises one  hundred  and  twenty-four  acres, 
he  has  made  a  very  desirable  country  home. 
His  many  years  of  energetic  work  and  good 
management  have  resulted  in  his  having  a 
good  bank  account  and  an  enviable  posi- 
tion in  the  community. 

Politically,  Mr.  Hayward  was  a  Republi- 
can in  the  days  of  the  Civil  war,  and  in 
1860  he  voted  for  Abraham  Lincoln.  Of 
late  years,  however,  he  has  given  his  alle- 
giance to  the  Prohibition  party,  as  he  has- 
been  led  to  believe  that  the  temperance 
question  surpasses  all  others  confronting 
this  country,  and  thinks  that  proper  legisla- 
tion would  remedy  what  is  acknowledged  to- 
be  one  of  the  giant  evils  of  this  land,  as,  in- 
deed, of  every  other  country.  Both  he  and 
his  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church. 

On  the  3ist  of  January,  1865,  Mr.  Hay- 
ward  married  Margaret  E.  Killgore,  daugh- 
ter of  J.  C.  and  Margaret  (Karr)  Killgore, 
all  natives  of  Indiana.  The  family  removed' 
to  this  county  in  1848,  and  here  Mrs.  Kill- 
gore  died  seven  years  later,  when  her  name- 
sake was  fourteen  years  old.  Mrs.  Hay- 
ward,  who  was  an  able  helpmate  to  her 
husband  during  the  years  of  his  struggles- 
for  a  competence,  died  upon  the  anniversary 
of  their  marriage,  January  31,  1896.  She 
left  one  son,  J.  J.,  a  thrifty  farmer  of  this 
county,  and  by  his  marriage  he  has  one 
daughter,  Merle.  The  marriage  of  our  sub- 
ject and  Mrs.  Donna  Hammer,  a  native  of. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


505 


Fayette  county,  and  one  of  his  boyhood's 
companions  and  school-mates,  took  place 
March  7,  1898.  She  is  a  daughter  of  John 
H.  and  Elizabeth  (Brown)  Eyston,  both 
natives  of  Fayette  county.  They  removed 
to  Champaign  county  in  the  spring  of  1858, 
and  here  the  daughter  grew  to  womanhood, 
and  gave  her  hand  in  marriage  to  Thomas 
Hammer,  March  12,  1866.  For  thirty-one 
years  she  dwelt  upon  one  farm,  in  Scott 
township,  and  after  the  death  of  her  hus- 
band tenderly  reared  their  children  alone. 
The  eldest,  Ora  A.  Hammer,  now  carries 
on  the  old  homestead.  Clara  is  the  wife  of 
Robert  Quayle,  of  Champaign  township;  and 
Blanche  is  the  wife  of  Charles  Dennis,  of 
Fennimore,  Wisconsin. 


r>EORGE  HEWERDINE  is  one  of  the 
VJ  leading  citizens  of  Condit  township, 
who  has  taken  an  active  part  in  promoting 
its  substantial  improvement  and  material 
development.  He  has  been  a  resident  of 
the  county  since  the  fall  of  1859,  and  has 
succeeded  in  building  up  a  fine  homestead  of 
two  hundred  and  ninety-two  acres  on  sec- 
tions 8  and  18,  Condit  township.  An 
adopted  son  of  America,  his  loyalty  is  above 
question  and  his  labors  in  the  interests  of 
his  community  have  been  most  effective  and 
beneficial. 

Mr.  Hewerdine  was  born  in  Lincoln- 
shire, England,  January  10,  1842,  a  son  of 
N\  illiam  Hewerdine,  who  spent  his  entire 
life  in  that  country.  In  1859,  at  the  age  of 
seventeen  years,  our  subject  crossed  the 
Atlantic  and  came  to  Champaign  county, 
Illinois,  where  he  worked  on  a  farm  until  he 
entered  the  Union  army  during  the  Civil 
war.  In  July,  1862,  he  enlisted  for  three 


months  in  Company  H,  Seventy-first  Illinois 
Volunteer  Infantry,  which  was  assigned  to 
the  Thirteenth  Army  Corps  and  sent  to 
Kentucky  to  do  guard  duty.  There  he  was 
taken  ill  and  sent  to  a  hospital.  His  hear- 
ing was  greatly  impaired  by  his  illness  and 
he  was  honorably  discharged.  On  his  re- 
turn to  this  county,  he  continued  to  work  at 
farm  labor  by  the  month  for  some  time. 

Here  Mr.  Hewerdine  was  married,  Sep- 
tember 7,  1869.  to  Miss  Mary  Ann  Jeffries, 
a  daughter  of  William  and  Ruth  (Johnson) 
Jeffries,  natives  of  Fayette  county,  Ohio, 
where  most  of  their  children  were  born.  In 
1859  the  family  removed  to  Champaign 
county,  Illinois,  where  Mr.  Jeffries  pur- 
chased land  and  improved  a  fane  in  East 
Bend  township.  Some  years  previous  to 
this  time  he  had  come  to  this  county  and 
made  his  home  for  two  or  three  years,  and 
then  returned  to  Ohio.  He  died  in  East 
Bend  and  his  wife  died  in  Condit  township. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hewerdine  began  their 
married  life  on  a  rented  farm,  which  he 
operated  for  three  years,  and  he  then  pur- 
chased a  tract  of  eighty  acres,  upon  which 
they  also  made  their  home  for  three  years. 
At  the  end  of  that  time  he  sold  ths  place 
and  purchased  another  eighty-acre  farm  on 
section  8,  Condit  township,  where  they 
have  since  lived.  He  has  added  to  it  from 
time  to  time  until  it  now  comprises  two 
hundred  and  ninety-two  acres,  which  he  has 
placed  under  excellent  cultivation  and  im- 
proved in  a  most  creditable  manner.  Be- 
sides this  valuable  property  he  owns  a  well 
improved  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  in  Hancock  county,  Iowa,  and  another 
of  eighty-eight  acres  in  Shelby  county,  Illi- 
nois. He  and  his  wife  began  life  together 
in  limited  circumstances,  but  by  their  united 
efforts  they  have  accumluated  a  fine  prop- 


506 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


erty,  and  are  now  numbered  among  the  sub- 
stantial and  prosperous  citizens  of  their 
community. 

Their  family  consists  of  two  daughters: 
Ruth,  the  older,  is  now  the  wife  of  Joseph 
Shaffer,  of  Hancock  county,  Iowa,  and 
they  have  four  children:  Sylvia',  Harry, 
George  and  Edna.  Sarah  is  the  wife  of 
Charles  Gauble,  a  farmer  of  Condit  town- 
ship, this  county,  and  they  have  five  chil- 
dren: George  Orville,  Adda  Bertha,  Floyd 
Latin,  Cassie  Fern  and  Clifford  Franklin. 
Our  subject  and  his  estimable  wife  have  also 
reared  John  Ackerman,  who  is  now  married, 
and  now  have  Amelia  and  Ernest  Wamster, 
whom  they  are  educating  and  caring  for. 

Politically  Mr.  Hewerdine  was  formerly 
a  Republican,  but  of  late  years  has  voted 
independent  of  party  lines,  supporting  the 
men  whom  he  believes  best  qualified  to  fill 
the  offices.  His  wife  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Fisher,  and 
he  holds  membership  in  the  Grand  Army 
Post  of  that  place.  They  have  many 
friends  throughout  the  community  in  which 
they  reside,  and  are  held  in  high  regard  by 
all  who  know  them. 


JESSE  M.  SADORUS,  one.  of  the  repre- 
sentative young  men  who  is  successfully 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  in  Sadorus 
township,  his  home  being  in  section  12,  be- 
longs to  the  oldest  family  of  the  county,  his 
ancestors  being  among  its  honored  pioneers 
and  influential  citizens.  His  father,  Henry 
T.  Sadorus,  was  born  in  Rush  county, 
Indiana,  in  1823,  and  when  a  year  old  was 
brought  to  this  state  by  his  parents,  Henry 
and  Mary  (Titus)  Sadorus.  being  the  first 
people  to  settle  in  Champaign  county.  Their 


family  consisted  of  six  children,  three  sons 
and  three  daughters,  of  whom  only  two  now 
survive:  Allen  M.,  of  Sadorus,  and  Mrs. 
Eliza  Jordan,  of  California.  The  town  of 
Sadorus  was  named  in  honor  of  this  worthy 
family. 

Here  Henry  T.  Sadorus  grew  to  man- 
hood. In  1849,  with  other  young  men,  he 
went  to  California  during  the  gold  excite- 
ment in  that  state  to  seek  his  fortune.  After 
following  mining  for  two  years  he  saw  that 
there  were  other  industries  by  which  wealth 
could  be  gained,  and  turned  his  attention  to 
the  butcher  business.  He  bought  cattle  in 
Texas  and  drove  them  to  Butte  county,  Cali- 
fornia, but  on  the  way  the  Indians  stampeded 
a  part  of  his  herd,  causing  a  loss  of  about 
seventeen  thousand  dollars,  which  was  part- 
ly settled  for  by  the  United  States  govern- 
ment in  1893.  In  1852  he  came  to  Illinois 
and  purchased  a  drove  of  cattle,  taking  these 
to  the  same  place.  In  this  venture  he  was 
very  successful.  On  his  return  home  in 
1867,  he  embarked  in  farming,  purchasing 
four  hundred  acres  of  valuable  land  in  Peso- 
turn  and  Sadorus  townships,  and  he  also 
owned  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
farm  land  in  Kansas.  The  land  he  acquired 
in  this  county  was  all  improved  by  him  dur- 
ing his  life  time,  it  being  all  timber  and  wild 
prairie  when  he  took  up  his  residence  there- 
on. During  his  career  as  a  farmer  he  de- 
voted his  attention  principally  to  the  raising 
of  stock  for  market,  using  in  this  way  all  the 
grain  he  raised  upon  his  land. 

In  1868,  Henry  T.  Sadorus  married  Miss 
Sarah  Fields,  a  native  of  Kankakee  county, 
Illinois,  and  to  them  were  born  five  chil- 
dren, but  John  died  in  infancy.  The  four 
surviving  are  Jesse  M.,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch;  Melissa,  now  the  wife  of  George 
Hastings,  of  Sadorus  township;  Aldula,  a 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


507 


resident  of  Effingham,  Illinois;  and  Jordan, 
a  liveryman  of  Sadorus.  The  mother  died 
July  12,  1885,  and  the  father  departed  this 
life  June  12,  1895.  He  was  one  of  the  three 
pioneer  brothers  who  with  their  father 
aided  materially  in  the  early  development 
and  upbuilding  of  this  county,  doing  all  in 
their  power  to  advance  its  interests.  He 
was  a  Democrat  in  politics  and  an  active 
party  worker  in  his  community.  He  was 
always  ready  to  assist  by  his  advice  or 
financially  any  project  worthy  of  advance- 
ment, and  in  his  death  the  community 
realized  that  it  had  lost  a  valuable  citizen. 

Jesse  M.  Sadorus  was  born  in  Pesotum 
township  in  1870,  and  as  he  was  reared  to 
manhood  on  the  home  farm  his  education 
was  obtained  in  the  common  schools  of  the 
township.  When  of  age  he  began  farming 
for  himself  and  has  become  quite  a  prosper- 
ous young  business  man.  In  1893  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Mattie  Nogle,  who  was  born  in 
Sadorus  in  1872.  Her  parents,  David  and 
Isabella  (Peat)  Nogle,  have  been  residents 
of  Sadorus  for  many  years,  and  now  reside 
within  the  western  corporate  limits  of  the 
village.  Our  subject  and  his  wife  have  one 
child.  Chester  H.,  who  was  born  in  1896,  * 
and  is  the  joy  of  the  household. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Sadorus  began 
farming  on  the  place  which  he  still  owns 
and  occupies,  consisting  of  eighty  acres  on 
section  12,  Sidorus  township.  When  he 
located  thereon,  the  only  improvement 
upon  the  place  was  a  small  house,  but  by 
hard  work  and  perseverance  he  has  cleared 
acre  after  acre  of  the  timbered  tract,  and 
has  placed  the  land  under  a  high  state  of  cul- 
tivation. He  has  erected  a  good  modern  resi- 
dence and  other  buildings,  and  has  made  many 
other  improvements  which  add  greatly  to 
the  value  and  attractive  appearance  of  the 


place.  Politically  he  is  a  Democrat  and  has 
served  his  fellow  citizens  in  the  office  of  as- 
sessor for  two  years.  Fraternally  he  be- 
longs to  the  Odd  Fellows  Society  of  Sado- 
rus and  to  J.  R.  Gorm  Lodge,  No.  537, 
F.  &  A.  M. 


WILLIAM  MORFEY.  Numbered 
among  the  sterling  citizens  of  Cham- 
paign county  is  the  gentleman  whose  name 
heads  this  article.  Nearly  forty  years  ago 
he  came  to  this  region,  and  in  the  meantime 
has  been  an  interested  spectator  and  active 
participant  in  the  transformation  which  has 
been  wrought  in  the  former  swamp  and 
wild  lands  here,  then  giving  little  promise 
of  the  abundant  crops  they  were  destined  to 
yield,  under  the  judicious  management  of 
the  thrifty  pioneers.  He  is  worthy  to  be 
classed  with  the  founders  of  this  county, 
for,  at  all  times,  he  has  stood  for  the  main- 
tenance of  law  and  order,  of  good  govern- 
ernment  and  progress. 

A  native  of  England,  William  Morfey 
was  born  in  Sussex,  March  22,  1840,  and 
passed  his  early  years  upon  a  farm,  there 
learning  agriculture  in  a  practical  form,  and 
laying  the  foundations  of  a  future  of  success 
by  becoming  habituated  to  hard  and  perse- 
vering labor.  Having  heard  glowing  ac- 
counts of  the  greater  opportunities  afforded 
by  the  United  States  to  ambitious  young 
men,  he  decided  to  seek  a  home  and  com- 
petence here,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty  years 
bade  adieu  to  the  friends  and  scenes  of  his 
youth.  He  sailed  from  Liverpool  and  arrived 
in  New  York  city  in  May,  1861.  Proceed- 
ing westward,  he  came  to  Champaign  county 
by  way  of  Chicago,  and  for  six  years  worked 
by  the  month  for  John  Rayburn.  Having 
carefully  husbanded  his  earnings,  he  at  last 


508 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


concluded  to  embark  in  business  upon  his 
own  account,  but  for  several  years  merely 
rented  a  farm  in  Hensley  township.  In  1879, 
when  so  much  was  being  said  in  favor  of 
Kansas,  he  removed  with  his  family  to  Reno 
count}',  where  he  bought  a  claim.  Two 
years  later  he  sold  the  place  at  a  profitable 
figure,  and  returned  to  this  county,  where 
he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  his  present 
homestead.  Instituting  numerous  improve- 
ments at  once,  he  gradually  added  others, 
and  developed  his  farm  into  what  it  is 
to-day,  one  of  the  best  in  this  section  of  the 
county.  He  has  extended  its  boundaries  to 
its  present  dimensions,  upwards  of  two 
hundred  and  forty  acres.  The  substantial 
farm-house  is  situated  upon  section  36, 
Mahomet  township,  and  the  large  barns, 
yards,  orchard  and  everything  about  the 
premises  bespeaks  the  constant  care  of  the 
neat  and  systematic  owner. 

Beginning  his  mature  life  as  he  did,  a 
poor  man  without  capital,  among  total 
strangers,  and  during  the  stormy,  unsettled 
period  of  the  Civil  war,  Mr.  Morfey's  suc- 
cess is  the  more  remarkable  and  deserving 
of  credit.  With  half  his  spirit  and  pluck, 
many  a  man  who  to-day  is  a  pauper  might 
be  in  the  possession  of  a  competence,  but  he 
is  one  of  those  sturdy,  upright  souls  who 
"despise  not  the  day  of  small  things"  and 
are  not  above  hard  work.  Never  an  office- 
seeker  or  politician  in  any  sense  of  the  word, 
he  has  used  his  ballot  on  behalf  of  the  nomi- 
nees of  the  Republican  party  since  he  was 
given  the  right  of  franchise,  and  patriot- 
ically meets  every  obligation  of  citizenship. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Morfey  and  Gen- 
netta  Stokes  took  place  in  this  county, 
August  19,  1869.  She  is  a  native  of  Ohio, 
a  daughter  of  Richard  Stokes,  who  was  born 
in  Virginia,  but  reared  in  the  Buckeye  state. 


There  he  wedded  Phoebe  Stiles,  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  at  an  early  day  removed 
to  Champaign  county,  where  he  became  a 
well-to-do  farmer.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morfey 
lost  an  infant  and  a  son,  John,  who  died 
when  in  his  thirteenth  year.  Their  surviv- 
ing children  are:  Anna,  wife  of  Thornton 
Wilt,  of  this  county;  Elijah,  who  is  married 
and  a  successful  local  farmer;  James,  also 
married  and  engaged  in  agriculture  in  this 
vicinity;  Eliza,  wife  of  Ed  Abrams,  of  this 
county;  Nettie  and  Effie,  unmarried;  Dan, 
Ivan,  Carl  and  Willie,  at  home.  The  chil- 
dren have  been  given  good  school  advan- 
tages and  the  elder  ones  are  already  taking 
honored  places  in  the  several  communities 
where  their  lot  is  cast. 


JACOB  A.  BELLINGER.  Such  citizens 
as  the  subject  of  this  review  are  the 
mainstay  of  any  .community,  and,  wherever 
they  have  resided  for  any  length  of  time,  one 
is  sure  to  find  that  their  influence  has  been 
felt  for  good  in  many  directions.  Through 
their  earnest  co-operation  the  highways  have 
been  improved,  bridges  built,  schools  es- 
tablished and  maintained,  churches  erected 
and  supported,  and  enterprises  of  every  kind 
have  been  encouraged. 

Jacob  A.  Bellinger,  after  a  very  busy 
and  useful  career,  is  now  living  retired  from 
active  labors,  and  is  enjoying  the  rest  which 
he  has  truly  earned.  He  is  a  native  of 
Herkimer  county,  New  York,  his  birth,  hav- 
ingoccurred  February  17,  1838.  His  father, 
Andrew  Bellinger,  also  was  born  in  that 
section  of 'the  Empire  state,  where  our  sub- 
ject's grandfather  and  two  brothers  had  set- 
tled among  the  first  colonists,  locating  there 
upon  their  arrival  from  Germany.  They 


J.  A.  BELLINGER  AND  WIFE. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


became  stanch  patriots  and  the  grandfather, 
in  company  with  seven  of  his  nephews  (all 
from  one  family),  served  gallantly  in  the  war 
of  the  Revolution.  Five  of  the  young  men 
were  killed  in  one  battle,  while  another  was 
taken  prisoner  by  the  Indians  who  were 
fighting  in  the  British  interests,  and  it  was 
seven  years  ere  he  regained  his  liberty. 
The  grandfather  of  Jacob  A.  cleared  and 
improved  a  large  farm  in  the  Mohawk  valley, 
near  Little  Falls,  and  there  he  spent  his  life. 
Andrew  Bellinger  married  a  Miss  House, 
also  of  German  ancestry,  and  a  native  of 
Herkimer  county,  and  to  them  six  sons  and 
six  daughters  were  born,  all  but  one  of  whom 
lived  to  maturity.  The  family  came  to 
Champaign  county  in  the  spring  of  1855, 
and  in  the  following  September  they  were 
bereft  of  the  husband  and  father.  His  wife, 
who  nobly  strove  to  care  for  her  numerous 
children,  and  to  manage  the  new  farm  they 
had  taken,  survived  him  many  years,  passing 
away  March  31,  1876. 

.  The  tenth  in  order  of  birth,  Jacob  A.  Bel- 
lenger,  was  the  youngest  of  the  six  sons,  and, 
with  his  brother  John,  a  retired  farmer  of 
the  Empire  state,  is  the  only  one  of  the 
parental  family  to  perpetuate  the  name. 
Three  sisters,  Catherine,  wife  of  Dr.  Cooper, 
Mrs.  Mary  Hartwell,  and  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Wolsey,  reside  in  Nebraska,  while  the  fourth 
surviving  sister,  Mrs.  Amanda  Campbell, 
lives  in  Oklahoma. 

One  by  one  the  elder  members  of  the 
family  left  home  and  Jacob  A.  continued  to 
stay  with  his  widowed  mother  until  he  was 
twenty-five  years  of  age.  In  the  fall  of 
1863,  he  married  Eleanor,  daughter  of 
Fielding  L.  Scott,  one  of  the  early  settlers 
of  Illinois.  He  was  a  native  of  Kentucky, 
and  in  1834  came  to  the  prairie  state,  sub- 
sequently entering  two  hundred  and  forty 


acres  of  land  in  Champaign  county.  Mrs. 
Bellinger  was  born  and  reared  in  the  house 
where  she  was  married  and  has  since  spent 
most  of  her  years.  Her  father  made  his 
home  with  our  subject  and  wife  for  several 
years  prior  to  his  death.  The  elder  daugh- 
ter of  this  estimable  couple  is  Kate,  wife  of 
J.  M.  Herriott,  a  farmer  of  this  vicinity,  and 
their  two  children  are  named  Harry  and 
Eleanor.  Rosa,  who  became  the  wife  of 
William  W.  Herriott,  is  the  mother  of  two 
children,  Lelia  and  Nova. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bellinger  commenced  their 
wedded  life  on  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty-three  acres,  situated  not  far  from  the 
old  Scott  homestead,  and  for  thirteen  years 
they  resided  there.  At  the  end  of  that 
period,  our  subject  bought  his  father-in- 
law's  property  and  subsequently  remodeled 
the  house,  built  a  good  barn  and  made  other 
substantial  improvements,  expending  much 
time  and  money  judiciously.  He  has  made 
a  specialty  of  raising,  feeding  and  dealing  in 
live  stock,  and  has  been  considered  an  au- 
thority on  the  subject.  Success  attended 
his  ventures  in  most  instances,  and  integrity 
and  justice  ruled  his  actions  in  all  business 
transactions.  About  six  years  ago  he  gave 
up  his  more  arduous  duties  to  his  sons-in- 
law  and  is  quietly  attending  to  the  few  tasks 
which  he  has  reserved  for  himself. 

Politically,  Mr.  Bellinger  has  been  a  true 
blue  Republican  since  casting  his  first  presi- 
dential ballot  for  Lincoln  in  1860.  He  was 
elected  and  served  as  supervisor  of  Hensley 
township  and  also  acted  in  the  capacity  of 
commissioner  of  highways  in  that  township 
and  also  as  commissioner  in  Mahomet  town- 
ship. His  sincere  interest  in  the  cause  of 
education  led  to  his  being  chosen  to  serve 
on  the  school  board,  and  for  some  time  he 
was  the  president  of  that  organization. 


512 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Fraterally,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
order,  and  is  a  Master  Mason,  identified  with 
the  Mahomet  lodge.  For  many  years  he 
has  been  an  official  member  of  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  church,  his  wife  also  being 
one  of  the  active  workers  in  the  denomina- 
tion. Both  are  loved  and  honored  by  the 
whole  community  in  which  they  have  dwelt 
so  long,  and  as  the  shadows  of  the  evening- 
time  of  life  begin  to  gather  around  them, 
they  have  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that 
they  have  done  their  duty  and  that  the 
world  is  the  better  for  the  little  part  which 
they  have  played  in  its  history. 


QTEWART  LANAM  has  long  baen  asso- 
O  ciated  with  the  development  of  Cham- 
paign county,  and  in  peace  and  war  has 
proved  himself  to  be  a  true  patriot,  devoted 
to  his  country  and  community,  and  holding 
his  personal  interests  secondary  to  the  pub- 
lic welfare.  His  record  is  that  of  an 
honest,  straightforward  man,  who  has  con- 
tinued faithfully  in  the  path  of  duty,  doing 
good  to  all  as  he  had  opportunity,  and  win- 
ning the  commendation  of  his  own  con- 
science and  the  good  opinion  of  his  acquaint- 
ances. 

He  is  a  grandson  of  Thomas,  and  son  of 
Jesse  Lanam,  who  were  natives  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. The  latter  chose  Martha  Stewart,  of 
the  same  state,  for  a  wife,  and  in  the  early 
part  of  the  '303  settled  in  Noble  county, 
Ohio,  where  Mrs.  Lanam  died.  Later,  in 
1846,  he  removed  to  Indiana,  and  thence- 
forth made  his  home  in  Clinton  county, 
rearing  his  children  to  take  useful  places  in 
society.  In  1864,  he  bought  eighty  acres  of 
land  in  Newcomb  township.  Champaign 
county,  but  died  soon  afterwards. 


The  birth  of  Stewart  Lanam  occurred 
July  2,  1836,  in  Noble  county,  Ohio,  and 
much  of  his  youth  was  spent  in  Indiana, 
where  he  received  his  education  and  became 
familiar  with  the  details  of  farm  work.  In 
August,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  the  Third  In- 
diana Cavalry,  which  was  attached  to  the 
Army  of  the  Cumberland.  With  his  regi- 
ment, he  participated  in  many  of  the  severe 
campaigns  and  engagements  of  the  Civil 
war,  including  the  battles  of  Stone  River, 
Chickamauga,  Missionary  Ridge,  and  march 
through  Georgia  to  the  sea  under  command 
of  General  Sherman.  He  was  ever  at  the 
post  of  duty  and  was  fortunate  in  escaping 
wounds  or  illness,  so  his  army  record  is  of 
the  best,  in  every  respect. 

Returning  home  after  receiving  an  hon- 
orable discharge  from  the  army,  Mr.  Lanam 
rented  land  and  worked  for  farmers  in  In- 
diana until  after  his.  marriage  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  year  1868.  He  then  rented  the 
farm  which  his  father  had  purchased  in 
Newcomb  township,  Champaign  county,  and 
within  a  few  years  was  able  to  buy  the 
place.  Subsequently,  he  bought  an  adjoin- 
ing tract  of  eighty  acres,  and  built  a  neat, 
modern  residence,  barns  and  fences,  besides 
putting  in  tiling  wherever  needed.  By  his 
well  directed  efforts  he  has  won  financial 
success,  and  his  example  is  worthy  of  emu- 
lation. 

On  the  9th  of  January,  1868,  Mr.  Lanam 
married  Eliza  jane  Wyant,  a  native  of 
Boone  county,  Indiana,  and  daughter  of  Wil- 
son and  Maria  Ann  (Bowen)  Wyant,  both  of 
whom  died  by  the  time  Mrs.  Lanam  was 
three  years  old,  and  she  was  reared  by  her 
grandmother  Wyant.  Of  the  five  children 
born  to  our  subject  and  wife,  the  eldest, 
Martha  Ann,  is  the  wife  of  G.  W.  Funston, 
a  farmer  of  this  township;  Maria,  who  mar- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


ried  Charles  Chenoweth,  a  farmer,  resides 
in  McLean  county,  this  state;  Joseph  S., 
unmarried,  assists  in  the  management  of  the 
home  farm;  Clara  Belle  is  the  wife  of  Will- 
iam Hinton,  one  of  the  enterprising  farmers 
of  this  township;  and  Nannie,  a  young  lady, 
is  at  home. 

Originally  Mr.  Lanam  was  identified 
with  the  Democratic  party,  but  of  late  years 
he  has  given  his  ballot  and  influence  to  the 
nominees  of  the  Prohibition  party.  He  was 
elected  and  served  for  a  term  as  com- 
missioner ot  highways,  and  also  served 
as  one  of  the  township  trustees.  Dur- 
ing the  eighteen  years  when  he  was  a 
member  of  the  school  board,  a  part  of 
the  time  as  president  of  that  body,  he 
did  effective  service  for  the  cause  of  ed- 
ucation in  this  locality.  He  belongs  to  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  being  identi- 
fied with  Dewey  Post  at  Fisher.  With  his 
family,  he  holds  membership  with  Shiloh 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  for  several 
years  has  been  an  officer  in  the  congrega- 
tion. 


DAVID  RUSH.  Among  the  enterpris- 
ing and  prosperous  farmers  of  Cham- 
paign county,  who  thoroughly  understand 
the  vocation  which  they  follow  and  are 
consequently  enabled  to  carry  on  their  call- 
ing with  profit  to  themselves,  is  the  subject 
of  this  sketch.  He  is  actively  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits  on  section  28,  Condit 
township,  only  ten  miles  from  Champaign, 
where  he  owns  a  good  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  seventy-eight  acres. 

Mr.  Rush  was  born  in  Franklin  county, 
Ohio,  in  1830,  a  son  of  Benjamin  and  Cath- 
erine (Parkinson)  Rush.  The  father,  who 
was  a  native  of  either  Pennsylvania  or  Ohio, 


followed  farming  in  Franklin  county,  and 
continued  to  make  his  home  there  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  1841.  David  is 
the  sixth  in  order  of  birth  in  his  family  of 
seven  children,  six  of  whom  reached  years 
of  maturity,  but  only  our  subject  is  now  liv- 
ing. He  grew  to  manhood  in  his  native 
county  and  received  a  good,  practical  edu- 
cation in  the  common  and  select  schools. 
In  early  life  he  served  a  three  years'  appren- 
ticeship to  the  carpenter's  trade,  and  was 
working  as  a  journeyman  when  the  Civil  war 
broke  out. 

In  August,  1862,  Mr.  Rush  enlisted  for 
three  years  or  during  the  war  in  Company 
I,  Ninety-fifth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  as 
a  practical  mechanic,  and  served  with  that 
regiment  for  about  eighteen  months,  during 
which  tfme  he  participated  in  a  number  of 
engagements,  including  the  battle  of  Rich- 
mond, Kentucky;  Jackson,  Mississippi;  Black 
River  Bridge,  and  Vicksburg.  During  the 
siege  of  Vicksburg  he  was  detailed  with  the 
mechanical  department  and  later  helped 
to  build  the  bridge  over  Black  river,  re- 
maining in  that  department  until  the  close 
of  the  war.  He  received  credit  for  serving 
in  all  the  battles  in  which  his  regiment  took 
part,  and  was  finally  mustered  out  at  Louis- 
ville, Kentucky,  and  honorably  discharged 
at  Columbus,  Ohio,  in  August,  1865.  He 
lost  no  time  in  the  service  from  illness  or 
other  cause. 

Returning  to  his  home  in  Franklin  coun- 
ty, he  resumed  work  at  his  trade  and  en- 
gaged in  contracting  and  building  there  for 
a  year.  In  October,  1865,  in  that  county, 
he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Mrs.  Abigail 
Rush,  a  native  of  Seneca  county,  New  York, 
and  a  daughter  of  Squire  Wheaton  and 
Mercy  (Jacobus)  Wheaton,  who  were  born, 
reared  and  married  in  New  Jersey,  and  from 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


there  moved  to  Seneca  county,  New  York, 
where  most  of  their  children  were  born. 
About  1835  her  parents  moved  to  Delaware 
county,  Ohio,  where  her  father  bought  land 
and  cleared  and  improved  a  farm,  making 
his  home  there  until  called  from  this  life  in 
1864.  By  her  first  husband  she  had  one 
son,  who  resides  in  western  Kansas,  George 
Rush. 

After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rush 
located  in  Reynoldsburg,  Ohio,  where  he 
worked  at  his  trade  until  August,  1866,  and 
then  came  to  Champaign  county,  Illinois. 
The  previous  March  he  had  visited  this  lo- 
cality and  purchased  an  eighty-acre  tract  of 
raw  prairie  land  in  Condit  township,  upon 
which  he  located  in  August.  He  built  a 
smair  house,  and  the  following  season  broke 
forty  acres  of  his  land.  He  has  since  en- 
larged and  improved  his  residence,  has  built 
good  outbuildings  and  made  many  other 
improvements  upon  the  place.  He  has  also 
added  to  his  farm  and  now  has  one  hundred 
and  seventy-eight  acres  of  land,  well  tiled 
and  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  Since 
locating  here  he  has  engaged  in  contracting 
and  building  to  some  extent,  but  has  de- 
voted the  greater  part  of  his  time  and  at- 
tention to  farming. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rush  have  no  children, 
but  for  twenty- one  years  Miss  Anna  Berry 
has  made  her  home  with  them.  She  was 
born  in  Wisconsin,  but  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated in  Indiana.  They  are  all  active  and 
prominent  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
church  of  Jersey,  in  which  Mr.  Rush-  is 
serving  as  elder,  and  Miss  Berry  is  a 
worker  in  the  Christian  Endeavor  Society, 
and  a  teacher  in  the  Sabbath  school.  Orig- 
inally Mr.  Rush  was  a  Democrat  in  poli- 
tics and  cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for 
Stephen  A.  Douglas  in  1860,  but  for  some 


years  was  identified  with  the  Republican 
party,  and  now  on  account  of  his  views  on 
the  temperance  question  he  affiliates  with 
the  Prohibition  party.  He  has  led  an  up- 
right, honorable  and  useful  life,  and  due 
success  has  not  been  denied  him.  His 
career  has  ever  been  such  as  to  commend 
him  to  the  confidence  and  respect  of  all 
with  whom  he  has  come  in  contact  either 
in  business  or  social  life,  and  it  is  safe  to 
say  that  no  man  in  the  community  is  held 
in  higher  regard  than  David  Rush. 


TTEZEKIAH  ROBINETT.  One  of  the 
1  1  most  exemplary  citizens  of  Champaign 
county  is  the  subject  of  this  review,  now 
living  retired  at  his  pleasant  home  in  section 
5,  Newcomb  township.  He  is  another  ex- 
ample of  the  man  who  rises  from  poverty 
and  obscurity  to  an  honored  position,  solely 
through  his  own  merits  and  untiring  energy. 
He  has  aided,  in  all  possible  ways,  the  gen- 
eral welfare,  and  has  used  his  influence  for 
good  schools,  good  government  and  prog- 
ress. 

The  Robinett  family  is  of  French  origin, 
and  at  an  early  day  they  were  numbered 
among  the  inhabitants  of  Virginia.  Stephen 
Robinett,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in 
Athens  county,  Ohio,  in  1800,  his  father  be- 
ing one  of  the  first  settlers  in  that  section  of 
the  Buckeye  state.  When  he  had  matured, 
Stephen  Robinett  married  Elizabeth  Mc- 
Kee,  a  native  of  the  same  county,  and,  after 
carrying  on  the  old  Robinett  homestead  for 
a  few  years,  removed  to  Hamilton  county, 
Indiana,  where  he  cleared  a  farm  and  con- 
tinued to  live  until  his  death,  about  1870. 
His  wife  survived  him  a  few  years. 

Hezekiah    Robinett    was    born    on     the 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


parental  farm  in  Hamilton  county,  Indiana, 
Novembers,  1836,  and  remained  there  until 
he  reached  his  majority.  At  the  time  that 
he  embarked  in  business  upon  his  own  ac- 
count, he  rented  land  for  a  year  or  more, 
and  then,  removing  to  Whitley  county,  In- 
diana, bought  a  place  of  forty  acres,  and 
cultivated  it  for  a  couple  of  years.  Then, 
selling  out,  he  purchased  an  eighty-acre 
tract,  which  he  carried  on  and  improved  for 
two  years.  He  next  became  the  owner  of 
another  forty-acre  farm,  which  he  cleared 
and  greatly  increased  in  value  during  the 
four  years  of  his  stay  there,  after  which  ha 
dwelt  for  a  decade  upon  still  another  home- 
stead, this  comprising  forty  acres  of  heavily 
timbered  land.  At  the  expiration  of  that 
period,  he  came  to  Illinois,  and  invested  in 
one  hundred  acres  of  his  present  homestead. 
The  land  had  been  partially  broken  and  im- 
proved, but  he  had  a  big  task  in  reducing  it 
to  its  present  condition.  He  forthwith  in- 
stituted many  improvments.  put  in  ditches 
and  tiling,  later  built  a  substantial  residence 
and  barns,  planted  shade  and  fruit  trees,  and 
has  steadily  invested  time  and  money  in  the 
beautifying  of  the  place.  Finally  he  bought 
sixty  acres  adjoining,  which  makes  his  farm 
contain  just  a  quarter-section,  and  in  ad- 
dition to  this  he  owns  thirty-three  acres, 
fairly  improved,  in  Brown  township,  near 
Dickinson  station. 

HezekiahRobinett  was  married,  May  27, 
1860,  to  Orrel  Shearer,  daughter  of  John 
Shearer,  who  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
Hamilton  county,  Indiana,  and  originally 
lived  in  Beaver  county,  Pennsylvania.  The 
eldest  child  of  our  subject  and  wife  is 
George,  who  is  an  enterprising  farmer  of 
this  county,  is  married,  and  has  five  chil- 
dren. John  S.  is  married  and  has  one  child. 
He  is  a  carpenter  and  is  a  resident  of  Cham- 


paign, where  he  finds  abundant  employment. 
Joseph  and  Howard  F. ,  unmarried  and 
young  men  of  much  promise  and  ability, 
live  with  their  parents  on  the  home  farm. 
Marilla  is  the  wife  of  Luther  Haines,  a 
farmer  of  this  county,  and  has  one  child. 
Alice  is  the  wife  of  Oliver  Paulus,  a  farmer 
of  this  county,  and  they  have  one  child. 
Martha  married  George  Beatty,  a  farmer  of 
this  county,  and  they  have  three  children. 
Sadie  Ruth  is  the  wife  of  Edward  Foster,  a 
local  farmer,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  one 
child. 

Politically,  Mr.  Robinett  is  a  Jeffersonian 
Democrat,  and  cast  his  first  presidential 
ballot  for  Stephen  A.  Douglas  in  1860.  In- 
local  elections  he  is  independent  of  party 
lines.  In  company  with  his  wife,  he  is  one 
of  the  original  members  of  the  Walker 
Methodist  Protestantchurch,  and  now  serves 
as  one  of  the  trustees.  Socially,  he  is  a 
member  of  Fisher  Lodge,  No.  704,  I.  O.  O. 
F.  His  life  has  been  actuated  by  high 
principles,  and  all  who  have  come  within 
the  sphere  of  his  influence  have  been  made 
better  and  happier. 


THOMAS  DALE.  It  has  often  been  re- 
marked that  Champaign  county  is  es- 
pecially indebted  to  its  founders,  who  were 
men  of  unswerving  fidelity  to  whatever  they 
believed  right  and  best,  and,  included  in 
the  number  of  these  sterling  pioneers  is 
Thomas  Dale,  now  living  retired  at  his 
pleasant  home  in  Mahomet.  More  than 
fifty. two  years  ago  he  permanently  located 
here,  and  nobly  and  conscientiously  has  he 
met  every  obligation  as  a  patriot,  neighbor 
and  head  of  family. 

From    sturdy,  God-fearing  German  an- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


cestors  Mr.  Dale  has  inherited  many  of  the 
sterling  qualities  for  which  he  is  noted. 
Not  long  after  the  settlement  of  Pennsyl- 
vania by  William  Penn  and  his  followers, 
the  Dales  located  there,  and  became 
wealthy  and  influential  as  the  years  rolled 
by.  Moses,  son  of  Philip  Dale,  the  father 
of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Union  county, 
Pennsylvania,  in  1804,  and  there  wedded 
Susan  Wise,  in  1828.  He  was  a  natural 
mechanic,  and  in  his  early  manhood  learned 
the  shoemaker's  trade,  which  he  followed 
to  some  extent.  His  father  was  a  well-to- 
do  merchant,  and  employed  his  boys  in  his 
store  when  they  were  young,  forming  cor- 
rect business  habits  in  them.  Two  years 
after  his  marriage  Moses  Dale  removed  to 
that  section  of  Ohio  now  included  within 
Crawford  county,  and  during  the  seven- 
teen years  of  his  residence  there  cleared 
and  greatly  improved  a  tract  of  land.  In 
1847  ne  s°ld  his  property,  and,  with  his 
family  and  household  goods  in  a  wagon, 
drove  across  the  country  to  Champaign 
county,  whsre  his  wife's  brother,  Isaiah 
Wise,  had  settled  previously.  Mr.  Dale 
bought  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land 
in  Mahomet  township,  and  built  a  log  house. 
Year  by  year  he  cultivated  and  increased 
the  value  of  his  farm  by  judicious  expendi- 
ture of  labor  and  money,  and  here  he  con- 
tinued to  dwell  until  claimed  by  the  angel  of 
death,  in  August,  1865.  His  widow  sur- 
vived him  about  ten  years,  and  their  last 
earthly  resting  place  in  Bryant  Cemetery  is 
marked  by  a  substantial  monument  erected 
to  their  memory.  Of  their  seven  children, 
only  two  are  living,  Thomas  and  Isaac,  the 
latter  a  resident  of  Russell  county,  Kansas. 
The  birth  of  Thomas  Dale  occurred 
on  the  old  farm  in  Crawford  county,  Ohio, 
March  19,  1834,  an^  there  he  spent  thirteen 


years.  Coming  then  to  Champaign  county, 
he  worked  for  his  father,  and  after  attain- 
ing his  majority  found  employment  with 
neighboring  farmers  for  some  six  years. 
After  his  marriage  he  rented  a  farm  for 
three  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he 
purchased  his  first  land — forty  acres,  but 
lived  upon  the  Mead  place,  eighty  acres  of 
which  he  later  added  to  his  own  possessions, 
and  years  afterward  he  bought  eighty  acres 
mere  land,  thus  making  his  homestead  one 
of  two  hundred  acres.  On  this  property  he 
built  a  good  brick  house  and  barn,  planted 
an  orchard  and  shade  trees,  put  in  tiling  and 
ditches,  and  made  other  valuable  improve- 
ments, thus  rendering  it  one  of  the  most  de- 
sirable farms  in  this  locality. 

In  Mahomet  township,  Mr.  Dale  had 
married,  February  22,  1861,  Mary,  daugh- 
ter of  John  Mead,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of 
this  county,  and  a  native  of  New  Jersey. 
In  all  his  strivings  after  success,  Mrs.  Dale 
was  an  able  and  loyal  helpmate  to  her  hus- 
band, but  when  life  was  beginning  to  be 
easier  for  them  she  was  summoned  to  the 
home  above,  January  24,  1883.  Their  eld- 
est son,  W.  Oscar,  is  carrying  on  the  old 
homestead;  Tena  is  the  wife  of  William 
Webb,  a  farmer  of  this  county;  F.  L.  and 
C.  W.  are  proprietors  and  publishers  of  the 
Record,  a  leading  journal,  printed  in  St. 
Joseph,  Illinois,  and  Charles  is  leader  of 
a  brass  band  and  is  a  prominent  teacher  of 
music,  besides  being  in  partnership  with  his 
brother  in  St.  Joseph.  In  June,  1893, 
Thomas  Dale  married  Mrs.  Maggie  Savage, 
widow  of  Lafayette  Savage,  and  daughter  of 
Gardner  and  Maria  Herron,  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  this  county,  and  formerly  of 
Ohio,  in  which  state  Mrs.  Dale  was  born. 

In  1 889  our  subject  retired  from  the  act- 
ive cares  of  the  farm  and  bought  a  com- 


THE  BIOGRAHPICAL    RECORD. 


fortabie  residence  in  Mahomet.  In  his  po- 
litical standing,  he  is  an  uncompromising 
Republican,  but  has  not  been  an  aspirant 
to  public  positions.  Since  he  was  twenty- 
three  years  of  age  he  has  been  actively 
identified  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  and  at  the  present  time  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  building  co-nm'.ttea  having  in 
charge  the  matter  of  erecting  a  new  parson- 
age. More  than  a  score  of  years  did  he  act 
on  the  local  school  board,  always  advocat- 
ing excellent  educational  advantages  for  the 
young. 


WILLIAM  HEWERDINE.  The  sub- 
ject of  this  review  is  one  of  the  lead- 
ing citizens  of  Condit  township,  who,  by  de- 
veloping a  good  farm  from  the  wild  prairie 
land,  has  materially  aided  in  its  growth. 
He  has  met  with  well-deserved  success  in  his 
calling,  and  his  fine,  well-ordered  farm  of 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  which  is 
pleasantly  situated  on  section  16,  thre'e  and 
one-half  miles  south  of  Dewey,  with  its  care- 
fully cultured  fields,  its  near  buildings,  and 
all  their  surroundings,  denote  the  skillful 
management,  industry  and  well-directed 
labors  of  the  owner. 

Mr.  Hewerdine  was  born  in  Lincolnshire, 
England,  March  21,  1828,  and  there  grew 
to  manhood  with  no  school  privilege,  so 
that  he  is  wholly  a  self-educated  as  well  as 
a  self-made  man.  After  working  on  a  farm 
in  early  life,  he  followed  railroading  in  his 
native  land  for  three  years  on  a  road  run- 
ning between  London  and  York.  .  In  the 
spring  of  1855  he  took  passage  on  the 
Owego,  a  sailing  vessel,  which  was  seven 
weeks  in  crossing  the  pcean,  during  which 
time  they  encountered  several  severe  storms 
and  collided  with  another  vessel  in  mid- 


ocean,  both  being  managed.  Mr.  Hewer- 
dine  landed  in  New  York,  in  June,  and  pro- 
ceeded at  once  to  Canada,  where  he  worked 
in  a  brickyard  that  summer.  He  then  came 
to  Illinois,  and  after  spending  a  few  weeks 
with  a  brother  at  Ten  Mile  Grove  went  to 
Indiana,  where  he  worked  on  a  farm  by  the 
month  for  Samuel  Mahara  for  three  years 
and  for  Jesse  Mahara  one  year.  In  the 
meantime  he  twice  visited  Illinois,  and  in 
the  spring  of  1860  took  up  his  residence  in 
Champaign  county,  where  he  worked  by  the 
month  several  years. 

In  East  Bend  township,  June  15.  1864, 
Mr.  Hewerdine  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Mrs.  Nancy  Jane  Hyer,  ncc  Jeffries,  who 
was  born  in  Fayette  county,  Ohio,  and  is  a 
daughter  of  William  and  Ruth  Jeffries, 
natives  of  Ohio  and  -Pennsylvania,  respact- 
ively,  and  early  settlers  of  East  Bend  town- 
ship, this  county.  Mrs.  Hewerdine's  first 
husband  was  Amzi  R.  Hyer,  who  after  resid- 
ing here  for  one  summer,  returned  to  Ohio, 
where  during  the  Civil  war  he  enlisted  as  a 
mechanic  in  Company  G,  Ninetieth  Ohio 
Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  engaged  in 
bridge  building.  He  died  in  the  service 
July  29,  1862,  leaving  one  son.  William 
Wallace  Hyer,  a  carpenter  and  joiner  of 
Champaign,  who  is  married  and  has  two 
children,  Gertie  May  and  Ora  Miner.  Our 
subject  and  his  wife  have  three  children: 
Tabitha  C.  is  now  the  wife  of  William  Sitts, 
who  operates  a  part  of  the  Hewerdine  farm, 
and  they  have  four  children,  Delia  Grace, 
Lucy  Ethel,  Nina  Arvilla  and  Ruby  Agnes; 
Ira,  the  only  son  of  our  subject,  is  carrying 
on  the  home  farm;  and  Ida  Dell  is  the  wife 
of  Hal  Nelson,  a  farmer  of  Hensley  town- 
ship, this  county. 

For  one  year  after  his  marriage  Mr. 
Hewerdine  engaged  in  farming  upon  rented 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


land,  and  then  purchased  eighty  acres  of 
land  upon  which  he  still  continues  to  reside. 
He  has  added  to  his  place  from  time  to  time 
until  he  now  has  three  hundred  and  twenty 
acres,  which  he  has  placed  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation  and  converted  into  a 
most  attractive  and  desirable  farm.  He 
and  his  wife  began  life  together  at  the  very 
bottom  of  the  financial  ladder,  but  by  their 
united  efforts  they  have  accumulated  a  large 
and  valuable  estate,  which  stands  as  a  monu- 
ment to  their  thrift  and  industry.  They 
are  both  earnest  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  of  Fisher,  and  are  highly 
respected  and  esteemed  by  the  entire  com- 
munity in  which  they  live.  Since  casting 
his  first  presidential  vote  for  Abraham  Lin- 
coln in  1864,  Mr.  Hewerdine  has  been  un- 
wavering in  his  support  of  the  Republican 
party  and  its  principles,  but  has  never 
sought  official  honors,  preferring  to  give 
his  undivided  attention  to  his.  business  in- 
terests. 


WILLIAM  MEHARRY  is  well  and  favor- 
ably known  in  Champaign  county^, 
and  is  ranked  among  the  leading  citizens  of 
Tolono,  a  pretty,  flourishing  town,  which 
has  a  bright  future  opening  before  it.  Hav- 
ing amassed  a  large  fortune — large  in  the 
estimation  of  the  hard-working,  economical 
people  of  this  section,  if  not  in  that  of  a 
millionaire,  he  has  retired  from  active 
labors,  merely  attending  to  his  property  and 
financial  investments.  A  true  patriot,  in 
the  limited,  as  well  as  in  the  broader  sense 
of  the  term,  he  has  striven  to  promote  the 
welfare  of  his  town  and  community,  and 
enjoys  the  respect  of  all  who  are  associated 
with  him. 

His    father,    Thomas    Meharry,    was    a 


native  of  Ohio,  whence  he  removed  to 
Montgomery  county,  Indiana,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  farming  until  a  short  time  before 
his  death.  For  a  wife  he  chose  Unity  Pat- 
ton,  likewise  born  in  the  Buckeye  state. 
In  Indiana  Mr.  Meharry  became  an  exten- 
sive land  owner,  some  fifteen  hundred  acres 
being  in  his  possession,  and  in  addition  to 
this,  he  purchased  four  thousand  acres  of 
land  in  Champaign,  McLean  and  Shelby 
counties.  All  of  this  property  was  divided 
among  his  children,  who  placed  it  under 
cultivation.  Mr.  Meharry  and  wife,  who 
lived  to  a  good  age,  were  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  They 
were  the  parents  of  seven  children,  namely: 
Jane,  widow  of  Eli  Dick,  of  Philo,  Illinois; 
William;  Ellen,  wife  of  John  Martin,  of 
Indiana;  Jesse,  of  Tolono;  Polly  A.,  de- 
eased,  wife  of  A.  C.  McCorkle,  lived  near 
Shawnee  Mound,  Tippecanoe  county,  Indi- 
ana; Abraham  P.,  of  Crittenden  township; 
and  Isaac  N.,  his  twin  brother,  living  on 
the  o'ld  homestead  in  the  Hoosier  state. 

William  Meharry  was  born  in  Montgom- 
ery county,  Indiana,  October  27,  1830,  at- 
tended the  district  schools  of  the  neighbor- 
hood, and  remained  with  his  father,  assist- 
ing in  the  work  of  the  home  farm  until  he 
was  twenty-seven  years  of  age.  Then  he 
embarked  in  independent  life,  and  cultivated 
a  farm  in  his  native  state  until  1864,  when 
he  sold  the  place  and  bought  wild  prairie 
land  in  Champaign  county.  He  continued 
to  cultivate  one  section  of  land  here  until 
1885,  since  which  time  he  has  rented  the 
place.  In  addition  to  this  homestead,  he 
kept  investing  in  land  as  opportunity  of- 
fered, until  he  owned  fourteen  hundred 
acres.  This  has  all  been  placed  under  cul- 
tivation, and,  by  means  of  the  excellent 
improvements  made  upon  it,  has  become 


WILLIAM  MEHARRY. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


521 


valuable  farm  property.  Mr.  Meharry  was 
particularly  successful  as  a  raiser  of  grain 
and  live  stock,  and  his  investments  were 
judicious  and  extensive. 

In  all  of  his  undertakings  for  more  than 
three  decades  our  subject  has  been  aided 
by  the  counsel  and  sympathy  of  his  devoted 
wife,  formerly  Margaret  McCorkle.  She 
was  born  January  4,  1843,  in  Putnam 
county,  Indiana,  and  was  married  to  Mr. 
Meharry.  March  11,  1869.  Her  parents, 
Andrew  and  Mary  (Gooding)  McCorkle, 
were  natives  of  Kentucky,  and  at  an  early 
day  removed  to  Putnam  county,  Indiana. 
On  their  homestead  their  eleven  chil- 
dren were  born,  and  there  the  father  re- 
sided until  his  death,  after  which  event  the 
mother  made  her  home  with  Mrs.  Mary 
Meharry.  They  were  loyal  patriots,  and 
gave  four  of  their  sons  to  the  preservation 
of  the  Union  which  they  loved.  Joseph, 
deceased,  was  a  soldier  in  an  Iowa  Regiment 
during  the  Civil  war.  Abram  S.,  who  was 
in  the  Eighteenth  Indiana  Artillery,  was 
killed  at  the  battle  of  Chattanooga.  A 
thirty-two  pound  cannon-ball  took  off  his 
leg,  and  passing  on,  killed  four  horses.  The 
ball  was  later  presented  to  Andrew  C.  Mc- 
Corkle, who  gave  it  to  the  state  of  Indiana, 
and  to-day  it  may  be  seen  among  the  war 
relics  in  the  state-house  at  Indianapolis. 
At  the  re-union  of  the  Eighteenth  Artillery 
in  1 898, there  werebuttwelve  surviving  mem- 
bers of  the  original  force.  Nathan  C.,  who 
died  only  a  few  years  after  the  close  of  the 
war,  and  who  was  the  youngest  of  the  fam- 
ily, enlisted  in  the  Fifty-first  Indiana  In- 
fantry, and  served  until  there  was  no  longer 
need.  John  G.,  the  second  son,  resides  in 
Marion  county,  Iowa.  The  third,  James 
F.,  is  deceased.  William, a  carpenter,  lives 

in  the  state  of  Washington.     Zibbeath  A., 
27 


deceased,  was  the  wife  of  M.  Barker,  of 
Indiana.  Edward  W.  lives  in  Iowa,  and 
Andrew  C.  also  served  during  the  Civil  war, 
and  now  is  a  citizen  of  Lafayette,  Indiana. 
Mary  F.  is  the  widow  of  Robert  Hessel,  and 
makes  her  home  in  San  Jose,  California. 

Three  children  blessed  the  marriage  of 
William  Meharry  and  wife.  They  lost  their 
only  son,  Charles  Howard,  who  died  when 
he  was  young.  The  eldest-born,  Mae,  now 
living  at  home,  received  superior  educational 
advantages,  her  studies  having  been  pursued 
in  Miami  University  at  Oxford,  Ohio,  and 
at  Wooster  College.  She  possesses  fine 
musical  talent,  and  with  her  parents,  is 
identified  with  the  Presbyterian  church  of 
Tolono.  Lelia  A.  became  the  wife  of  S.  M. 
Bower,  of  Tolono.  The  home  of  the  Me- 
harry family  is  modern,  beautifully  furnished, 
and  surrounded  by  well  kept  grounds.  In 
addition  to  owning  this  attractive  residence 
property,  and  the  extensive  farm  lands 
previously  mentioned.  Our  subject  has 
forty  acres  of  land  adjoining  the  village, 
which,  if  the  town  extends  in  that  direction, 
may  prove  a  fortune  in  itself.  In  the  work 
of  the  Presbyterian  church,  he  is  actively 
interested,  and  for  years  he  has  been  a 
trustee.  All  worthy  charities  and  persons 
in  need  find  in  him  a  sincere  friend  and 
helper,  and  he  counts  it  one  of  his  chief 
pleasures  to  be  in  a  position  to  succor  the 
afflicted. 


ANDREW  J.  LAMB,  who  is  now  living 
a  retired  life  upon  his  farm  on  section 
26,  Brown  township,  Champaign  county, 
within  two  miles  of  Fisher,  was  born  near 
Syracuse,  in  Onondaga  county,  New  York, 
April  18,  1833,  and  is  a  son  of  Dudley  and 
Lucy  (Lull)  Lamb,  also  natives  of  the  Em- 


522 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


pire  state.  The  father  served  with  distinc- 
tion as  a  captain  in  the  war  of  1812,  and 
throughout  his  active  business  life  engaged 
in  farming  in  Onondaga  county,  where  he 
died  in  1834.  His  wife  survived  him  a 
few  years,  passing  away  in  1846. 

Our  subject  was  the  youngest  of  their 
children,  all  of  whom  grew  to  mature  years. 
After  his  mother's  death  he  was  dependent 
upon  his  own  resources  for  a  livelihood, 
and  his  educational  advantages  were  there- 
fore limited.  He  was  reared  upon  a  farm 
and  his  training  at  farm  work  was  not  so 
meager.  He  continued  to  engage  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits  until  his  marriage,  whichwas 
celebrated  in  Oswego  county,  New  York, 
September  18,  1859,  Miss  Amanda  Joseph- 
ine Gillette,  a  native  of  Hannibal,  that 
county,  becoming  his  wife.  Her  parents 
were  Ephraim  and  Lydia  Gillette.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Lamb  were  born  two  children. 
The  elder,  Mrs.  Florence  Smith,  is  now  a 
widow  and  resides  with  her  parents.  She 
has  two  children,  Fred  and  Neva,  who  are 
attending  the  home  school.  George  Lamb, 
the  only  son  of  our  subject,  is  married  and 
resides  in  Chicago. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Lamb  located  on 
a  farm  in  his  native  state,  and  in  connection 
with  its  cultivation  he  engaged  in  dairying, 
teaming  and  other  employments.  In  No- 
vember, 1869,  here  moved  to  Vermont,  Ful- 
ton, Illinois,  and  while  living  there  followed 
farming  and  bridge  building,  being  in  the 
employ  of  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy 
Railroad  Company  from  March  7,  1870,  to 
March  31,  1883.  On  the  nth  of  April,  of 
the  latter  year,  he  came  to  Champaign 
county,  and  purchased  an  improved  farm  of 
eighty  acres  on  section  26, Brown  township, 
where  he  has  since  made  his  home.  He 
has  retired  from  active  labor,  and  surrounded 


by  many  comforts  secured  by  former  toil, 
he  expects  to  spend  the  remainder  of  his 
life  in  ease  and  quiet,  enjoying  a  well-earned 
rest. 

Mr.  Lamb  cast  his  first  presidential  vote 
for  Millard  Fillmore  in  1856}  and  since  then 
has  been  identified  with  the  Republican 
party.  For  twelve  consecutive  years  he  has 
most  capably  and  satisfactorily  served  as 
commissioner  of  highways,  and  is  also  a 
member  of  the  school  board.  Fraternally 
he  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  Lodge  of 
Fisher,  and  the  Odd  Fellows  Lodge  of  Ver- 
mont, Illinois,  in  which  he  has  filled  all  the 
chairs  and  is  now  past  grand. 


SIMEON  S.  WILLIAMS,  a  practical  and 
enterprising  agriculturist  of  Hensley 
township,  owns  and  operates  one  hundred 
and  thirty  acres  of  land  on  section  31,  con- 
stituting one  of  the  valuable  and  highly  im- 
proved farms  of  the  locality.  His  posses- 
sions have  been  acquired  through  his  own 
efforts,  and  as  the  result  of  his  consecutive 
endeavor  he  has  won  a  place  among  the 
substantial  citizens  of  the  community. 

Mr.  Williams  was  born  in  Champaign 
county,  Ohio,  April  25,  1839,  and  is  a  son 
of  George  and  Nancy  (Morecraft)  Williams, 
the  former  a  native  of  Virginia,  the  latter  of 
Delaware  county,  New  York.  Both  re- 
moved to  Ohio  with  their  respective  parents 
at  an  early  day  and  were  married  in  Cham- 
paign county.  The  mother  was  the  seventh 
in  order  of  birth  in  a  family  of  eight  chil- 
dren, the  others  being  James,  Samuel,  John, 
Arthur,  Simeon,  Richard  and  Polly,  all  now 
deceased.  The  father  of  our  subject  was 
only  six  years  old  when  he  went  to  Ohio, 
and  in  the  subscription  schools  of  Cham- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


523 


paign  county  he  acquired  a  limited  educa- 
tion. When  his  school  days  were  over  he 
learned  the  trade  of  a  wheelwright,  which 
he  followed  in  connection  with  farming 
throughout  life.  On  attaining  his  majority 
he  supported  the  Democratic  party,  but 
after  his  marriage  he  became  a  Whig,  ow- 
ing to  the  influence  of  his  wife,  and  in  1840 
he  cast  his  presidentiaJ  ballot  for  William 
H.  Harrison.  On  its  organization  he  joined 
the  Republican  party  and  continued'to  vote 
that  ticket  until  his  death.  He  died  in 
1886,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-eight 
years,  seven  months  and  eight  days,  and 
his  wife  passed  away  in  1884,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-three  years.  She  took  an  active  part 
in  church  and  Sunday  school  work  as  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
and  was  a  most  estimable  lady. 

To  this  worthy  couple  were  born  six 
children,  namely:  (i)  Esther  E.  died  at 
the  age  of  sixteen  years.  (2)  Richard  mar- 
ried Maria  Taylor  and  moved  to  Kansas, 
where  he  followed  the  wheelwright's  trade, 
having  learned  the  same  with  his  father. 
There  he  died  in  1888,  but  his  widow  is 
still  living 'in  that  state.  Before  going  to 
Kansas  he  spent  thirty-five'years  jn  Qttum- 
wa,  Iowa,  engaged  in  the  milling  business. 
(3)  Jonathan  married  a  native  of  Florida, 
with  whom  he  became  acquainted  during  the 
Civil  war,  and  they  reside  at  his  native  place 
in  Champaign  county,  Ohio.  (4)  Mary 
Margaret  died  from  the  effects  of  a  scald  at 
the  age  of  three  years.  (5)  Simeon  S.,  our 
subject,  is  next  in  order  of  birth.  (6) 
Charles  is  married,  and  is  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits  in  Kansas. 

Simeon  S.  Williams  received  his  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  of  Champaign 
county,  Ohio,  and  during  his  vacations 
aided  in  the  work  of  the  home  farm,  re- 


maining with  his  parents  until  he  was  mar- 
ried, in  1864,  to  Miss  Harriet  Stokes,  a 
daughter  of  Richard  M.  and  Phoebe  (Stiles) 
Stokes,  who  were  natives  of  Virginia  and 
Pennsylvania  respectively,  and  at  an  early 
day  removed  with  their  parents  to  Cham- 
paign county,  Ohio,  where  they  were  mar- 
ried in  1837.  Mrs.  Williams  is  one  of  a 
family  of  eleven  children,  of  whom  two 
died  in  infancy;  Telitha,  now  deceased; 
Calvin,  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  war,  having 
served  for  three  months  at  the  first  call  in 
1 86 1,  married  Anna  Washington,  and  rer 
sides  in  Champaign  county,  Ohio;  John  W. 
who  enlisted  in  1864  in  the  one  hundred 
days  service  and  did  guard  and  picket  duty, 
married  Sarah  Lindsley,  and  lives  in  Kan- 
sas: Harriet  is  the  wife  of  our  subject;  Ivan 
T.,  who  enlisted  for  three  years  but  only 
served  a  little  over  two  years,  taking  part 
in  the  battle  of  Cumberland  Gap  and  many 
skirmishes,  married  Lizzie  Thurman  and 
,  died  January  15,  1899,  leaving  a  widow 
who  now  resides  inUrbana,  Illinois  ;Lydia  is 
the  wifeof  T.E.  Nash,  who  is  engaged  in  the 
livery  business  in  Sterling,  Kansas;  Merdula 
died  unmarried  at  the  age  of  thirty-four 
years;  Jennetta  is  the  wife  of  William  Mor- 
fey,  a  farmer  of  Mahomet  township,  this 
county;  and  Emma  married  George  Black, 
of  Mingo,  Champaign  county,  Ohio,  and 
died  at  the  age  of  thirty-four  years.  The 
father  died  in  that  county,  in  1869,  at  the 
age  of  fifty-five  years,  the  mother  in  1859, 
at  the  age  of  forty-two.  They  and  their 
family  were  members  of  the  Free-Will  Bap- 
tist church. 

For  four  years  after  their  marriage,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Williams  continued  to  make  their 
home  in  Ohio,  and  there  two  children  were 
born  to  them:  Oliver  S.,  December  i  o, 
1864;  and  Charles  O.,  September  2,  1866. 


524 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Both  are  at  home.  On'  the  3d  of  Novem- 
ber, 1867,  the  family  arrived  in  Champaign 
county,  Illinois,  establishing  a  residence 
here  just  in  time  to  enable  Mr.  Williams  to 
vote  for  U.  S.  Grant  for  president  in  1868-. 
He  purchased  his  present  farm  on  section 
31,  Hensley  township  in  1882,  which,  at  that 
time  was  a  tract  of  wild  land,  but  he  has 
since  transformed  it  into  one  of  the  highly 
cultivated  and  productive  farms  of  the 
township.  Since  casting  his  first  presiden- 
tial vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln  in  1860,  he 
has  been  a  stanch  supporter  of  the  Repub- 
lican party,  but  has  never  cared  for  politi- 
cal honors,  preferring  to  devote  his  entire 
time  and  attention  to  his  business  interests. 
He  takes  an  active  interest  in  educational 
affairs,  however,  and  has  served  as  school 
director  one  term. 


EORGE  WARNER  is  one  of  the  hon- 
V-J  ored  pioneers  of  Champaign  county, 
and  by  years  of  uninterrupted  toil  has 
amassed  a  snug  little  fortune.  He  has  wit- 
nessed great  changes  in  this  section  of  the 
state,  and  has  performed  his  full  share  of 
labor  for  the  general  welfare.  Upon  such 
upright,  strong  minded  citizens  as  he  the 
task  of  founding  the  county  upon  a  sure 
basis  devolved,  and  nobly  did  they  stand 
for  good  government,  good  schools  and  im- 
provements along  all  lines. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  George  War- 
ner, Sr. ,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  in  1798, 
and  in  1815  he  went  to  Ross  county,  Ohio, 
where  he  cleared  and  improved  a  farm. 
Later,  he  removed  to  Pickaway  county, 
Ohio,  and  there  spent  his  last  years,  act- 
ively occupied  in  agriculture.  He  died  in 
1843,  when  in  the  prime  of  life,  and  was 


survived  thirty-four  years  by  his  widow, 
who  in  her  girlhood  bore  the  name  of  De- 
lilah Ulery.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Cap- 
tain Ulery,  one  of  the  heroes  of  the  war  of 
1812,  as  during  that  conflict,  he  enlisted  in 
defense  of  his  country  and  was  killed  by 
Indians  who  were  fighting  under  the  Eng- 
lish flag.  Mrs.  Warner  was  a  member  of 
our  subject's  household  for  several  years 
previous  to  her  demise. 

George  Warner,  Jr.,  was  born  in  Ross 
county,  Ohio,  February  5,  1834,  and  in  his 
youth  his  educational  advantages  were  ex- 
tremely meager.  He  was  twenty  years  of 
age  when  he  left  Pickaway  county  to  seek 
a  new  home  in  the  Prairie  state,  and  join- 
ing some  friends  who  had  come  to  Illinois 
from  the  neighborhood  of  his  old  home,  he 
found  employment  with  different  farmers 
and  gradually  added  to  his  small  capital 
until  he  was  ready  to  commence  an  inde- 
pendent career. 

Everything  was  progressing  well  with 
Mr.  Warner  when  the  Civil  war  came  on  and 
engaged  the  attention  of  all  who  were  con- 
cerned in  their  country's  security  and  future. 
On  the  2d  of  August,  1862,  he  enlisted  in 
Company  E,  One  Hundred  and  Seventh  Il- 
linois Infantry,  and  from  that  time  until 
the  close  of  the  war  he  was  found  faithful 
at  his  post  of  duty.  He  took  part  in  a 
number  of  the  most  important  campaigns 
and  battles  of  the  strife,  being  actively  en- 
gaged in  the  siege  of  Knoxville,  the  battle 
of  Franklin  and  many  others,  and  later 
going  through  the  long  and  terrible  march 
to  Atlanta.  He  was  mustered  out  at  Salis- 
bury, North  Carolina,  and  was  honorably  dis- 
charged at  Springfield,  Illinois,  in  July, 
1865.  His  record  as  a  soldier  is  of  such  a 
character  that  he  may  justly  be  proud  of  it, 
and  his  officers  and  comrades  unite  in  praise 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


525 


of  his  conduct  at  all  times.  Resuming  his 
interrupted  labors,  Mr.  Warner  engaged  in 
breaking  prairie,  making  ditches,  and  other 
exceptionally  hard  work,  for  several  years, 
and  at  last  invested  in  a  quarter  section  of 
land  in  Philo  township.  Here  he  at  once 
commenced  niaking  improvements,  laying 
tile  and  building  fences,  with  the  result 
that  he  converted  what  was  a  wild  tract 
into  a  desirable  homestead.  In  1879  ne 
sold  this,  and  bought  fifty  acres  of  his  pres- 
ent farm,  to  which  he  afterwards  added 
more  land  until  the  place  now  comprises 
two  hundred  acres.  In  addition  to  this 
place,  which  adjoins  Mahomet  village,  he 
owns  and  manages  another  good  farm. 
Upon  the  farm  now  stands  a  substantial 
house,  barns  and  other  buildings,  all  of 
which  were  erected  by  the  owner.  For  the 
past  twelve  years  he  has  made  a  specialty 
of  raising  high  grade  live  stock  and  feeding 
cattle  extensively  for  the  markets.  He  is  a 
breeder  of  and  dealer  in  fine  English  shire 
horses  and  Poland-China  hogs,  and  has  es- 
tablished an  enviable  reputation  throughout 
this  locality  for  his  good  judgment  and  ab- 
solute trustworthiness  in  matters  pertaining 
to  live  stock.  He  certainly  is  entitled  to 
much  credit  for  the  manner  in  which  he  has 
made  his  way  upward  from  a  lowly  position 
to  one  of  wealth  and  prominence. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Warner  and  Eliza- 
beth Steen  was  solemnized  Christmas  eve, 
1869,  in  the  town  of  Mahomet.  She 
is  a  native  of  Indiana,  and  with  her  father, 
Simon  Steen,  removed  to  this  county  in 
1854.  The  overwhelming  grief  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Warner'  s  lives  came  to  them  in  the 
death  of  three  of  their  children  within  ten 
days.  They  were  Rosella,  Edgar  and  Will- 
iam, aged  respectively  five,  three,  and  a 
year  and  two  months.  Dell  departed  this 


life  April  9,  1900,  aged  twenty-two  years, 
seven  months  and  seven  days,  and  the  only 
son,  Bert  S.,  is  assisting  his  father  in  the 
management  of  the  farms. 

Politically  Mr.  Warner  is  a  true  blue 
Republican,  and  ever  since  1860,  when  he 
voted  for  Lincoln,  he  has  faithfully  depos- 
ited his  ballot  in  favor  of  Republican 
nominees.  He  has  been  identified  with  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Masonic  order.  He  and  his 
family  are  active  in  the  work  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church  and  are  sincerely 
esteemed. 


JAMES  B.  BUSEY,  one  of  the  repre- 
sentative farmers  and  a  prominent  and 
influential  citizen  of  Newcomb  township, 
who  owns  and  operates  a  well  improved  and 
valuable  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  on  section  12,  one  mile  south  of 
Fisher,  is  a  native  of  Champaign  county, 
born  on  the  old  college  farm  in  Urbana 
township,  November  3,  1856,  and  is  a  son 
of  Simeon  H.  and  Artemisia  (Jones)  Busey, 
of  Urbana.  He  was  reared  and  educated  in 
Urbana,  and  remained  with  his  father  until 
nineteen  years  of  age,  when  he  went  to 
Penfield  township  and  there  engaged  in 
farming  for  one  year.  During  the  years  of 
1876  and  1877  he  was  interested  in  mer- 
cantile pursuits,  conducting  a  general  store 
at  Penfield,  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
Busey  &  Riley.  In  1878  he  took  up  his 
residence  on  the  farm  in  Newcomb  town- 
ship, where  he  now  resides.  The  land  at 
that  time  was  only  partly  broken,  and  to  its 
further  improvement  and  cultivation  he  has 
since  devoted  his  energies  with  most  gratify- 
ing results.  He  has  fenced,  ditched  and  tiled 


526 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


the  place,  placed  the  land  under  excellent 
cultivation,  set  out  an  orchard  and  small 
fruits,  erected  a  good  residence,  barn,  gran- 
ary and  other  outbuildings,  all  of  which  im- 
provements add  greatly  to  the  value  and  at- 
tractive appearance  of  the  place. 

On  the  29th  of  December,  1880,  Mr. 
Busey  was  married  in  Urbana  to  Miss  Cath- 
erine Kaucher,  who  was  born,  reared  and 
educated  in  that  city.  Her  parents  were 
M.  W.  and  Mary  Frances  Kaucher,  natives 
of  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia,  respectively. 
Her  father  came  to  Urbana  in  1855,  and  for 
several  years  was  one  of  the  leading  con- 
tractors of  the  city,  erecting  many  of  its 
public  buildings,  business  houses  and  resi- 
dences. The  children  born  to  Mr.1  and 
Mrs.  Busey  are  Martin,  Simeon,  James, 
Frances  and  Josephine,  who  are  all  attend- 
ing the  home  school;  and  Matthew  W. 

Politically  Mr.  Busey  has  been  a  life- 
long supporter  of  the  men  and  measures  of 
the  Democratic  party,  and  has  been  honored 
with  several  important  official  positions  by 
his  fellow  citizens,  who  recognize  his  worth 
and  ability.  He  has  served  as  township 
clerk;  was  assessor  about  ten  years;  and  is 
now  serving  his  sixth  year  as  supervisor  of 
his' township,  and  has  ever  taken  an  active 
and  commendable  interest  in  public  affairs. 
He  has  ever  given  a  hearty  support  to  the 
public  schools,  has  for  twenty  years  been  a 
member  of  the  board,  and  is  now  president 
of  the  district.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Busey 
were  reared  in  the  Baptist  faith,  but  now 
hold  membership  in  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal church  of  Fisher,  and  he  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America, 
the  Court  of  Honor  and  the  Knights  of 
Pythias,  all  of  Fisher.  He  has  passed 
through  all  the  chairs  of  the  last  named  or- 
der, and  is  now  past  chancellor  of  his  lodge. 


He  is  public-spirited  and  progressive,  and  is 
justly  numbered  among  the  leading  citizens 
of  his  community, 


JOHN  J.  ZERBE,  one  of  the  most  in- 
telligent and  enterprising  citizens  of 
Brown  township,  Champaign  county,  Illi- 
nois, who  is  successfully  engaged  in  general 
farming  and  stock  raising  on  section  21,  was 
born  September  30,  1837,  in  Berks  county, 
Pennsylvania.  The  family  is  of  Swiss 
origin  and  the  ancestors  of  our  subject  were 
among  the  first  settlers  of  Berks  county. 
His  father,  John  W.  Zerbe,  was  born  there 
in  1805,  and  was  a  son  of  John  Zerbe,  also 
a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  The  former 
spent  his  boyhood  and  youth  on  the  old 
homestead,  and  on  reaching  man's  estate 
married  Miss  Elizabeth  Arnold,  a  native  of 
Schuylkill  county,  Pennsylvania,  and  a 
daughter  of  Squire  Arnold,  who  was  killed 
in  battle  near  Baltimore,  Maryland,  while 
serving  as  a  soldier  of  the  war  of  1812.  In 
early  life  the  father  of  our  subject  followed 
the  shoemaker's  trade  and  later  engaged  in 
farming  in  his  native  state.  In  the  spring 
of  1877  he  joined  his  children  in  Illinois, 
but  died  in  Sidney  in  the  fall  of  the  same 
year,  at  about  the  age  of  seventy-three. 
His  wife  survived  him  some  time,  dying  in 
1890  at  the  age  of  eighty-six.  They  had  a 
family  of  twelve  children,  five  sons  and 
seven  daughters,  of  whom  ten  reached  man 
and  womanhood,  and  three  sons  and  three 
daughters  are  yet  living. 

In  the  county  of  his  nativity,  John  J. 
Zerbe  grew  to  manhood,  and  was  given 
good  educational  advantages,  attending  first 
the  public  schools  and  later  the  Stouchs- 
burg  Academy  for  about  three  years.  He 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


527 


pursued  his  studies  in  the  latter  institution 
during  the  summer  months,  while  through 
the  winter  he  taught  school,  following  that 
profession  in  Berks  county  for  six  terms.  In 
1859  he  visited  a  sister  in  Ford  county,  Illi- 
nois, but  returned  to  Pennsylvania,  and  did 
not  locate  permanently  in  this  state  until 
April,  1863,  when  he  took  up  his  residence 
in  Champaign  county.  That  spring  he  en- 
gaged in  teaching  school,  and  again  the  fol- 
lowing winter.  For  some  years  he  contin- 
ued to  devote  a  part  of  his  time  to  that 
profession,  teaching  in  all  eleven  terms  in 
this  county.  • 

Here  Mr.  Zerbe  was  married  December 
i,  1870,  to  Miss  Maggie  Mitchell,  a  native 
of  Harrison  county,  Ohio,  and  a  sister  of 
Hugh  Mitchell,  whose  sketch  appears  else- 
where in  this  volume.  By  this  union  were 
born  six  children,  namely:  Maud,  now  the 
wife  of  Samuel  E.  Kurtz,  a  business  man  of 
Sac  City,  Iowa;  John  F. ,  who  is  married 
and  engaged  in  farrnin»  in  Newcomb  town- 
ship, this  county;  Charles  G.,  who  as- 
sists his  father  in  the  operation  of  the  farm; 
Lillie  B.,  who  was  educated  in  the  home 
school  and  at  Green  College,  Hoopston, 
Illinois,  and  is  now  a  a  successful  teacher  of 
this  county;  George  W. ,  who  was  educated 
at  Hoopston  and  Dixon,  and  is  now  at 
home;  and  Grover  C.,  who  died  at  about  the 
age  of  twelve  years. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Zerbe  began  their  married 
life  on  a  farm  of  eighty  acres  in  Brown  town 
ship  which  he  had  previously  purchased,  and 
where  they  still  reside.  At  that  time  only 
a  portion  of  the  land  had  been  broken  and 
the  only  improvement  was  a  little  house, 
but  he  has  since  built  a  good  substantial  resi- 
dence, barns,  cribs  and  other  outbuildings, 
has  tiled  and  fenced  the  land,  has  planted 
an  orchard  and  shade  trees,  and  has  added 


to  his  property  until  he  now  has  two  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres  of  land  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation. 

Politically  Mr.  Zerbe  is  a  Jeffersonian 
Democrat,  in  which  faith  he  was  reared, 
and  he  cast  his  first  presidential  ballot  for 
Stephen  A.  Douglas,  the  "Little  Giant,"  in 
1860.  He  takes  an  active  and  prominent 
part  in  local  politics;  and  has  served  three 
consecutive  years  as  assessor  of  his  township; 
township  clerk  about  twenty  years;  justice 
of  the  peace  eight  years;  trustee  ten  or 
twelve  years;  and  a  member  of  the  school 
school  board  and  clerk  of  the  district  several 
years.  He  has  been  a  delegate  to  numer-. 
ous  county  conventions,  and  is  again  serv- 
ing as  assessor  of  Brown  township.  He  has 
proved  a  most  competent  officer,  discharg- 
ing his  duties  with  fidelity  and  promptness, 
worthy  of  the  highest  commendation.  He 
and  his  wife  are  leading  members  of  the 
Methodist  Protestant  church  of  Foosland, 
of  which  he  was  a  trustee  some  years,  and 
he  also  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 
He  has  filled  all  the  chairs  in  his  lodge,  is 
past  chancellor,  and  has  been  a  representa- 
tive to  the  grand  lodge  of  the  state.  In  all 
the  relations  of  life  he  has  been  found  true 
to  every  trust  reposed  in  him,  and  has  the 
entire  confidence  and  respect  of  the  commu- 
nity where  he  has  so  long  made  his  home. 


FRANKEBERGER.  As  his 
name  indicates,  this  sterling  citizen  of 
Mahomet  is  of  German  extraction,  and,  as 
is  well  known,  he  possesses  many  of  the 
notable  traits  of  character  which  have 
brought  the  people  of  the  Fatherland  to 
their  prominence  among  the  nations.  Sev- 
eral generations  of  his  family  have  dwelt  in 


528 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


America,  and  many  of  his  relatives  and  an- 
cestors lived  in  Pennsylvania,  where  they 
were  well-to-do  and  influential.  His  father, 
John,  son  of  William  Frankeberger,  was 
born  in  York  county,  Pennsylvania,  April 
23,  1817.  and  when  fifteen  years  of  age  re' 
moved  with  the  family  to  Richland  county, 
Ohio,  where  he  grew  to  maturity.  For  a 
wife  he  chose  Susannah,  daughter  of  John 
Swisher,  who  also  was  from  the  Keystone 
state.  She  was  born  January  23,  1817,  and 
was  but  nine  years  of  age  when  she  located 
in  Richland  county.  There  she  was  mar- 
ried, April  9,  1844,  and  ten  years  later  she 
was  bereft  of  her  father,  who  died  at  his  old 
home  in  the  Buckeye  state.  In  1853  John 
and  Susannah  Frankeberger  came  to  Cham- 
paign county,  arriving  here  in  June,  and 
located  upon  a  partly  improved  farm  in 
Hensley  township,  about  a  mile  north  of 
Rising  Station.  Later  they  bought  other 
property  and  owned  a  quarter  section  of 
very  desirable  farm  land.  The  father  was 
so  badly  injured  by  a  runaway  team,  at- 
tached to  a  McCormick  harvester,  that 
death  resulted,  July  n,  1863.  The  mother 
is  yet  living  and  at  present  is  making  her 
home  with  her  youngest  daughter,  Mrs. 
Jane  Richards,  of  Champaign. 

The  birth  of  George  Frankeberger  took 
place  February  7,  1845,  'm  Richland  coun- 
ty, Ohio,  and  from  the  time  he  was  eight 
years  old  he  has  lived  in  this  county,  his  ed- 
ucation having  been  obtained  in  the  district 
schools.  The  first  school-house  in  District 
No.  2,  Hensley  township,  was  built  in  the 
fall  of  1852,  and  our  subject  was  a  pupil  of 
Miss  Margaret  Scott,  the  first  teacher  there. 
He  early  mastered  farming  in  its  various 
branches,  and  had  plenty  of  opportunity  of 
working  hard  on  the  pioneer  prairie  home- 
stead. For  several  years  subsequent  to  the 


death  of  his  father,  the  young  man  re- 
mained upon  the  farm,  conducting  its  affairs 
for  his  mother. 

An  important  step  in  his  life  occurred 
February  16,  1871,  when  he  married 
Nancy,  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  Ann 
(Harper)  Hammer.  They  were  natives  of 
the  Keystone  state,  while  Mrs.  Franke- 
berger was  born  in  Franklin  county,  Ohio, 
and  about  1856  came  to  Illinois  with  her 
parents.  Our  subject  and  wife  have  one 
daughter,  Mary  Alma,  a  young  lady,  at 
home. 

Before  his  marriage  George  Franke- 
berger, in  partnership  with  his  mother,  had 
bought  eighty  acres  of  land  and  here  he 
and  his  wife  commenced  housekeeping. 
Afterwards  he  purchased  his  mother's  in- 
terest in  the  place,  and  finally  traded  it 
for  his  present  farm,  paying  the  difference.* 
About  1849  Squire  Stewart  took  up  his  res- 
idence upon  the  homestead,  which  is  one  of 
the  oldest  upon  the  old  state  road,  and  on 
the  place  is  an  orchard  with  apple  trees 
fifty  years  old.  To  the  original  property 
he  later  added  sixty-five  acres  of  his  fa- 
ther's estate,  and  now  manages  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres,  which  he  has  im- 
proved with  fruit  and  shade  trees,  tiling 
and  ditches.  He  also  owns  property  in 
Champaign.  Until  1893,  when  he  retired 
from  active  cares,  he  was  occupied  in  gen- 
eral farming  and  stock-raising,  and  by  in- 
dustry and  economy  laid  the  basis  of  his 
present  prosperity.  For  the  past  seven 
years  he  has  rented  his  farm  and  has  lived 
in  a  pretty  home  in  Mahomet,  where  he  is 
a  highly  prized  citizen. 

During  his  entire  life,  Mr.  Franke- 
berger has  been  a  true  friend  to  education, 
and  besides  giving  his  vote  and  influence  for 
the  maintenance  of  good  schools,  he  served 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


529 


as  one  of  the  trustees  in  his  township.  He 
never  has  sought  nor  desired  public  office, 
and  in  local  elections  uses  his  franchise  in 
favor  of  the  best  man,  regardless  of  party, 
while  in  national  affairs  he  is  a  stalwart 
Republican.  He  cast  his  first  presidential 
ballot  for  General  Grant  in  1868,  and  never 
has  failed  to  aid  the  Republican  candidate 
ever  since  that  time.  With  his  wife  and 
daughter,  he  holds  membership  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Mahomet, 
and  delights  in  the  grand  work  of  his  de- 
nomination. 


HENRY  B.  FREEMAN,  an  honored  vet- 
eran of  the  Civil  war  and  a  highly  re- 
spected citizen  of  Brown  township,  Cham- 
paign county,  Illinois,  residing  on  section 
21,  was  born  in  Fairfield  county,  Ohio,  Au- 
gust 8,  1845,  and  is  a  son  of  Benjamin  L. 
Freeman,  whose  birth  occurred  on  the  same 
farm  about  1820.  The  grandfather,  Cap- 
tain Benjamin  L.  Freeman,  was  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  a  soldier  of  the  war  of 
1812,  in  which  he  held  a  captain's  commis- 
sion. He  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of 
Fairfield  county,  Ohio,  and  in  the  midst  of 
the  wilderness  opened  up  a  large  farm  of 
about  four  hundred  acres,  which  he  entered 
from  the  government.  He  lived  to  the  ripe 
old  age  of  eighty-three  years.  His  ances- 
tors were  of  German  descent  and  were 
among  the  pioneers  of  Pennsylvania. 

On  the  old  homestead  the  father  of  our 
subject  grew  to  manhood,  and  in  early  life 
he  married  Miss  Fanny  Leitnaker,  also  a 
native  of  Fairfield  county,  Ohio,  and  a 
daughter  of  Squire  Leitnaker.  one  of  its 
pioneers.  Mr.  Freeman  succeeded  to  a  part 
of  the  home  farm,  and  became  one  of  the 
thrifty  agriculturists  of  the  community, 


where  he  is  still  living  at  the  age  of  eighty 
years.  His  wife  departed  this  life  in  Jan- 
uary, 1898.  In  their  family  were  eight  chil- 
dren, four  sons  and  four  daughters,  namely: 
Newton,  who  died  in  childhood;  Almeda, 
who  married  Thomas  Brooks  and  died  in 
Ohio;  Ellen,  who  married  V.  H.  Cupp  and 
died  in  Indiana;  Henry  B.,  our  subject;  Liz- 
zie A.,  who  married  Marion  F.  Cupp  and 
lives  on  a  part  of  the  old  homestead  in  Ohio; 
O.  P.,  a  farmer  of  Michigan;  L.  A.,  who  is 
engaged  in  farming  on  the  home  farm;  and 
Mary,  wife  of  Brock  Cooprider  of  Licking 
county,  Ohio. 

Henry  B.  Freeman  was  reared  in  much 
the  usual  manner  of  farmer  boys  of  his  days, 
and  as  his  school  privileges  were  limited,  he 
has  acquired  the  greater  part  of  his  educa- 
tion through  his  own  efforts  since  reaching 
maturity.  In  November,  1862,  he  joined 
the  boys  in  blue  of  Company  M,  Twelfth 
Ohio  Cavalry,  and  with  the  Army  of  the 
Tennessee  participated  in- the  battles  of  Mt. 
Sterling,  Kentucky,  Cynthiana,  Nashville. 
Cadmus  and  many  skirmishes.  He  was 
taken  prisoner  at  Mt.  Sterling,  but  made  his 
escape  in  less  than  two  days,  and  at  Mur- 
freesboro  was  ill  with  typhoid  fever  for  a 
time.  With  these  exceptions  he  was  al- 
ways found  at  his  post  of  duty,  valiantly 
defending  the  old  flag  and  the  cause  it  repre- 
sented. He  was  mustered  out  at  Nashville, 
Tennessee,  and  honorably  discharged  at 
Columbus,  Ohio,  in  November,  1865. 

Returning  home,  Mr.  Freeman  resumed 
work  on  the  farm,  and  the  following  season 
purchased  a  threshing  machine,  which  he 
operated  in  season  until  1872.  In  the  fall  of 
1871  he  came  to  Illinois  and  rented  a  farm 
in  Champaign  county.  He  then  returned 
to  Ohio,  where  he  was  married  January  16, 
1872,  to  Miss  Maggie  Ewing,  also  a  native 


530 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


of  Fairfield  county,  and  a  daughter  of 
David  Ewing,  who  was  born  on  the  same 
farm  as  Mrs.  Freeman,  being  a  son  of  Judge 
David  Ewing,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the 
county.  Her  mother,  who  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Priscilla  Wells,  was  born  in  Penn- 
sylvania, and  died  when  Mrs.  Freeman  was 
only  six  years  old,  leaving  two  children,  the 
other  being  John  W.  Ewing,  a  business  man 
of  Chicago.  The  father  married  again  and  by 
his  second  union  has  seven  children  living. 
He  is  stilllivingon  the  old  homestead  in  Fair- 
field  county,  Ohio.  Our  subject  and  his  wife 
have  two  sons:  Harlan  L.,  who  will  complete 
the  course  of  study  at  Adrian  College,  Mich- 
gan,  in  1900;  and  Harry  E.,  who  is  attend- 
ing the  home  school. 

Soon  after  his  marriage  Mr.  Freeman 
brought  his  bride  to  Champaign  county, 
Illinois,  and  located  on  the  farm  which  he 
had  previously  rented,  remaining  there  two 
years.  He  then  rented  property  in  Brown 
township  for  one  year,  during  which  time  he 
purchased  eighty  acres  of  raw  land  on  sec- 
ting  21,  where  he  still  resides.  He  broke 
the  virgin  soil,  erected  a  neat  set  of  farm 
building,  and  has  made  many  other  improve- 
ments upon  that  farm,  so  that  it  is  now 
one  of  the  most  desirable  places  of  its  size 
in  the  locality. 

Mr.  Freeman  is  an  ardent  Republican  in 
politics  and  cast  his  first  presidential  vote 
for  General  U.  S.  Grant  in  1868.  He  has 
served  two  term  as  township  trustee,  and 
was  a  member  of  the  school  board  some 
years,  having  ever  taken  an  active  interest 
in  educational  affairs,  and  given  his  influence 
to  secure  good  schools  and  competent 
teachers.  He  was  reared  in  the  new  school 
Lutheran  church,  but  now  holds  member- 
ship in  the  Mt.  Hope  United  Brethren 
church,  while  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the 


Methodist  Protestant  Church  of  Foosland. 
Fraternally  he  belongs  to  the  Odd  Fellows 
Lodge  of  Pleasantville,  Ohio,  with  which 
he  united  at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  and  is 
also  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  of 
of  Fooland,  Illinois,  and  Fisher  Post, 
G.  A.  R. 


JOHN  H.  HINTON,  a  well-to-do  and 
vJ  successful  farmer  residing  on  section  15, 
Newcomb  township,  is  a  native  of  Cham- 
paign county,  his  birth  occurring  February 
i,  1856,  in  the  township  where  he  still  con- 
tinues to  make  his  home.  His  father, 
Pieman  Hinton,  was  born  in  Ohio,  and  dur- 
ing childhood  was  taken  by  his  parents  to 
Clinton  county,  Indiana,  where  he  grew  to 
manhood  and  married  Nancy  Anderson,  a 
native  of  Indiana.  After  the  birth  of  two  of 
their  children  they  came  to  Champaign 
county,  Illinois,  and  took  up  their  residence 
in  Newcomb  township,  where  the  father 
opened  up  and  improved  a  farm  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres,  and  where  the  re- 
mainder of  their  lives  were  spent. 

On  the  home  farm  John  H.  Hinton 
passed  his  boyhood  and  youth  and  was 
educated  in  the  district  schools  of  the 
locality.  He  remained  with  his  father  until 
twenty-two  years  of  age  and  then  started 
out  in  life  for  himself.  His  first  purchase 
consisted  of  forty  acres  of  partially  im- 
proved land,  upon  which  a  house  had  been 
erected  and  a  few  rods  of  fence  built.  For 
two  years  he  devoted  his  time  to  its  further 
improvement  and  cultivation,  and  then  sold 
the  place  at  an  advantage  and  bought  sixty- 
five, acres  of  his  present  farm.  As  his  finan- 
cial resources  have  increased,  he  has  added 
to  the  place  from  time  to  time  until  he  now 
owns  one  hundred  and  eighty-six  acres  all 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


53i 


in  one  body,  which  he  has  placed  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation  and  improved  by  the 
erection  of  a  new  and  substantial  residence 
and  good  barns  and  outbuildings.  He  has 
also  tiled  the  land,  fenced  it,  and  set  out  an 
orchard,  small  fruits,  forest  and  ornamental 
trees. 

In  his  native  township  Mr.  Hinton  was 
married,  January  10,  1878,  to  Miss  Mollie 
Funston,  a  daughter  of  J.  H.  Funston,  now 
of  Champaign.  She  wasborn  in  this  county, 
and  died  here,  February  13,  1898,  aged 
thirty-eight  years.  By  that  union  there 
were  three  children:  Vera,  now  the  wife  of 
Cecil  Hinton,  of  Forest,  Illinois;  Claude 
and  Orpha.  Mr.  Hinton  was  again  married, 
at  Fisher,  September  20,  1899,  his  second 
union  being  with  Miss  Lucy  Blake,  who  was 
born,  reared  and  educated  in  Ford  county, 
Illinois,  her  father,  A.  T.  Blake,  being  one 
of  the  substantial  farmers  of  that  locality. 

In  his  political  affiliations  Mr.  Hinton  is 
a  Democrat,  and  cast  his  first  presidential 
vote  for  Grover  Cleveland,  but  at  local 
elections  votes  independently,  supporting 
the  best  men  regardless  of  party  lines.  He 
takes  a  deep  interest  in  the  temperance 
cause  and  believes  firmly  in  prohibition. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  are  active  members  of 
the  Shiloh  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and 
he  is  also  connected  with  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  Lodge  of  Fisher.  As  a  business 
man  he  is  upright  and  honorable  in  all  his 
dealings,  and  the  success  that  he  has 
achieved  in  life  is  due  entirely  to  his  own 
well-directed  efforts  for  he  started  out  for 
himself  empty-handed,  and  has  had  to  work 
his  way  upward  unaided.  He  had  to  go  in 
debt  for  his  first  land,  but  he  has  steadily 
overcome  the  difficulties  and  obstacles  in  the 
path  to  prosperity,  and  is  now  the  owner  of 
a  large  and  valuable  farm  and  a  good  home. 


JONAS  LESTER,  one  of  the  sterling  pio- 
neers of  Champaign  county,  is  self-made 
and  self-educated  and,  in  view  of  the  many 
obstacles  which  he  had  to  overcome  in  his 
early  manhood  and  prime,  his  success  is  the 
more  remarkable.  Nearly  half  a  century 
has  passed  since  he  cast  in  his  lot  with  the 
then  few  inhabitants  of  this  portion  of  Illi- 
nois, and  in  this  period  he  has  been  active 
in  the  development  of  its  resources  and  in 
all  that  has  pertained  t,o  its  well-being. 

David  Lester,  paternal  grandfather  of 
our  subject,  was  of  German  parentage,  and 
the  family  settled  in  Albany  county,  New 
York,  upon  their  arrival  in  this  country. 
Benjamin,  father  of  Jonas  Lester,  was  born 
in  Albany  county,  August  10,  1807,  and  was 
about  fifteen  years  of  age  when  he  became 
a  resident  of  Switzerland  county,  Indiana. 
There  he  married  Deliverance  R.,  daughter 
of  Jonas  Baldwin,  who  was  sheriff  of  that 
county  for  a  number  of  years.  Subsequent 
to  his  marriage,  Mr.  Lester  was  engaged  in 
teaming  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  three  or  four 
years,  and  then,  returning  to  Switzerland 
county,  he  bought  a  quarter-section  of  land, 
only  three  acres  of  which  was  not  covered 
with  heavy  timber.  He  devoted  himself  to 
the  heavy  task  of  clearing  the  farm,  and 
made  his  home  there  for  eighteen  years.  In 
April,  1854,  he  purchased  the  property  in 
Newcomb  township,  Champaign  county, 
that  is  now  owned  by  his  son,  Captain  J.  B. 
Lester,  and  there  he  continued  to  dwell 
until  his  death,  February  19,  1867.  His 
wife  surviving  him,  died  at  the  home  of  our 
subject,  August  17,  1888.  Of  their  ten 
children,  six  have  been  called  to  the  better 
land,  and  those  living  are,  Jonas;  Captain 
John  B. ;  H.  D.,  of  Gibson,  Illinois;  and 
Sarah,  wife  of  John  Mitchell,  of  Newcomb 
township. 


532 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


The  birth  of  Jonas  Lester  took  place  in 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  February  14,  1832,  and, 
as  he  was  reared  in  the  depths  of  the  Swit- 
zerland county  forests,  nature  was  his  only 
teacher.  With  his  parents  he  came  to 
Champaign  county  about  the  time  that  he 
arrived  at  his  majority,  and  for  a  few  years 
he  worked  by  the  month.  At  length  he 
bought  eighty  acres  of  wild  land  situated  in 
East  Bend  township,  and  after  building  a 
small  cabin,  proceeded  to  otherwise  im- 
prove the  place.  At  the  end  of  eight  years 
of  well-spent  toil,  he  sold  out  and  invested 
in  a  portion  of  his  present  farm  in  Mahomet 
township.  It  comprised  one  hundred  and 
twenty-three  acres  until  he  gave  forty-nine 
acres  to  his  son,  but  he  has  retained  as 
much  land  as  he  now  cares  to  manage.  He 
built  a  substantial  house  and  other  farm 
buildings  upon  the  place,  planted  an  orchard 
and  set  out  a  good  variety  of  small  fruit. 
For  the  past  twenty-three  years  the  com- 
munity hereabout  has  been  supplied  with 
all  the  sand  and  gravel  required  from  the 
sand  and  gravel  pits  upon  Mr.  Lester's 
farm,  and  in  other  ways  it  has  proved  a 
good  investment.  The  first  wife  of  Mr. 
Lester  was  Sarah  A.  Hannah.  She  died  at 
the  birth  of  her  first  child,  Nancy  D.,  who 
grew  to  womanhood  and  married  L.  H. 
Hinton,  by  whom  she  had  two  children. 
She  is  deceased. 

The  second  marriage  of  our  subject  was 
to  Amelia  L.  Flower  and  was  celebrated  in 
this  township,  September  4,  1859.  She 
was  born  in  Brooklyn,  New  York,  and  came 
to  this  state  with  her  parents  at  an  early 
day.  Her  father,  Gideon  Flower,  located 
upon  a  farm  in  St.  Clair  county,  and  there 
both  he  and  his  wife  died.  Subseqently, 
their  daughter  Amelia  and  her  sister  re- 
turned to  Brooklyn,  where  they  received 


their  education,  and,  having  qualified  them- 
selves for  teaching,  came  back  to  the  west. 
Mrs.  Lester,  who  nobly  shared  the  hard- 
ships of  her  husband's  pioneer  life,  was 
summoned  to  her  reward  January  7,  1892. 
Levina  M.  and  Adelaide  Lester  are  unmar- 
ried and  live  with  their  father,  while  the 
only  son,  Charles  A.,  is  an  enterprising 
farmer  of  this  township.  On  the  3ist  of 
March,  1897,  Jonas  Lester  wedded  Millie  A. 
Lawson,  daughter  of  Robert  and  Millie  Ann 
(Osborn)  Lawson,  all  natives  of  New  York 
City.  She  was  an  infant  when  her  parents 
died,  and  of  her  eight  brothers  and  sisters  only 
two  survive:  Mrs.  Sarah  Smith,  of  Brook- 
lyn, and  Charles,  of  Williamsburg,  New 
York.  When  she  was  about  twelve  years 
old  she  came  to  Champaign  county,  where 
she  has  since  resided.  She  is  identified 
with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  while 
Mr.  Lester  is  a  Baptist.  Politically,  he  is 
a  true-blue  Republican,  and  prior  to  the 
organization  of  the  party  was  a  Whig. 
Never  an  aspirant  to  public  positions  or 
honors,  the  only  office  he  ever  was  induced 
to  hold  was  that  of  tax  collector,  when  he 
was  a  young  man. 


EUGENE  B.  LARKIN,  a  prominent  and 
representative  farmer  of  Champaign 
county,  residing  on  section  16,  Brown  town- 
ship, within  a  half-mile  of  Foosland,  has 
made  his  home  in  Illinois  since  1855.  He 
is  a  native  of  New  York,  born  in  Clinton 
county,  May  9,  1843,  and  is  a  son  of  Edgar 
Larkin,  who  was  born  in  the  same  county 
in  1814.  The  Larkin  family  is  of  English 
descent  and  was  founded  in  New  York  at 
an  early  period  in  its  development.  Ira 
Larkin,  the  paternal  grandfather  of  our  sub- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


533 


ject,  was  also  a  native  of  Clinton  county, 
and  married  Miss  Ostrander,  whose  an- 
cestors were  among  the  Holland  settlers  of 
that  state.  He  was  a  drum  major  in  the 
war  of  1812,  and  participated  in  the  battle 
of  Plattsburg. 

Edgar  Larkin  was  reared  in  his  native  * 
county,  and  there  married  Lucretia  Craw- 
ford, who  was  born  in  Canada  but  passed 
her  girlhood  in  Clinton  county,  New  York. 
Her  father,  Squire  Crawford,  was  a  naitve 
of  Wales.  In  early  life  Edgar  Larkin  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  lumber  and 
also  carried  on  a  small  farm  in  New  York, 
where  five  children  were  born  to  him  and 
his  wife.  In  1855  he  moved  to  La  Salle 
county,  Illinois,  where  he  purchased  land 
and  improved  a  farm,  making  his  home 
there  until  1868,  when  he  sold  his  property 
and  removed  to  Kankakee  county,  this  state. 
His  last  years  were  spent  in  retirement  at 
Buckingham,  where  he  died  in  July,  1884. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  a  lad  of 
twelve  years  on  the  removal  of  the  family 
to  La  Salle  county.  He  acquired  a  good 
education,  attending  the  common  schools 
and  also  the  Leland  high  school  for  one 
term.  Hardly  had  the  echoes  of  Fort 
Sumter's  guns  died  away  when  he  offered 
his  services  to  his  country  to  assist  in  put- 
ting down  the  rebellion,  enlisting  April  30, 
i86r,  before  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age, 
as  a  private  in  Company  D,  Twenty-third 
Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  with  which  he 
served  until  the  following  September.  He 
was  captured  at  Lexington,  Missouri,  but 
paroled,  and  later  mustered  out,  when  he 
returned  home.  Soon  after  his  exchange 
he  re-enlisted  at  Ottawa,  as  fifth  sergeant  in 
Company  D,  Fifty-third  Illinois  Volunteer 
Infantry,  which  was  assigned  to  the  Fourth 
Division  under  General  Hurlbut.  The  com- 


mand first  went  to  Savannah,  and  later  par- 
ticipated in  the  battle  of  Hatchie's  Run,  the 
second  battle  of  Corinth,  the  siege  of  Vicks- 
burg,  and  the  battle  of  Jackson,  Mississippi, 
where  the  regiment  charged  the  works  and 
their  flag  was  captured.  Later  they  were 
in  the  Atlanta  campaign,  and  were  with 
Sherman  on  the  march  to  the  sea.  At  Sa- 
vannah Mr.  Larkin  was  mustered  out,  Jan- 
uary i,  1865,  but  he  later  veteranized,  join- 
ing the  Fourth  United  States  Veteran  Vol- 
unteers. From  Washington,  D.  C.,  his 
command  went  to  Winchester,  West  Vir- 
ginia, where  they  did  guard  duty,  and  also 
guarded  the  conspirators  connected  with  the 
assassination  of  President  Lincoln,  and 
were  on  duty  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  for  a  time. 
Mr.  Larkin  was  finally  mustered  out  and 
honorably  discharged  in  March,  1866. 

Returning  to  his  home  in  La  Salle  coun- 
ty, he  was  married,  March  20,  1866,  to  Miss 
Ellen  Riggs,  a  native  of  that  county,  and  a 
daughter  of  Isaac  Riggs,  one  of  its  early  set- 
tlers. By  this  union  were  born  four  chil- 
dren: Lillian,  now  the  wife  of  Oliver  Ball, 
agent  for  the  Wabash  Railroad  at  Eming- 
ton,  Illinois,  by  whom  she  has  one  child, 
Arthur  Ball;  Arthur  Larkin,  who  assists  his 
father  in  carrying  on  the  home  farm;  Lena 
Maud,  at  home;  and  Eva  May,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  two  years  and  a  half. 

Soon  after  his  marriage  Mr.  Larkin 
located  on  a  farm  near  Cabery,  Ford  county, 
Illinois,  where  he  bought  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  land,  and  operated  the  same 
for  six  years.  In  1874  he  purchased  a  tract 
of  eighty  acres  on  section  16,  Brown  town- 
ship, Champaign  county,  where  he  has  since 
made  his  home,  having  added  to  it  another 
eighty  acres.  His  first  residence,  which  was 
quite  small,  he  has  replaced  by  a  more  com- 
modious and  modern  structure,  has  placed 


534 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  land  tinder  a  high  state  of  cultivation, 
and  made  many  other  valuable  and  useful 
improvements.  He  follows  general  farming 
and  stock  raising,  and  is  accounted  one  of 
the  thrifty  and  successful  agriculturists  of 
his  community. 

Since  casting  his  first  presidential  vote 
for  General  U.  S.  Grant,  Mr.  Larkin  has 
never  wavered  in  his  allegiance  to  the  Re- 
publican party,  but  has  taken  an  active  part 
in  local  politics  and  has  been  a  member  of 
the  county  central  committee.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  school  board  for  seventeen 
years,  and  served  as  supervisor  one  term, 
being  a  member  of  several  important  com- 
mittees while  filling  that  office.  Both  he 
and  his  wife  hold  membership  in  the  Method- 
ist Protestant  church  of  Foosland,  of  which 
he  is  a  trustee,  and  he  also  belongs  to  the 
blue  lodge  and  chapter  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity at  Gibson.  His  many  sterling  qual- 
ities command  the  respect  and  confidence  of 
all  and  have  secured  for  him  the  high  regard 
of  a  large  circle  of  friends  and  acquaint- 
ances. 

CALVIN  BEATTY,  one  of  the  most 
prosperous  and  substantial  farmers 
of  Newcomb  township,  Champaign  county, 
•came  to  this  state  without  capital,  and  by 
the  exercise  of  his  resolute  will  and  perse- 
vering industry  has  built  up  a  most  credita- 
ble homestead,  consisting  of  four  hundred 
acres  of  well-improved  and  valuable  land 
on  section  5.  His  straightforward  methods 
of  doing  business  and  his  value  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  community,  have  gained  for  him 
a  wide  circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances, 
who  have  watched  his  career  with  interest 
and  are  not  slow  to  acknowledge  that  he  is 
deserving  of  all  the  good  that  has  fallen  to 
him. 


Mr.  Beatty  was  born  in  Sparta,  Sussex 
county,  New  Jersey,  February  6,  1840,  and 
on  the  paternal  side  is  of  Irish  and  on  the 
maternal  side  is  'of  English  descent.  His 
grandfather,  Thomas  Beatty,  was  a  native 
of  Ireland  and  an  early  settler  of  New  Jer- 
sey. He  was  a  soldier  of  the  war  of  1812, 
being  stationed  most  of  the  time  at  Sandy 
Hook.  George  B.  Beatty,  the  father  of 
our  subject,  was  born  in  Andover,  Sussex 
county,  New  Jersey,  in  1811,  and  on  reach- 
ing manhood  married  Elizabeth  Stites,  a 
native  of  Somerset  county,  that  state,  and 
a  daughter  of  John  Stites.  After  his  mar- 
riage he  located  on  the  old  Beatty  home- 
stead, where  he  followed  farming  through- 
out his  active  business  life,  dying  there 
March  17,  1888.  His  first  wife,  the  mother 
of  our  subject,  died  in  1843,  and  he  was 
again  married.  He  survived  his  second  wife 
three  years.  In  early  life  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  home  militia;  for  thirty  years 
served  as  justice  of  the  peace,  and  being 
one  of  the  most  prominent  men  of  his  com- 
munity he  was  called  upon  to  fill  other  pub- 
lic positions  of  honor  and  trust. 

During  his  boyhood  Calvin  Beatty  at- 
tended the  home  school  and  an  academy  of 
his  native  state,  and  remained  with  .his 
father  upon  the  farm  until  reaching  matur- 
ity. After  leaving  the  parental  roof,  he 
clerked  in  a  store  for  over  a  year,  and  there 
received  a  practical  business  training.  In 
September,  1866,  he  came  west  and  first 
located  in  Galva,  Henry  county,  Illinois, 
where  he  worked  on  a  farm  by  the  month 
for  two  years. 

Returning  to  his  native  state  early  in  the 
year  1868,  Mr.  Beatty  was  married,  Feb- 
ruary 25,  to  Miss  Ella  McKinney,  who  was 
born  in  the  same  neighborhood  as  her  hus- 
band, and  is  a  daughter  of  John  McKinney, 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


535 


whose  death  occurred  there  when  she  was 
twelve  years  of  age.  She  was  then  reared 
by  an  uncle,  and  was  well  educated.  To 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beatty  were  born  five  chil- 
dren, namely:  George  L.  is  married  and 
follows  farming  on  the  home  place;  Lillie 
M.  is  the  wife  of  Thomas  Sloan,  who  oper- 
ates a  part  of  the  farm;  Lula  G.  was  edu- 
cated in  the  Normal  at  Urbana,  and  is  now 
one  of  the  successful  teachers  of  the  coun- 
ty; Sadie  is  at  home,  and  Hattie  is  a  student 
in  the  home  school.  They  also  have  an 
adopted  son,  Guy  Ferrell  Beatty,  now 
twelve  years  of  age. 

The  day  after  their  marriage,  February 
26,  1868,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beatty  started  for 
their  new  home  in  Henry  county,  Illinois. 
After  raising  one  crop  there,  our  subject 
purchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
land  in  Newcomb  township,  Champaign 
county,  to  which  he  removed  in  the  fall  of  the 
same  year.  At  that  time  some  of  the  land 
had  been  broken  and  a  small  house  and  stable 
had  been  erected  thereon.  To  the  further 
improvement  and  development  of  the  place 
he  immediately  turned  his  attention,  and 
has  extended  its  boundaries  from  time  to 
time,  until  he  has  four  hundred  acres,  upon 
which  he  has  built  a  neat  and  commodious 
residence,  two  good  barns  and  other  out- 
buildings. He  has  divided  the  land  by  good 
fences  into  fields  of  convenient  size,  has 
laid  many  rods  of  tiling  and  planted  fruit 
and  ornamental  trees,  making  it  one  of  the 
most  valuable  farms  in  the  township. 

On  national  issues  Mr.  Beatty  is  a  Demo- 
crat and  cast  his  first  presidential  ballot  for 
George  B.  McClelland  in  1864,  but  at  local 
elections  he  votes  independent  of  party 
lines,  endeavoring  to  support  the  man  best 
qualified  for  the  office.  He  has  never  cared 
for  political  honors,  preferring  to  devote  his 


entire  time  and  attention  to  his  business  in- 
terests, but  has  served  for  three  consecu- 
tive terms  as  justice  of  the  peace.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Beatty  are  active  and  prominent  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Protestant  church  lo- 
cated upon  his  land,  he  having  given  the 
lot  and  contributed  liberally  to  the  erection 
of  the  house  of  worship.  He  is  one  of  the 
charter  members  and  an  officer  of  the 
church.  He  is  a  man  of  exemplary  habits, 
of  tried  integrity  and  sterling  worth,  and 
has  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  all  who 
know  him. 


JOHN  W.  TANNER,  of  Mahomet,  is  one 
<J  of  the  best  known  citizens  of  this  local- 
ity and  specimens  of  his  skill  and  handi- 
work are  to  be  seen  upon  every  side.  For 
many  years  he  has  been  actively  connected 
with  various  local  enterprises  and  his  in- 
fluence always  has  been  exercised  on  behalf 
of  progress  and  good  government. 

Born  in  Bartholomew  county,  Indiana, 
February  17,  1851,  Mr.  Tanner  is  a  son  of 
John  and  Mary  (Pass)  Tanner,  who  were 
natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Maryland,  re- 
spectively. The  family  settled  in  the 
Hoosier  state  in  1847,  and  there  the  father 
carried  on  a  farm  successfully  until  his 
death,  which  came  as  the  result  of  injuries 
sustained  in  an  accident  in  1865.  His  de- 
voted wife,  who  had  been  a  true  helpmate, 
died  the  year  following  his  demise. 

John  W.  Tanner  resided  upon  the 
parental  farm  until  he  was  sixteen  years 
of  age,  and  in  his  early  life  he  had  but  lim- 
ited educational  advantages.  After  spend- 
ing about  two  years  as  an  apprentice  to  the 
carpenter's  trade  he  came  to  Illinois  in  1869, 
and  engaged  in  farming  in  Coles  county,  and 
later  in  Champaign  county  for  several  years. 


536 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


In  the  meantime  he  was  employed  to  some 
extent  at  his  trade,  and  having  made  a  rep- 
utation for  skill  and  integrity  his  future  was 
assured.  Taking  up  his  residence  in  Ma- 
homet in  1875,  he  began  contracting  and 
building,  some  seasons  employing  from 
twenty-five  to  thirty  men.  His  patrons 
were  not  those  of  this  immediate  locality 
merely,  but  throughout  this  section  of  the 
county  he  erected  residences  and  public 
buildings,  which  plainly  manifest  his  skill 
and  stand  as  monuments  to  his  enterprise. 
Gradually  he  began  investing  in  real  estate 
and  built  houses  upon  his  property,'  and 
thus  to-day  is  the  owner  of  five  residences 
and  two  small  farms,  situated  just  outside 
the  corporation  limits.  In  1887  he  estab- 
lished a  lumberyard,  with  sheds  for  the  best 
grades  of  building  material,  and  a  few  years 
later  commenced  dealing  in  coal  also.  In 
connection  with  his  other  enterprises  he 
owns  and  operates  a  planing-rnill  and  carries 
a  good  stock  of  builders'  hardware  and 
plumbing  material.  A  natural  mechanic, 
he  readily  takes  up  many  lines  of  work  not 
strictly  within  his  province,  and  with  all  the 
versatility  of  the  true  American.  In  his 
early  efforts  to  gain  a  foothold  and  standing 
in  the  business  world  he  received  the  in- 
fluence of  B.  F.  Harris  &  Sons,  of  Cham- 
paign, who  recognized  his  ability  and  put 
faith  in  his  integrity.  For  his  own  family 
Mr.  Tanner  built  a  pretty  residence  in  the 
southern  part  of  Mahomet,  and  also  put  up 
four  houses  to  rent,  all  of  which  are  sup- 
plied by  a  fine  water  system,  planned  by 
the  proprietor.  A  wind-mill  and  large  tank 
pumps  and  stores  the  water,  which  is  con- 
veyed by  a  complete  system  of  underground 
pipes  into  the  different  houses.  Persever- 
ance and  hard  work  can  accomplish  wonders, 
must  be  the  verdict  of  the  reviewer  of  Mr. 


Tanner's  career,  and  his  example  is  worthy 
of  being  held  up  to  the  rising  generation. 

In  his  political  attitude  Mr.  Tanner  has 
been  affiliated  with  the  Democratic  party 
until  the  campaign  of  1896,  when  he  gave 
his  ballot  to  McKinley  and  the  gold  stand- 
ard. He  has  been  a  stalwart  advocate  of 
temperance  for  many  years,  and  in  all 
elections  where  his  ballot  can  be  of  real 
service  to  the  cause  he  uses  it  for  Prohi- 
bition candidates  and  measures.  Fraternally 
he  is  a  Master  Mason  and  has  occupied 
various  positions  of  honor  in  his  lodge. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Tanner  and  Alice 
Belle  Bolton,  a  native  of  Ohio,  was  solem- 
nized November  11,  1875,  in  this  county. 
She  is  a  daug'hter  of  Reason  Bolton,  one  of 
the  early  settlers  of  Champaign  county. 
For  many  years  he  was  actively  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits,  and  he  now  makes  his 
home  with  our  subject  and  wife.  Forrest 
L. ,  the  only  son  of  the  latter,  received  an 
excellent  education,  and  has  been  connected 
with  his  father  in  business  for  some  time. 
Eva  Gertrude,  the  only  daughter,  is  a 
student  at  the  Jacksonville  Female  College. 
Mr.  Tanner  and  the  young  people  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Baptist  church,  while  the  wife 
and  mother  is  identified  with  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  denomination. 


JESSE  MEHARRY,  a  well  known  citizei 
of  Champaign  county,  is  now  living 
retired  life  and  is  enjoying  a  rest  which  h< 
has  justly  earned.  His  residence  in  Tolono, 
erected  by  him  about  seven  years  ago,  is  on< 
of  the  most  beautiful  modern  houses  in  the 
state.  Finely  furnished  throughout,  am 
equipped  with  the  latest  appliances  and  con- 
veniences, it  bespeaks  the  enterprise  and  ex- 


JESSE  MEHARRY. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


539 


cellent  taste  of  the  owners,  who  have  reason 
to  be  proud  of  their  attractive  home. 

Jesse  Meharry  is  of  Scotch-Irish  and 
\Yelsh  extraction.  During  •  the  reign  of 
Queen  Mary,  and  the  terrible  persecutions 
in  the  name  of  religion,  the  forefathers  of 
our  subject  escaped,  by  going  to  Ireland. 
In  that  country  the  latter's  grandparents 
were  married  in  the  spring  of  1794,  and  in 
May  of  that  year  they  settled  in  America. 
.After  spending  thirteen  weeks  on  the  broad 
Atlantic,  they  landed  in  New  York,  from 
whence  they  proceeded  to  Philadelphia,  and 
later  to  Lancaster  county,  Pennsylvania. 
Subsequently  they  located  in  Connellsville, 
in  the  same  state,  and  afterwards  took  up 
their  residence  in  Adams  county,  Ohio, 
where  the  grandfather  met  his  death  in  a 
peculiar  manner,  June  21,  1813.  The  mid- 
summer day  was  calm  and  clear,  as  he  was 
riding  along  a  rural  road,  when,  without 
warning,  a  tree  which  leaned  slightly  over 
the  highway,  crashed  to  the  ground,  killing 
the  unfortunate  man.  His  widow  was  left 
with  seven  sons  and  one  daughter,  whom  she 
reared  to  maturity,  and,  her  life  work  well 
performed,  she  passed  to  her  reward  in  1844. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  Thomas 
and  Eunity  (Patton)  Meharry,  natives  of 
Adams  and  Brown  counties,  Ohio,  respec- 
tively. The  mother,  whose  birth  occurred 
in  1802,  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Meharry 
in  December,  1827.  He  was  a  life-long 
farmer,  and  at  an  early  day  removed  with 
his  family  to  Indiana.  Politically  he  was 
first  a  Democrat,  then  a  Whig,  and  on  its 
organization  became  an  earnest  advocate  of 
the  principles  of  the  Republican  party,  and, 
while  a  worker  in  the  party  organization, 
never  aspired  to  public  office.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
and  was  a  worthy,  patriotic  citizen,  having 

28 


the  respect  and  esteem  of  all  who  knew  him. 
He  entered  the  silent  land  January  29,  1874. 

Seven  children  were  born  to  Thomas 
Meharry  and  wife.  Jane  P.,  widow  of  E. 
H.  Dick,  who  was  a  farmer  in  the  vicinity 
of  Philo,  now  resides  in  that  village.  (See 
sketch  on  another  page  of  this  work).  Will- 
iam, a  resident  of  Tolono,  is  also  repre- 
sented elsewhere  in  this  volume.  Ellen 
married  John  S.  Martin,  and  they  are  now 
living  retired  in  Newtown,  Indiana.  (Their 
children  are  Rhoda  E.,  Unity,  Ephraim, 
Ida,  Jesse  and  Etta).  Jesse,  of  this 
sketch,  is  next  in  order  of  birth.  Polly 
A.,  deceased,  was  the  wife  of  A.  C.  Mc- 
Corkle,  a  farmer  of  Tippecanoe  county,  In- 
diana, and  their  two  sons  are  John  and 
Charles.  Abraham  P.,  of  Crittenden  town- 
ship, Champaign  county,  has  one  son, 
Charles.  Isaac  M.  carries  on  the  old  fam- 
ily homestead  in  Montgomery  county,  In- 
diana. He  has  five  living  children— Effie 
R. ,  Annie,  Abraham  J. ,  Jennie  and  Vinton  S. 

Jesse  Meharry  was  born  in  Montgomery 
county,  Indiana,  October  9,  1835.  His 
primary  education  was  obtained  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  his  native  county,  but  he 
later  entered  Asbury  (now  De  Pauw)  Uni- 
versity, at  Greencastle,  Indiana,  where  he 
pursued  a  course  of  study.  He  was  in  the 
University  during  the  campaign  of  1860  and 
cast  his  second  presidential  vote  for  Abra- 
ham Lincoln.  In  1856,  shortly  after  attain- 
ing his  majority,  he  cast  his  first  presiden- 
tial vote  for  John  C.  Fremont,  the  great 
"Pathfinder."  With  the  exception  of  the 
time  spent  in  the  University,  he  remained  at 
home,  assisting  in  the  work  of  the  farm,  thus 
acquiring  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  voca- 
tion which  he  has  since  followed  with  such 
gratifying  success.  While  yet  at  home  he 
engaged  quite  extensively  in  buying  and 


540 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


selling  live  stock,  by  which  means  he  laid 
the  foundation  for  the  wealth  that  he  has 
since  acquired. 

Irr  1862  Mr.  Meharry  came  to  Cham- 
paign county,  his  father  having  previously 
entered  four  thousand  acres  of  land  in 
Champaign,  McLean  and  Shelby  counties. 
Here  he  fed  and  herded  cattle  on  land  now 
owned  by  him,  a  part  of  which  is  included 
within  the  present  corporate  limits  of  the 
town  of  Tolono.  Though  he  remained  here, 
it  was  not  until  1865  that  he  concluded  to 
permanently  locate  here.  At  that  time  he 
embarked  in  farming,  and  as  his  means  in- 
creased he  gradually  extended  his  landed 
possessions  until  he  now  owns  about  two 
thousand  acres.  He  first  located  on  a 
farm  in  Philo  township,  three  miles  east  of 
his  present  home,  and,  as  formerly,  gave  his 
attention  to  the  raising  of  stock  and  grain, 
with  good  financial  results.  By  diligence 
and  energy,  and  the  application  of  sound 
business  principles,  he  won  success  far  be- 
yond the  average. 

The  marriage  of  Jesse  Meharry  and  Ad- 
die  A.  Francis  was  celebrated  at  her 
home  in  New  Lenox.  Will  county,  Illinois, 
February  27,  1873.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
Abraham  and  Mary  A.  (Davison)  Fran- 
cis, the  former  a  native  of  Ireland  and  the 
latter  of  Brown  county,  Ohio.  Her  pater- 
nal grandparents  were  William  and  Jane 
(Love)  Francis,  who  owned  land  in  Adams 
county,  Ohio,  where  they  died.  Her  mater- 
nal grandparents  were  William  and  Mary 
(Francis)  Davison,  natives  of  Ireland.  Abra- 
ham Francis  removed  to  Will  county,  Illi- 
nois, in  1835,  where  he  built  the  first  log 
cabin  in  that  section.  Mrs.  Addie  A.  Me- 
harry was  born  in  Will  county,  Illinois, 
September  12,  1851,  and  was  ninth  in  a 
family  of  eleven  children. 


Four  children  were  born  to  Jesse  Me- 
harry and  wife,  and  they  have  just  cause 
for  pride  in  their  fine,  manly  sons.  The 
eldest,  Jessie  Erie,  was  graduated  from  the 
University  of  Illinois  in  1899,  and  is  now, 
in  1900,  pursuing  a  post  graduate  course. 
George  F. ,  who  was  graduated  from  the 
Tolono  high  school  in  1899,  is  now  a  stu- 
dent in  the  University  of  Illinois.  Edwin 
T.  is  a  member  of  the  Tolono  high  school 
class  of  1900,  and  Paul  F. ,  the  youngest,  is 
also  making  good  progress  in  his  studies. 

In  1893  Jesse  Meharry  became  a  per- 
manent resident  of  Tolono,  and  actively 
identified  with  its  progress.  For  seven  or 
more  years  he  served  as  supervisor  in  Philo 
township;  was  commissioner  of  highways  for 
several  years,  and  acted  upon  numerous 
special  committees,  one  having  in  charge 
the  extensive  court-house  repairs.  Polit- 
ically, he  is  a  consistent  Republican,  and  at 
one  time  represented  his  township  in  the 
county  central  committee  for  four  years. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  are  active  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  He  has 
served  as  superintendent  of  the  Sunday- 
school  and  on  the  church  board  of  officials, 
besides  having  been  a  member  of  the  build- 
ing committee  at  the  time  the  new  house  of 
worship  was  being  constructed.  To  that 
cause  he  was  a  generous  contributor  of  time 
and  money,  and  his  means  are  liberally 
distributed  in  the  aid  of  religion,  education 
and  private  charities. 


MRS.  LUCY  J.  JAMES.  While  it  is  often 
truly  said  that  this  is  the  woman's  cen- 
tury as  compared  with  all  preceding  ones  it  is 
certain  that    few    historians    give  as  much 
credit  as  they  should  to  the  brave   pioneer 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


women  who  performed  labor  and  endured 
hardships  that  to  the  present  generation 
seem  nothing  short  of  marvelous,  yet  were 
happy  and  cheerful,  rarely  faltering  in  the 
tasks  which  they  had  taken  up  for  love  of 
husband  and  children,  home  and  friends. 
What  wonder  that  from  such  humble  cab- 
ins as  sheltered  the  frontiersman  and  his 
family  came  the  men  who  have  become 
foremost  in  the  annals  of  our  beloved  coun- 
try. What  wonder  that  the  influence  of  the 
quiet  loving  mother,  humbly  striving  to 
lead  a  sweet  Christian  life,  should  reach  out 
to  uplift  and  benefit  mankind  in  a  thousand 
ways  that  she  dreamed  not  of.  It  is  emi- 
nently fitting  that  a  place  should  be  given  to 
the  pioneer  women  of  Champaign  county, 
in  every  history  of  this  now  flourishing  re- 
gion, and  the  numerous  friends  and  acquaint- 
ances of  Mrs.  Lucy  J.  James  will  undoubt- 
edly take  pleasure  in  perusing  this  tribute  to 
her  worth,  and  the  annals  of  her  life. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  this  estima- 
ble lady  was  Christian  Baughman,  who,  as 
his  name  implies,  was  of  German  extraction, 
and  who  certainly  possessed  the  sterling 
qualities  of  that  hardy,  virile  race.  He  was 
born  near  Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  about 
1780,  and  in  1804,  when  Ohio  was  not  much 
more  than  a  name  to  the  majority  of  the 
people  of  this  land,  he  located  there,  and 
in  the  midst  of  the  wilderness  cleared  a 
farm  and  reared  his  family.  One  of  his  sons, 
George,  father  of  Mrs.  James,  was  born  in 
the  pioneer  cabin,  in  Muskingum  county, 
Ohio.  He  gre^v  to  manhood  in  that  locality 
and  there  wedded  Catherine  Rees,  also  of 
that  neighborhood,  and  thirteen  children 
blessed  their  union. 

Mrs.  Lucy  J.  James,  whose  birth  oc- 
curred in  the  parental  home  near  Roseville, 
Ohio,  passed  her  girlhood  there,  and  on  the 


7th  of  October,  1869,  she  gave  her  hand  in 
marriage  to  Enos  James.  He,  too,  was  a 
native  of  Muskingum  county,  the  date  of  his 
birth  being  February  24,  1821,  andhis  father, 
Isaac  James,  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  in 
that  section  of  the  Buckeye  state.  For 
several  years  Enos  James  had  been  actively 
engaged  in  farming  and  in  the  spring  pre- 
ceding his  marriage  he  had  come  to  Cham- 
paign county  and  had  bought  half  a  section 
of  land  in  section  19,  Newcomb  township. 
The  place  had  a  few  improvements,  includ- 
ing a  small  cabin,  and  the  young  man  pro- 
ceeded to  make  the  house  comfortable  and 
to  put  everything  in  as  good  order  as  possi- 
ble for  his  bride.  Soon  after  their  marriage, 
they  set  out  on  their  journey  to  their  new 
western  home,  and  though  the  years  which 
followed  were  filled  with  arduous  toil,  they 
were  happy  ones,  and  gradually  they  saw 
prosperity  crowning  their  efforts.  Mr. 
James  was  progressive  in  his  methods  and 
invested  large  amounts  of  money  in  tiling, 
by  means  of  which  he  drained  all  the  low 
lands,  and  made  highly  productive  fields. 
Finally  he  erected  a  large,  substantial  resi- 
dence and  barn,  and  planted  fruit  and  shade 
trees  and  small  fruits,  and  everything  about 
the  place  showed  his  forethought  and  excel- 
lent judgment.  He  stood  well  in  the  opin- 
ion of  his  neighbors  and  his  integrity  was 
beyond  question.  Though  he  attended 
strictly  to  his  own  business  affairs  and  never 
was  persuaded  to  accept  public  office,  he 
was  interested  in  everything  pertaining  to 
the  welfare  of  the  community  and  country, 
and  at  presidential  elections  voted  the 
straight  Republican  ticket. 

Since  the  death  of  Mr.  James,  Septem- 
ber 26,  1891,  when  he  had  passed  the  sev- 
entieth milestone  of  his  life,  his  widow  has 
managed  the  old  homestead,  with  the  as- 


542 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


sistance  of  her  sons.  The  fine  farm  of 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  is  kept  in 
as  thriving  a  condition  as  ever,  and  Mrs. 
James  has  displayed  rare  judgment  in  all  of 
her  business  affairs.  Her  husband  always 
cheerfully  acknowledged  that  to  her  he  owed 
a  large  measure  of  his  success,  and  she  has 
proved  herself  to  be  well  qualified  as  a  finan- 
cier and  agriculturist.  She  was  reared  in 
the  faith  of  the  Lutheran  church,  and  ex- 
emplifies in  her  daily  life  the  high  Christian 
principles  in  which  she  believes. 

Moses  B.  James,  the  eldest  child  of 
Enos  and  Lucy  James,  resides  in  a  pretty 
modern  residence  which  was  built  for  him 
on  the  old  homestead,  which  he  assists  his 
mother  and  brother  in  managing.  He  chose 
for  a  wife,  Mary  Emma  Keene,  who  was 
born  in  Kentucky,  and  their  two  children 
are  named,  respectively,  Leslie  and  Iva. 
Lucy  C. ,  eldest  daughter  of  our  subject,'  is 
the  wife  of  John  Patterson,  of  Fisher,  and 
their  three  children  are  named,  respectively, 
Alma  L.,  Lena  L.  and  Stella  M.  Mary  E., 
the  second  daughter,  is  the  wife  of  James  T. 
Adams,  of  Bloomington,  Illinois,  and  her 
children  are  Mabel  C.  and  Grace  I.  Anna 
R.,  George  E.  G.-  and  Clara  I.  are  yet  mem- 
bers of  their  mother's  household  and  are 
promising  young  people.  She  was  bereft 
of  three  children,  one  who  died  in  infancy, 
John  W. ,  who  died  when  ten  months  old, 
and  Bessie  E.,  who  lived  to  be  fifteen  years 
of  age. 

During  the  many  years  of  Mrs.  James' 
residence  in  this  county,  she  has  been  the 
witness  of  remarkable  changes,  and  has 
been  actively  associated  with  the  increasing 
prosperity  of  this  section.  Both  she  and 
her  husband  have  been  recognized  as  pub- 
lic spirited  citizens,  kind  and  charitable  to 
the  poor  and  needy,  ever  ready  to  lend  a 


helping  hand  to  those  who  were  unfortu- 
nate, and  when  they  shall  have  entered  into 
the  silent  land,  their  names  will  be  remem- 
bered with  gratitude  and  love  and  "their 
children  shall  rise  up  and  call  them  blessed." 


WALLACE  BLACK.  Quite  a  number 
of  the  leading  and  prominent  agri- 
culturists of  Champaign  county  are  of  for- 
eign birth,  and  have  transported  to  this  land 
of  fertility  and  plenty  the  thrifty  habits  of 
their  native  country.  Among  these  there  is 
none  better  known  or  more  widely  respected 
than  the  gentleman  whose  name  appears 
at  the  head  of  this  sketch.  He  possesses 
many  of  the  sterling  traits  which  character- 
ized his  Scotch  ancestry,  and  in  his  labors 
he  has  been  eminently  successful,  so  that 
he  is  now  able  to  lay  aside  all  business 
cares  and  live  retired  upon  his  farm  on  sec- 
tion 1 6,  Sadorus  township. 

Mr.  Black  was  born  in  Forfarshire, 
Scotland,  April  4,  1837,  a  son  of  James  and 
Elizabeth  (Frazier)  Black,  also  natives  of 
Scotland,  whence  they  emigrated  to  America 
with  their  family  in  1854.  For  one  year 
the  family  made  their  home  in  Chicago, 
where  the  father  was  employed  as  an  engin- 
eer, having  always  followed  that  occupa- 
tion in  his  native  land,  but  in  1855,  on  their 
removal  to  Champaign  county,  he  purchased 
a  farm  and  turned  his  attention  to  agricult- 
ural pursuits.  Here  he  continued  to  reside 
throughout  the  remainder  of  his  life,  dying 
upon  his  farm  in  1892,  aged  seventy-nine 
years,  his  wife  in  1891,  aged  about  seventy- 
seven.  Their  children  were  William,  a  resident 
of  Champaign,  whose  sketch  appears  else- 
where in  this  volume;  Wallace,  our  subject; 
Ellen,  deceased;  and  Jane,  wife  of  Charles 
Brown,  a  prosperous  farmer  of  Nebraska. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


543 


Wallace.  Black  received  his  education  in 
the  common  schools  of  his  native  land,  and 
when  quite  young  was  apprenticed  to.  the 
shoemaker's  trade,  at  which  he  found  em- 
ployment during  the  residence  of  the  family 
in  Chicago.  On  coming  to  this  county  he 
took  up  farm  work  and  has  since  devoted 
his  time  to  that  occupation.  He  grew  to 
manhood  on  his  father's  farm  and  then 
started  out  in  life  for  himself. 

In  August,  1860,  Mr.  Black  married  Miss 
Ellen  Steven,  also  a  native  of  Scotland, 
born  August  10,  1837,  and  a  daughter  of 
James  and  Christina  (Gray)  Steven,  who 
spent  their  last  days  in  this  country  dying 
in  Champaign  county.  Six  children  were 
born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Black,  but  one  died 
in  infancy.  The  other  reached  years  of 
maturity,  (i)  Elizabeth,  the  eldest,  mar- 
ried James  Ross,  by  whom  she  has  three 
children,  Harry,  Russell  and  Nellie,  and  she 
now  lives  at  home  with  her  parents.  (2) 
Stewart,  a  prosperous  farmer  of  Sadorus 
township,  is  married  and  has  one  child, 
Edna  (3)  Agnes  is  the  wife  of  Frank  Bar- 
racks, a  farmer  of  Nebraska,  and  they  have 
one  son,  Wallace.  (4)  George  married  Annie 
Mattox  and  operates  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  his  father's  land.  (5)  Nellie  is  the 
wife  of  Guy  Cook,  a  farmer  of  Sadorus  town- 
ship, and  they  have  two  children,  Grace  and 
Gertrude. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Black  located  on 
the  home  farm  and  began  a  successful  career 
as  a  general  farmer.  His  first  purchase 
consisted  of  fifty-three  acres  of  land,  which 
he  improved  by  the  erection  of  a  very  large 
and  comfortable  residence.  He  has  since 
added  to  his  place  until  he  now  owns  eighty 
acres  on  section  16,  Sadorus  township,  and 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  section  21, 
all  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  well 


tilled  and  otherwise  improved,  making  it 
one  of  the  most  valuable  tracts  of  land  in 
the  township.  Of  recent  years  Mr.  Black 
has  rented  his  farm  and  retired  from  active 
labor,  though  he  busies  himself  in  looking 
after  his  interests. 

In  political  sentiment  Mr.  Black  is  a 
Democrat,  but  at  local  elections  he  supports 
the  man  whom  he  considers  best  qualified 
to  fill  the  position  regardless  of  party  lines, 
and  has  never  been  prevailed  upon  to  accept 
any  office  in  his  township.  He  has,  how- 
ever, served  as  school  director  and  ditch 
commissioner  for  a  number  of  years  each, 
and  always  faithfully  performs  any  duty  de- 
volving upon  him.  whether  public  or  private. 
He  is  therefore  numbered  among  the  useful 
and  valued  citizens  of  his  community,  and 
is  held  in  high  regard  by  all  know  him. 


ROBERT  GORE  BALL,  living  on  sec- 
tion 17,  Brown  township,  is  an  enter- 
prising and  progressive  farmer,  who  for  the 
past  nine  years  has  had  charge  of  the  Foos- 
land  estate,  consisting  of  thirty-eight  hun- 
dred acres  of  land  in  the  northern  part  of 
this  county.  He  was  born  in  Boone  county, 
Indiana,  November  8,  1836,  and  is  a  son  of 
Joseph  and  Ingabo  (McDaniel)  Ball,  both 
natives  of  Monroe  county,  West  Virginia, 
where  they  were  married  in  1833.  Our 
subject's  paternal  grandfather,  William  Ball, 
was  a  pioneer  of  that  state.  In  1834  the 
parents  moved  to  Boone  county,  Indiana, 
and  in  the  midst  of  the  forest  the  father 
cleared  and  improved  a  farm,  upon  which 
he  reared  his  family.  He  died  there  March 
3,  1 86 1,  and  his  wife  passed  away  in  1856. 
The  subject  of  this  review  remained 
under  the  parental  roof  until  twenty  years 


544 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


of  age,  aiding  in  the  arduous  task  of  clear- 
ing away  the  timber,  and  transforming  the 
wild  land  into  fertile  fields.  In  1856  he 
came  to  McLean  county,  Illinois,  where  he 
worked  by  the  month  until  1861.  On  the 
22nd  of  September,  that  year,  at  Blooming- 
ton,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Susan  Brock,  a  native  of  McLean  county, 
and  a  daughter  of  Sherwood  and  Nancy 
Brock,  formerly  from  Ohio  and  among  the 
pioneers  of  McLean  county.  There  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Ball  began  their  married  life  on  a 
farm  in  Randolph  township,  where  he  rented 
land  for  six  years,  and  in  1867  removed  to 
Brown  township,  Champaign  county,  where 
he  engaged  in  farming  upon  rented  property 
for  several  years.  He  finally  purchased  a 
farm  and  made  it  his  home  until  1891,  when 
he  sold  the  place  and  took  charge  of  the 
Foosland  estate,  locating  on  section  17, 
Brown  township,  in  1892.  This  isthe  largest 
body  of  land  under  the  control  of  one  man 
in  the  northern  part  of  the  county.  In  the 
management  of  the  place  Mr.  Ball  has  dis- 
played excellent  business  and  executive 
ability,  giving  entire  satisfaction  to  the 
owners,  who  have  been  fortunate  in  securing 
such  a  competent  overseer. 

Mr.  Ball  has  been  called  upon  to  mourn 
the  loss  of  his  estimable  wife,  who  died 
August  23,  1894,  and  was  laid  to  rest  in  Mt. 
Hope  cemetery.  To  them  were  born  thir- 
teen children,  namely:  Emma,  now  the 
wife  of  William  Ritchie,  a  merchant  of 
Foosland;  Caroline,  wife  of  K.  D.  Boyd,  of 
the  same  place;  Oliver,  railroad  agent  on 
the  Wabash  at  Emington,  Illinois;  Charles, 
who  is  married  and  follows  farming  in  Brown 
township;  Mary,  deceased  wife  of  S.  F. 
Gibbons,  of  Brown  township;  Sherman,  who 
is  married  and  follows  farming  in  Otero 
county,  Colorado;  Corley,  who  is  married 


and  living  at  Toledo,  Ohio,  being  mail 
agent  on  the  Wabash  Railroad  running  from 
Toledo  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri;  Ida,  wife  of 
J.  P.  Pollock,  of  Otero  county,  Colorado; 
W.  T. ,  who  is  married  and  living  in  the 
same  county;  Nora,  wife  of  L'oren  Pfoff,  a 
grain  dealer  of  Harpster,  Ford  county,  Illi- 
nois; David,  agent  for  the  Wabash  Railroad 
at  Ritchie;  Hattie  Ethel  and  Vivian  Alice, 
both  at  home.  Mr.  Ball  also  has  twenty- 
four  grandchildren.  The  family  are  all 
members  of  the  same  church,  and  he  holds 
membership  in  the  Mt.  Hope  United  Breth- 
ren church.  Socially  he  belongs  to  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  Lodge  at  Foosland,  and 
politically  is  a  stanch  Republican,  having 
always  supported  that  party  since  casting 
his  first  presidential  vote  for  Abraham  Lin- 
coln in  1860.  He  is  an  upright,  honorable 
man  of  strict  integrity  and  sterling  worth, 
and  is  held  in  high  esteem  by  rll  who 
know  him. 


SACKRIDER.  For  a  place 
of  its  size,  Mahomet  is  blessed  with  an 
exceptionally  large  number  of  wide-awake, 
energetic  business  men,  and  prominent  in 
the  list  for  the  past  score  of  years  has  been 
the  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  is  a  son  of 
Peter  Sackrider,  who  was  born  in  German 
October  18,  1835. 

Believing  that  America  offered  bette 
opportunities  to  an  ambitious  young  man 
Peter  Sackriter  emigrated  to  these  hospi 
table  shores,  and,  having  learned  the  butch- 
er's business  in  Columbus,  Ohio,  proceede 
to  work  at  that  calling  there  until  1858 
when  he  located  in  Edgar  county.  Illinois 
When  the  Civil  war  came  on,  he  enliste 
and  loyally  served  in  the  ranks  until  peac 
had  been  declared.  Returning  home  h 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


545 


then  conducted  a  meat  business  in  Piatt 
county  for  a  few  years,  also  engaging  in  the 
manufacture  of  brick.  At  the  last-named 
occupation  he  later  was  employed  in  Mahom- 
et, and  at  this  writing  is  living  retired  at  his 
home  in  Anderson,  Indiana. 

The  nativity  of  George  Sackrider  took 
place  near  Columbus,  Ohio,  August  2,  1858. 
He  grew  to  manhood  in  this  state,  and  has 
had  to  rely  mainly  upon  his  own  efforts  in 
the  acquisition  of  an  education.  In  fact, 
he  may  justly  be  termed  a  self-made  man, 
•for  he  has  had  his  own  way  to  make,  and 
has  nobly  struggled  against  the  numerous 
difficulties  which  confronts  one  who  starts 
out  without  means  or  influence.  In  1878 
he  joined  his  father  at  Mahomet,  and  for 
over  ten  years  was  employed  in  the  brick 
yard  here,  thoroughly  learning  the  trade. 
He  became  the  owner  of  the  plant  about 
1891,  by  purchase,  and  since  then  he  has 
greatly  increased  the  capacity  of  the  factory 
and  the  superiority  of  the  manufactured 
article.  From  four  to  five  hundred  thou- 
sand bricks  are  made  here  each  year,  and 
there  has  been  a  growing  demand  for  the 
product,  which  compares  favorably  with  the 
best  grades  in  the  market.  Fairness  char- 
acterizes all  of  our  subject's  dealings,  and 
he  possesses  the  respect  of  the  entire  com- 
munity. 

On  the  24th  of  December,  1882,  Mr. 
Sackriter  married  Fonnie  Morse,  daughter 
of  John  H.  and  Sarah  Ann  (Cox)  Morse, 
natives  of  Ohio  and  Indiana,  respectively. 
The  former,  who  was  born  October  18,  1835, 
was  a  son  of  Henry  Morse,  one  of  the  pio- 
neers of  the  Buckeye  state,  and  originally  of 
Canada.  J.  H.  Morse  followed  the  calling 
of  a  carpenter,  and  was  a  citizen  of  Ma- 
homet for  many  years.  The  only  child  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sackriter  is  Lloyd,  who  is  a 


promising  youth,  now  attending  the  home 
schools.  Another  son,  Wilbur,  died  when 
five  years  of  age. 

The  home  of  the  Sackriter  family  is  a 
very  attractive  one,  and  no  pains  or  expense 
have  been  spared  in'improvingthe  property. 
Fine  fruit  and  shade  trees  and  a  well  kept 
lawn  add  greatly  to  the  beauty  of  the 
premises,  and  everything  is  kept  up  in 
a  thrifty  manner.  In  local  elections  our 
subject  is  independent,  while  in  nation- 
al issues  he  uses  his  franchise  in  favor 
of  the  nominees  of  the  Prohibition  party. 
He  has  never  desired  public  offices,  but 
served  for  two  terms  as  a  member  of 
the  town  board.  Fraternally  he  is  an  Odd 
Fellow  and  now  holds  the  office  of  noble 
grand  in  the  Mahomet  lodge,  while  in  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America  he  also 
holds  an  official  position.  Everything 
which  affects  the  general  prosperity  of  this 
community  is  of  deep  interest  to  him,  and 
he  faithfully  meets  all  of  the  obligations 
which  devolve  upon  him  as  a  citizen. 


y^EORGE  M.  SEEBER.  This  gentle- 
VJt  man  worthily  illustrates  the  commonly 
accepted  view  of  the  character  of  an  enter- 
prising German  citizen,  who  through  his 
own  unaided  efforts  has  achieved  remark- 
ably successful  during  his  residence  in  the 
new  world.  He  makes  his  home  on  section 
13,  Condit  township,  Champaign  county, 
Illinois,  where  he  owns  and  operates  a 
valuable  and  well-improved  farm  of  six 
hundred  and  forty  acres. 

Mr.  Seeber  was  born  on  the  2nd  of 
April,  1832,  in  the  village  of  St.  Martin, 
Bavaria,  Germany,  his  father  being  a  wine- 
grower on  the  River  Rhine.  Our  subject 


546 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


was  reared  upon  a  farm  and  given  fair  com- 
mon-school advantages.  He  was  married 
April  27,  1 86 1,  to  Miss  Sabilla  Schreieck,  a 
native  of  St.  Martin,  which  was  also  the 
birthplace  of  the  five,  children  born  of  this 
union,  namely:  Elizabeth,  at  home;  Gret- 
chen,  wife  of  Ferdinand  Hammel,  a  farmer 
of  Champaign  county;  and  Fred,  Egidius 
and  Peter,  who  are  all  at  home  and  assist 
their  father  in  carrying  on  the  farm. 

Mr.  Seeber  owned  a  vineyard  at  St. 
Martin,  and  for  twenty-five  years  svas  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  wine  and 
brandy.  For  a  number  of  years  he  also 
followed  contracting  in  his  native  land, 
furnishing  timber  to  a  railroad  company. 
In  1882  he  emigrated  to  the  United  States, 
taking  passage  on  a  vessel  at  Rotterdam  and' 
landing  in  New  York  in  July  of  that  year. 
He  came  direct  to  Illinois,  and  for  five  years 
operated  a  rented  farm  south  of  Farmer 
City,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  -pur- 
chased one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land 
on  the  county  line  in  McLean  county,  and 
made  several  improvements  on  the  place, 
including  the  erection  of  a  small  house  and 
some  outbuildings.  Later  he  added  to  his 
farm  a  tract  of  eighty  acres,  making  two 
hundred  and  forty  acres  in  all,  and  continued 
to  engage  in  farming  there  until  1892,  when 
he  sold  out  at  a  good  advantage  and  bought 
the  section  of  land  in  Condit  township, 
Champaign  county,  where  he  now  resides. 
He  has  erected  thereon  a  commodious  and 
substantial  residence,  a  barn,  cribs,  sheds 
and  other  outbuildings;  has  tiled  and  fenced 
the  land,  and  now  has  one  of  the  best  im- 
proved and  most  desirable  farms  in  the 
locality.  He  is  one  of  Champaign  county's 
most  extensive  agriculturists,  raising  on  an 
average  from  twenty  to  twenty-five 
thousand  bushels  of  corn  per  year  and 


from  eight  to  ten  thousand  bushels  of  oats. 
He  also  gives  considerable  attention  to 
stock,  raising  a  good  grade  of  cattle  and 
hogs,  but  his  specialty  is  the  breeding  and 
raising  of  Percheron  and  French  coach 
horses.  He  is  a  wide-awake,  progressive 
business  man,  of  good  executive  ability,  and 
is  able  to  carry  forward  to  successful  com- 
pletion whatever  he  undertakes.  He  has 
steadily  prospered  since  coming  to  this 
country,  and  is  to-day  one  of  the  most  sub- 
stantial citizens  of  Condit  township.  Polit- 
ically he  has  been  identified  with  the  Dem- 
ocratic party  since  casting  his  first  presiden- 
tial vote  for  Grover  Cleveland,  but  has 
never  sought  political  preferment.  Relig- 
iously Mr.  Seeber  and  his  family  are  mem- 
bers of  the  German  Catholic  church  of 
Champaign,  and  are  people  of  prominence 
in  the  community  where  they  reside. 


EZRA  E,  CHESTER.  Among  the  many 
men  in  Champaign  county  who  will  be 
held  in  grateful  remembrance  in  coming 
years  is  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  for 
nearly  half  a  century  has  been  one  of  its 
honored  citizens,  and  who  has  left  the  im- 
press of  his  mind  and  character  upon 
nearly  every  page  of  its  history  during  that 
time.  "  Farming, "  said  Washington,  "is 
the  most  honorable  and  useful  of  all  occu- 
pations,"  and  to  this  occupation  he  has 
given  the  best  years  of  his  life,  having  done 
more  than  any  other  man  in  Champaign 
county  to  promote  the  welfare  of  the  farm- 
ing class.  His  influence  upon  farmers  and 
farming  interests  have  not  alone  been  felt 
in  his  adopted  county,  but  has  extended 
throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the 
land.  An  honored  commissioner  from  the 


E.  E.  CHESTER. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


549 


state  of  Illinois  in  the  World's  Columbian 
Exposition,  his  work  in  connection  with 
the  agricultural  and  educational  exhibits  of 
the  state  brought  him  in  contact  with  many 
of  the  best  men  throughout  the  world,  and 
the  departments  of  which  he  was  superin- 
tendent attracted  wide-spread  attention  and 
awakened  general  interest  and  favorable 
comment. 

Ezra  E.  Chester  was  born  near  Colum- 
bus, Ohio,  April  30,  1837,  and  he  is  a  son 
of  Elias  and  Anna  M.  (Smith)  Chester. 
The  family  was  of  English  origin  and  was 
founded  in  Nova  Scotia,  whence  repre- 
sentatives of  the  name  removed  to  New 
York,  thence  to  Ohio,  and  later  to  Illinois. 
The  paternal  grandfather,  Elias  Chester, 
was  born  on  Lake  Champlain,  and  became 
one  of  the  pioneers  of  what  was  then  con- 
sidered the  extreme  west.  He  took  up  his 
abode  upon  a  tract  of  land  which  was  se- 
cured in  return  for  his  father's  service  in 
the  Revolutionary  war,  covering  a  period 
of  seven  years.  Elias  Chester,  the  father 
of  our  subject,  was  born  and  reared  in 
Ohio,  becoming  one  of  the  leading  farmers 
of  his  locality.  He  was  also  a  man  of  con- 
siderable prominence  in  public  affairs  and 
was  one  of  the  influential  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  church,  aiding  in  founding  the 
society  of  that  denomination  near  his 
home  and  acting  as  one  of  the  elders  in  the 
church.  He  married  Anna  M.  Smith  and 
spent  his  entire  life  in  Ohio,  although 
prior  to  his  death  he  visited  Champaign 
county  and  was  making  preparations  to 
remove  here  when  he  was  taken  ill,  his 
death  resulting. 

Mr.  Chester,  of  this  review, had  acquired 
his  preliminary  education  in  the  common 
schools,  and  for  two  years  pursued  his  stud- 
ies in  Hanover  College,  but  was  compelled 


to  leave  that  institution  on  account  of  the 
death  of  his  father  and  of  his  older  brother, 
Thaddeus  Smith,  whose  demise  occurred 
about  that  time.  In  consequence  the  man- 
agement of  the  estate  devolved  upon  our 
subject.  The  mother  and  her  two  younger 
children  remained  in  Ohio  until  the  death 
of  Mrs.  Chester,  when  the  children 
came  to  Illinois.  The  younger  broth- 
ers and  sister  of  our  subject  are  Hubert, 
who  was  a  business  man  of  Champaign 
and  died  in  1897;  Mrs.  M.  A.  Hendren,  of 
Champaign,  and  Homer  W. ,  who  is  living 
in  Chicago  Lawn. 

Ezra  E.  Chester  became  one  of  the  land- 
holders of  Champaign  county,  in  October, 
1857,  when  he  purchased  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land.  He  immediately  began 
the  work  of  improvement,  and  for  many 
years  was  actively  and  prominently  con- 
nected with  agricultural  pursuits  in  this 
county.  He  operated  his  farm  with  a  view 
to  stockraising  and  was  one  of  the  first  to 
introduce  a  herd  of  registered  short  horn 
cattle  into  this  county.  He  added  to  his 
original  farm  from  time  to  time  until  now 
the  old  homestead  comprises  nearly  five 
hundred  acres  of  rich  land.  Again  and  again 
he  was  called  to  fill  local  offices  by  his  fel- 
low townsmen  who  recognized  his  worth 
and  ability,  and  was  constantly  a  member  of 
the  school  board,  the  cause  of  education 
finding  in  him  a  warm  friend.  Still  he  did 
not  neglect  his  business  affairs,  continually 
improving  his  farm  until  it  is  to-day  looked 
upon  as  "the  farm  of  the  county."  He 
broke  the  prairie,  planted  trees,  built  fences, 
erected  large  and  substantial  buildings  and 
now  has  a  little  village  known  as  the  ' '  Ches- 
ter farm."  His  eldest  son,  Thaddeus  P., 
was  educated  in  the  Agricultural  College, 
of  Champaign  county,  and  later  was  taken 


550 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


into  partnership  by  his  father  and  now  has 
charge  of  the  old  homestead,  upon  which  he 
resides.  Ezra  E.  Chester  has  proved  that 
farming  can  be  made  a  very  profitable  source 
of  income.  He  carried  on  his  business  sys- 
tematically and  methodically,  making  a 
careful  study  of  his  work  in  all  its  depart- 
ments, avoiding  losses  and  yet  not  sparing 
expense  for  progressive  measures  which  he 
believed  would  result  beneficially  in  the  end. 
He  remained  upon  the  farm  until  Septem- 
ber, 1892,  when  he  came  to  the  city,  being 
prompted  to  this  step  by  reason  of  his  chil- 
dren attending  the  University  and  high 
school,  by  a  wish  to  retire  from  the  more 
active  duties  of  life,  and  by  a  desire  to  give 
more  attention  to  his  work  as  a  World's 
Fair  commissioner,  to  which  position  he  had 
been  appointed  by  the  Legislature. 

Prior  to  this  time  Mr.  Chester  had  been 
for  fourteen  years  a  member  of  the  state 
board  of  agriculture,  as  the  representative 
from  this  district,  and  as  such  had  been 
officially  interested  in  the  Agricultural  Col- 
lege. In  this  way  he  has  become  widely 
known  in  agricultural  circles,  and  his  labors 
have  been  most  effective  and  beneficial  in 
promoting  farming  and  stockraising  interests 
throughout  the  state  as  well  as  in  this  im- 
mediate community.  While  serving  as  a 
member  of  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture, 
he  advocated  the  subject  and  brought  before 
the  board  the  idea  of  locating  the  State  Fair 
permanently,  instead  of  having  it  "on 
wheels, "  as  had  been  the  case.  At  the  time 
the  improvements  were  made  at  the  fair 
grounds  at  Springfield,  Mr.  Chester  was  a 
member  of  the  committee  on  the  improve- 
ment of  the  grounds,  and  that  in  which  he 
takes  the  most  pride  was  in  the  securing  of 
the  dome  of  the  horticultural  building  of  the 
World's  Fair  and  which  was  brought  to 


Springfield.  The  building  known  as  the 
Dome  building  on  the  fair  grounds  is  used 
for  the  exhibition  of  all  agricultural  products. 
The  fair  grounds  at  Springfield  are  admitted 
to  be  the  finest  of  their  kind  in  the  world, 
and  much  of  the  credit  is  due  to  Mr.  Ches- 
ter. He  was  the  first  person  named  to 
serve  as  a  director  of  the  Illinois  experiment 
station  and  held  that  office  nine  years,  serv- 
ing on  the  advisory  board  having  in  charge 
the  management  and  planning  of  the  work,  so 
that  he  was  closely  identified  with  the  sta- 
tion throughout  that  period. 

At  an  early  day,  at  an  annual  meeting 
held  for  the  purpose  of  discussing  the  inter- 
ests of  the  county  agricultural  fair  a  prop- 
osition was  made  to  discontinue  the  Cham- 
paign county  fair,  Mr.  Chester  made  his 
maiden  speech,  saying,  among  other  things, 
that  it  was  a  burning  disgrace  that  Cham- 
paign county  was  not  able  to  support  a  cred- 
itable agricultural  fair,  when  a  nickel  frorn^ 
each  inhabitant  of  the  county  would  put 
the  association  upon  its  feet.  His  speech 
was  immediately  followed  by  a  resolution 
that  ' '  Whereas,  Mr.  E.  E.  Chester  is  the  only 
hopeful  man  in  the  county:  Resolved, that  he 
be  made  president  and  instructed  to  find  the 
nickel."  He  was  elected  and  took  the  chair. 

The  grounds  formerly  used  by  the  asso- 
ciation were  in  bad  condition  and  there  was 
an  indebtedness  of  over  seven  thousand  dol- 
lars. Great,  indeed,  was  the  contrast  when 
Mr.  Chester  resigned  the  office  twenty-two 
years  later.  The  debts  were  all*  paid,  an 
equal  amount  had  been  spent  in  improve- 
ments, three  thousand  dollars  had  been 
loaned  on  farm  mortgages  and  there'  was  a 
surplus  of  twelve  hundred  dollars  in  the 
bank.  Mr.  Chester  had  indeed  obeyed  in- 
structions and  "found  the  nickel."  He 
made  the  annual  fairs  events  of  great  im- 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


55' 


portance  and  largely  stimulated  the  farmers 
to  produce  the  best  kinds  of  vegetables  and 
grains  and  to  raise  stock  of  high  grades. 

Along  other  lines  Mr.  Chester  also 
labored  for  the  promotion  of  the  agricult- 
ural interests  of  the  state.  For  four  years 
he  was  chairman  of  a  committee  of  three 
who  had  charge  of  the  Farmers'  Institute 
work  throughout  Illinois  and  in  the  discharge 
of  his  duties  he  traveled  all  over  the  state, 
his  enlarged  and  progressive  views  on  farm- 
ing and  stock-raising  having  a  marked  in- 
fluence on  those  departments  of  labor.  He 
gave  the  greater  portion  of  his  time  to  his 
committee  work  during  the  winter  months, 
and  held  institutes  throughout  the  state. 
He  discussed  the  best  methods  of  raising 
live  stock,  and  questions  of  farming  econo- 
my and  delivered  many  lectures  touching 
upon  the  practical  side  of  farm  work.  His 
efforts  have  been  untiring  in  behalf  of  the 
gxeat  department  of  labor  of  which  he  was 
so  long  an  active  representative.  He  not 
only  believes  in  the  practical  work  of  the 
farm,  but  in  the  improvement  along  other 
lines,  and  to  this  end  he  encouraged  spelling 
and  singing  schools  in  order  that  the  young 
people  might  have  their  time  pleasantly  and 
profitably  occupied.  He  was  also  instru- 
mental in  forming  farmers'  clubs,  which 
continued  in  existence  for  many  years,  much 
to  the  benefit  of  the  communities  in  which 
they  were  located.  Professor  Morrow  has 
said:  "Mr.  Chester  has  done  more  with- 
out hope  of  compensation  for  the  improve- 
ment of  the  agricultural  interests  than  any 
other  man  in  Champaign  county."  At  the 
present  time  he  is  vice-president  of  the 
National  Horse  Breeders'  Association,  with 
which  he  has  been  connected  since  its  organi- 
zation. He  is  also  one  of  the  executive  com- 
mittee of  the  Illinois  Live  Stock  Breeders' 


Association,  and  president  of  the  Champaign 
County  Percheron  Horse  Association. 

Mr.  Chester's  work  in  connection  with  the 
World's  Columbian  Exposition  brought  him 
wide  fame.  He  was  made  chairman  of  the 
educational  committee  for  Illinois,  and  it  is 
now  a  matter  of  history  that  the  committee 
prepared  the  most  complete  and  splendid 
exhibition  of  the  kind  ever  seen  at  a  World's 
Fair.  He  was  also  special  director  of  the 
agricultural  exhibit,  and  divided  his  time  be- 
tween the  two  lines  of  duty.  How  splen- 
didly he  accomplished  the  work  is  now  well 
known.  For  more  than  two  years  he  gave 
his  time  entirely  to  this  work,  remaining  in 
Chicago  during  much  of  that  period  in  order 
to  more  closely  direct  the  labor  of  collect- 
ing and  preparing  material.  During  the 
first  month  or  more  the  different  educational 
institutions  endeavored  to  see  how  much 
money  they  could  secure,  and  then  they 
settled  down  to  the  hard  monotonous  work. 
In  his  reports  Mr.  Chester  has  been  very 
conscientious  in  giving  to  each  department 
and  person  the  credit  due  them,  and  in  his 
official  report  to  the  governor  said:  "  The 
preparation  of  this  great  exhibit  (educa- 
tional) required  and  received  an  immense 
amount  of  thoughtful  planning  and  self-im- 
posed labor  on  the  part  pf  the  professors  of 
the  University  of  the  State  and  their  assist- 
ants, all  of  whom,  however,  cheerfully  made 
the  contribution  to  the  successful  result." 
A  special  committee  of  the  faculties  ap- 
pointed for  the  purpose  had  a  very  large 
share  in  the  labor,  and,  Mr.  Chester  says, 
should  share  in  the  credit.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  committee,  that  built  up  the  re- 
lief maps  of  Illinois. 

It  was  the  plan  of  the  educational  com- 
mittee to  illustrate  the  work  of  the  schools 
of  all  grades  from  the  small  country  schools 


552 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


up  to  the  best  city  schools.  As  chairman 
of  the  committee  -Mr.  Chester  was  allowed 
to  have  Champaign  county  represented  and 
Mr.  Shawham  selected  the  school  on  Mr. 
Chester's  farm.  There  was  an  appropria- 
tion of  eight  hundred  thousand  dollars  made 
for  the  various  exhibits  of  the  state  and  the' 
various  commissioners  so  carefully  managed 
the  expenditures  that  forty  thousand  dollars 
were  returned  to  the  state.  His  work  in 
connection  with  the  agricultural  exhibit  was 
no  less  creditable.  Under  his  direction  were 
gathered  much  of  the  grain  and  material  for 
the  picture  that  attracted  so  much  atten- 
tion,— a  model  farm  made  of  grains  and 
grasses,  which  "attracted  more  attention 
than  any  one  thing."  His  work  in  this  con- 
nection brought  him  into  contact  with  the 
celebrities  from  all  over  the  world,  from  the 
leading  men  of  central  Africa  to  the  -presi- 
dent at  Washington.  One  of  the  most 
memorable  incidents  of  his  connection  with 
the  Fair  was  his  meeting  with  the  repre- 
sentatives from  the  Orange  Free  State,  who 
wanted  to  know  what  we  did  with  all  our 
corn.  Mr.  Chester  answered  that  we  man- 
ufacture it  into  beef,  pork,  mutton  and  wool 
and  sent  it  all  over  the  world.  This  was  a 
new  idea  to  the  questioner,  who  before  had 
always  been  accustomed  to  the  idea  of  pro- 
ducing corn  simply  for  sale.  An  appropri- 
ation of  forty  thousand  dollars  was  made  to 
encourage  exhibitors  of  improved  breeds  of 
live  stock  in  Illinois,  and  Mr.  Chester,  as 
one  of  the  commissioners  having  that  in 
charge,  was  careful  that  the  expenditures 
should  not  go  over  the  appropriation  one 
cent,  and  in  fact  returned  three  dollars  and 
ninety-seven  cents  of  it  to  the  state  treas- 
ury, after  paying  heavily  for  all  live  stock 
exhibited  by  men  of  Illinois, — one  hundred 
and  sixty  dollars  for  each  horse  and  forty 


dollars  for  each  cow.  His  service  in  con- 
nection with  the  establishment  of  the  Ex- 
position was  most  commendable  and  credit- 
able, and  his  record  was  at  all  times  unas- 
sailable and  free  from  criticism. 

Mr.  Chester  continued  a  member  of  the 
State  Board  of  Agriculture  until  January  I, 
1896,  having  been  first  elected  in  1882— 
and  since  that  time  has  been  for  four  years 
supervisor  of  his  township  and  most  of 
the  time  chairman  of  the  committee  on 
bridges,  in  which  capacity  he  supervised 
the  building  of  forty-two  bridges  for  the 
county.  He  is  now  serving  another  term 
upon  the  board,  having  been  re-elected  in 
April,  1900.  As  a  member  of  the  board  he 
labored  earnestly  and  untiringly  in  behalf 
of  the  Cunningham  Deaconess  &  Orphans' 
Home  and  the  Julia  F.  Burnham  Hospital, 
and  after  a  hard  struggle  succeeded  in 
getting  the  good  will  of  the  board  for  both 
institutions  so  that  they  became  patrons  of 
the  same.  For  two  years  he  filled  the 
office  of  mayor  of  Champaign,  and  his  ad- 
ministration was  characterized  by  execu- 
tive ability  and  purity.  The  city  was  bank- 
rupt when  he  took  the  office,  and  his  chief 
object  was  to  place  it  on  a  creditable 
financial  basis,  reducing  the  indebtedness  to 
a  legal  basis.  His  labors  were  not  only 
effective  in  that  direction,  but  marked  im- 
provements were  also  made.  Plans  were 
made  for  twenty-two  miles  of  sewerage  and 
a  part  of  the  work  was  carriedout.  Crime 
and  lawlessness  were  largely  quelled  and 
the  city  was  rid  of  many  of  its  desperate 
characters.  More  men  and  women  were 
sent  to  the  penitentiary  during  his  adminis- 
tration than  during  the  terms  of  the  five 
previous  mayors,  and  thus  it  became  safe 
for  the  wives  and  daughters  to  appear  upon 
the  streets  without  fear  of  being  molested. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


553 


On  the  25th  of  February,  1864,  Mr. 
Chester  was  united  in  marriage  to  Marga- 
ret E.  Powell,  of  Columbus,  Ohio,  and  they 
have  nine  children:  Thaddeus.  who  oper- 
ated the  home  farm;  D.  H.,  who  was  edu- 
cated in  the  University  and  now  has  a 
prominent  position  with  the  Worthington 
Hydraulic  Company  at  Pittsburg,  Pennsyl- 
vania; Henry  E.,  who  was  educated  in  the 
University,  and  is  now  living  at  home  en- 
gaged in  the  mercantile  business;  Mary  and 
Florence,  who  were  also  students  in  the 
University;  Guy  J.,  who  is  with  the  Cen- 
tral Union  Telephone  Company,  of  Chi- 
cago, and  chief  draftsman  in  the  construc- 
tion department;  Margaret  B.,  who  is  now 
a  student  in  the  University;  Anna,  who  is 
attending  the  high  school;  and  Edward  E., 
who  completes  the  family.  The  parents 
are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church, 
and  Mr.  Chester  is  a  member  of  the  board 
of  trustees  and  for  a  number  of  years  was 
superintendent  of  the  Sunday  school  of  the 
Prairie  View  Presbyterian  church.  He  is 
devoted  to  the  interests  of  his  family  and  it 
seems  that  he  cannot  do  too  much  to  en- 
hance their  welfare  and  happiness.  In  all 
the  years  that  have  passed,  Mrs.  Chester 
as  been  truly  the  helpmeet  of  her  husband 
and  to  her  watchful  care  and  advice  much 
of  his  success  in  life  is  due. 

In  the  days  of  his  early  residence  in  the 
county  he  suffered  heavy  losses  through 
fire,  the  death  of  his  horses  and  through  a 
storm  which  destroyed  his  crops,  and  for 
six  months  thereafter  he  had  only  a  ten 
dollar  bill.  He  lived  on  this,  incurring  an 
indebtedness  of  only  three  dollars  and  a 
half  in  that  time.  When  we  stop  to  con- 
sider this  and  contrast  it  with  his  present 
financial  condition  his  success  seems  amost 
marvelous,  but  it  is  the  outcome  of  his  own 


efforts.  Steadily  pursuing  his  way,  unde- 
terred by  the  obstacles  and  difficulties  in 
his  path,  he  has  achieved  marked  prosper- 
ity, yet  has  never  allowed  the  acquisition  of 
wealth  to  warp  his  kindly  nature.  He  is  a 
man  of  broad  humanitarian  principles,  is 
very  charitable  in  his  opinions  and  benevo- 
lent in  his  giving;  and  in  manner  he  is 
pleasant,  genial  and  very  approachable. 
He  inspires  personal  friendships  of  unusual 
strength,  and  all  who  know  him  have  the 
highest  admiration  for  his  good  qualities  of 
heart  and  mind. 


r>ETER  WILLIAMSON,  numbered 
1  among  the  substantial  citizens  of 
Mahomet,  Champaign  county,  is  a  native  of 
Mason  county,  Kentucky,  his  birth  having 
occurred  June  12,  1837.  His  father,  Mahlon 
Williamson  was  born  near  Trenton,  New 
Jersey,  July  15,  1799,  and  was  a  son  of 
Peter  Williamson,  who  was  a  native  of  Ger- 
many, and  at  an  early  day  settled  in  this 
country,  becoming  the  proprietor  of  one  of 
the  old-style  taverns,  this  particular  one  being 
located  between  Trenton  and  New  Bruns- 
wick. 

Mahlon  Williamson  learned  the  miller's 
trade  in  his  native  state,  and  in  early  man- 
hood went  to  Mason  county,  Kentucky, 
where  he  engaged  in  milling  on  the  north 
fork  of  the  Licking  river  until  shortly  before 
his  death.  He  chose  for  a  wife  Margaret 
Stout,  their  marriage  taking  place  July  25, 
1822.  She  was  born  in  that  county,  April 
23,  1800,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Albert 
Stout, one  of  the  first  settlers  of  that  section. 
Her  death  occurred  January  6,  1861,  and  ten 
years  later,  October  9,  1871',  the  husband 
and  father  died  while  visiting  one  of  his  chil- 
dren at  Moberly,  Missouri. 


554 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Mahlon  and  Margaret  Williamson  were 
the  parents  of  nine  children,  the  eldest  of 
whom  was  Zebulon  S.,  who  lived  and  died 
at  the  old  Mason  county  homestead;  Charity 
E.  became  the  wife  of  John  Lee,  and  re- 
moving to  Henry  county,  Iowa,  passed  the 
the  remainder  of  her  life  there;  Thomas  J. 
is  a  farmer  of  Randolph  county,  Missouri; 
Louisa  A.  is  the  wife  of  Albert  Dixon,  of 
Waverley,  Missouri;  Mrs.  Margaret  D. 
Morse,  a  widow,  lives  in  Mahomet;  Huldah 
S.  died  at  Moberly;  Cinderella  died  in  child- 
hood; and  Osa  married  Jasper  Calvert,  of 
Mason  county,  Kentucky. 

Peter  Williamson  had  very  little  educa- 
tional advantages  in  his  youth,  and  for  six 
years  he  worked  at  the  milling  business  with 
his  father.  After  his  marriage  he  moved  to 
Illinois,  where  he  obtained  his  first  expe- 
rience in  agriculture.  For  nine  years  he 
cultivated  rented  land  and  then,  buying  a 
residence  in  the  village  of  Mahomet,  he 
turned  his  attention  to  the  task'of  moving 
buildings,  and  soon  found  his  time  fully  oc- 
cupied. He  became  an  expert  at  the  busi- 
ness, and  has  orders  from  all  parts  of  this 
and  adjoining  counties.  On  the  three-quar- 
ters of  an  acre  of  his  home  place  he  built  a 
large  modern  house  and  made  many  other 
substantial  improvements,  and  on  another 
tract  of  five  acres  he  erected  a  substantial 
residence  which  he  rents.  Good  business 
foresight  and  enterprise  have  characterized 
all  of  his  dealings,  and  to-day  he  is  well-to- 
do  and  prosperous. 

Mr.  Williamson  and  Armena  Bell  were 
united  in  marriage  September  18,  1860, 
the  ceremony  being  performed  by  old 
Squire  Shelton.  She  was  born  in  Fleming 
county,  Kentucky,  a  daughter  of  Solomon 
Bell,  also  of  that  state.  To  the  union  of 
our  subject  and  wife  four  children  were 


born,  one  of  the  number,  John,  dying  in 
infancy.  Charles  H.  is  married  and  lives 
in  Mahomet,  and  James,  •  also  married, 
makes  his  home  in  Chichaska,  Indian  Terri- 
tory. Maggie  Z.,  who  received  an  excel- 
lent education  in  Mahomet  and  Dickson, 
has  been  engaged  in  teaching  for  the  past 
five  years  in  this  county. 

Politically,  Mr.  Williamson  has  been  a 
stanch  Democrat  in  national  elections, 
while  in  local  affairs,  he  is  independent  of 
party  lines,  supporting  the  best  man.  In 
1867  he  joined  the  Odd  Fellows  Society  at 
Champaign,  and  is  a  charter  member  of 
the  Mahomet  lodge,  where  he  has  served  for 
several  years  as  treasurer.  In  religious 
faith  he  is  a  Seventh  Day  Adventist,  but  at- 
tends the  Baptist  church  with  his  wife,  who 
is  identified  with  that  denomination.  His 
record  is  unblemished,  and  to  his  children 
he  will  leave  the  heritage  of  an  unsullied 
name  and  of  duties  conscientiously  per- 
formed. 


HENRY  BURNEY  SHEPHERD,  a  well- 
known  farmer  and  stock  raiser  residing 
on  section  n,  Brown  township,  Champaign 
county,  Illinois,  five  miles  south  of  Gibson, 
owns  and  successfully  operates  a  fine  farm 
of  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land. 
Naturally  energetic  and  of  more  than  or- 
dinary business  capacity,  he  has  been  ex- 
tremely fortunate  in  his  labors  and  invest- 
ments, and  seems  especially  adapted  to  the 
business  which  he  follows. 

Mr.  Shepherd  was  born  in  Adams  coun- 
ty, Ohio,  March  21,  1841,  and  is  a  son  of 
Johnson  Shepherd,  a  native  of  Brown  coun- 
ty, that  state.  His  'grandfather,  Jacob 
Shepherd,  was  born  in  Frankfort,  Kentucky, 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


555 


and  was  a  son  of  Isaac  Shepherd,  who  was 
born  in  Shepherdstown,  Virginia.  From, 
his  native  state  Jacob  Shepherd  moved  to 
Brown  county,  Ohio,  where  he  opened  up  a 
farm  of  three  thousand  acres.  There  the 
father  of  our  subject  grew  to  manhood  and 
learned  the  tanner's  trade  with  Jesse  Grant, 
father  of  the  General.  He  continued  to 
follow  that  occupation  for  some  years.  He 
first  married  Malinda  Livingston,  and  in 
1833  Amoved  to  Putnam  county,  Illinois, 
where  his  wife  died.  Returning  to  Ohio  he 
married  Miss  Mary  Henry,  the  mother  of 
our  subject,  and  in  the  fall  of  1861  again 
took  up  his  residence  in  Putnam  county, 
Illinois,  where  he  made  his  home  for  about 
nine  years.  He  moved  to  Livingston  county 
in  1869,  and  spent  his  last  years  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Chatsworth,  where  he  died  August 
4,  1874.  His  wife  died  in  1883  and  both 
•were  laid  to  rest  in  the  Chatsworth  ceme- 
tery. 

In  the  county  of  his  nativity  Henry  B. 
Shepherd  passed  his  boyhood  and  youth,  re- 
ceiving but  a  limited  education.  In  1861 
he  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  re- 
moval to  Putnam  county,  Illinois,  and  be- 
ing the  youngest  son  he  remained  at  home 
and  took  charge  of  the  farm.  His  first  pur- 
chase of  land  consisted  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  wild  prairie  in  Livingston 
county,  which  he  broke,  fenced  and  im- 
proved by  planting  fruit  and  shade  trees 
and  erecting  buildings  there.  He  laid  the 
first  tile  in  Chatsworth  township,  and  con- 
tinued the  cultivation  of  his  land  until  1890, 
when  he  sold  the  place  and  removed  to  the 
village  of  Chatsworth,  where  he  spent  three 
years  engaged  in  breeding  and  dealing  in 
roadsters  and  trotting  horses.  Prior  to  this 
time,  in  1888,  he  purchased  his  present  farm 
on  section  11,  Brown  township,  Champaign 


county,  but  did  not  locate  thereon  until 
1893,  since  which  time  he  has  devoted  his 
energies  to  its  further  improvement  and 
cultivation.  He  has  built  a  large  and  sub- 
stantial barn  and  good  outbuildings,  and  ex- 
pects, in  1900,  to  erect  a  more  modern  and 
commodious  residence  upon  the  place.  He 
has  planted  a  pear  and  plum  orchard,  be- 
sides other  fruit,  and  now  has  a  very  valu- 
able and  productive  farm,  well  tilled  and 
neatly  fenced. 

On  the  2Oth  of  March,  1866,  in  Livings- 
ton county,  Mr.  Shepherd  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Hannah  Husted,  who 
was  born  near  Brookville,  Indiana.  Her 
father,  William  Husted,  was  a  native  of  New 
Jersey  and  a  sailor  before  the  mast  from  the 
age  of  sixteen  to  thirty-two.  On  leaving 
the  sea,  he  removed  to  Indiana,  where  he 
married  and  engaged  in  farming  for  some 
years,  but  later  made  his  home  in  Putnam 
county,  Illinois.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shepherd 
have  seven  children  living:  Mauriel  K.,  who 
is  engaged  in  dressmaking  in  Fisher;  Mary 
A.,  wife  of  S.  W.  Davis,  of  Livingston  coun- 
ty; Ethelyn  O.,  Millie  T.,  Sigmund  C., 
Jacob  H.  and  Bernice,  all  at  home.  They 
have  also  lost  two  children:  Lillian,  who 
died  in  infancy;  and  LyleJ.,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  five  years. 

Politically  Mr.  Shepherd  has  been  a 
stanch  Republican  since  casting  his  first 
presidential  vote  for  U.  S.  Grant  in  1868, 
and  has  served  as  a  delegate  to  numerous 
conventions.  He  is  a  friend  of  education 
and  public  schools,  and  has  been  an  efficient 
member  of  the  school  board  twenty-five 
years,  and  is  now  president  of  the  district. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias 
Lodge  of  Chatsworth,  in  which  he  has  filled 
office,  and  in  religious  belief  is  a  Universal- 
ist,  though,  with  his  wife,  he  attended  the 


556 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Presbyterian  church,  of  which  she  is  a  mem- 
ber. During  their  residence  in  Champaign 
county  they  have  made  many  warm  friends, 
and  wherever  known  are  held  in  high  regard. 


WILLIAM  H.  SWAYZE,  an  honored 
veteran  of  the  Civil  war  and  a  repre- 
sentative farmer  of  Champaign  county,  re- 
siding on  section  I,  Newcomb  township, 
one  mile  from  Fisher,  was  born  in  Wyandot 
county,  Ohio,  June  28,  1840,  and  is  a  son 
of  Bescherer  Swayze,  who  was  born  in  New 
Jersey,  in  1812.  The  grandfather,  James 
Swayze,  one  of  the  Revolutionary  heroes, 
was  also  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  and  a  rep- 
resentative of  one  of  the  old  families  of  that 
state.  About  1832  the  father  left  his  na- 
tive state  and  removed  to  Wyandot  county, 
Ohio,  opening  up  a  farmon  Sandusky  Plains. 
There  he  married  Matilda  Hunt,  a  native  of 
that  county  and  a  daughter  of  William 
Hunt,  who  was  born  in  Virginia  and  set- 
tled in  Wyandot  county,  Ohio,  at  an  early 
day  in  its  development.  After  his  marriage, 
Mr.  Swayze  continued  the  operation  of  his 
farm  in  the  Buckeye  state  for  a  number  of 
years,  but  in  1863  sold  his  property  there 
and  came  to  Champaign  county,  Illinois, 
buying  a  farm  in  East  Bend  township,  to 
the  cultivation  and  improvement  of  which 
he  devoted  his  time  and  attention  until 
called  from  this  life  in  1867.  His  wife  sur- 
vived him  several  years,  dying  in  1885.  In 
their  family  were  ten  children,  of  whom 
four  sons  and  four  daughters  reached  ma- 
turity, but  only  two  sons  and  two  daughters 
are  now  living,  namely:  John,  a  resident 
of  Ford  county,  Kansas;  William  H.,  our 
subject;  Mrs.  Nancy  Rollings  and  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  Matheny,  both  residents  of  Ran- 
toul,  Illinois. 


In  the  county  of  his  nativity  William 
H.  Swayze  grew  to  manhood,  and  as  his 
school  privileges  were  limited  he  is  almost 
wholly  self-educated.  He  aided  in  the  op- 
eration of  the  home  farm  until  the  Civil 
war  broke  out,  when  he  responded  to  his 
country's  call  by  enlisting,  August  17,  1861, 
for  three  years  or  during  the  war,  in  the 
Eleventh  Ohio  Battery — an  independent 
organization,  which  was  assigned  to  the 
Western  army  and  served  wherever  needed. 
He  participated  in  the  battles  of  luka,  Cor- 
inth and  Shiloh;  was  all  through  the  Vicks- 
burg  campaign,  and  took  part  in  the  battles 
of  Little  Rock  and  Pine  Bluff,  remaining  at 
the  latter  place  until  his  term  of  enlistment 
expired.  He  was  never  wounded  and  lost 
no  time  from  sickness.  He  was  mus- 
tered out  and  honorably  discharged  at 
Columbus,  Ohio,  November  24,  1864. 

Mr.  Swayze  then  joined  his  parents  in 
Champaign  county,  Illinois,  whither  they 
had  removed  during  his  absence,  and  he 
carried  on  the  home  farm  until  after  his 
father's  death.  He  and  a  younger  brother 
then  purchased  the  interest  of  the  other 
heirs  in  the  place  and  operated  it  together 
for  a  few  years.  After  his  marriage  the 
property  was  divided,  and  he  continued  the 
cultivation  and  improvement  of  his  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  until  1892,  when  he 
sold  out  and  bought  a  farm  of  similar  size 
on  section  I,  Newcomb  township,  where  he 
has  since  made  his  home.  He  now  has  a 
fine  young  orchard,  has  built  a  large  and 
substantial  residence  and  good  outbuildings, 
and  made  many  other  improvements  which 
enhance  the  value  of  the  place  and  add 
to  its  beauty. 

In  Champaign  county,  September  15. 
1870,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of  Mr. 
Swayze  and  Miss  Mary  Frances  Mcjilton,  a 


BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


557 


native  of  Woodford  county,  Illinois;  and  to 
them  have  been  born  ten  children,  namely: 
Delia,  now  the  wife  of  Frank  Boyd,  a  farmer 
of  Champaign  county;  Barbara,  wife  of 
Frank  Allison,  of  Nevada,  Story  county, 
Iowa;  Jay  T.,  who  is  engaged  in  farming 
near  Dewey;  Lora,  wife  of  John  Henson,  of 
West  Baden,  Indiana;  Nira,  Myrtle,  Eliza- 
beth, Ada,  Alma  and  Roy,  all  at  home. 

Politically  Mr.  Swayze  is  a  stanch  sup- 
porter of  the  men  and  measures  of  the  Re- 
publican party,  and  has  served  as  delegate 
to  numerous  county  conventions.  He  has 
rilled  the  office  of  road  commissioner  for 
four  terms,  and  has  been  a  member  of  the 
school  board  thirty  years,  serving  as  district 
clerk  nearly  all  of  that  time.  He  is  an  hon- 
ored member  of  the  Odd  Fellows  Lodge  at 
Fisher,  in  which  he  has  passed  all  the  chairs, 
and  is  now  past  grand,  and  he  has  also 
represented  the  lodge  in  the  grand  lodge  of 
the  state.  He  is  also  a  prominent  member 
and  past  commander  of  Dewey  Post,  G.  A. 
R.,  and  both  he  and  his  wife  hold  member- 
ship in  the  Christian  church,  with  which  he 
is  officially  connected.  He  never  withholds 
his  support  from  any  enterprise  calculated 
to  advance  the  moral, intellectual  or  material 
welfare  of  his  township  and  county,  and  is 
as  true  to  his  duties  of  citizenship  in  days  of 
peace  as  in  time  of  war. 


FREDERICK  J.  BARBER,  who  owns 
and  operates  a  well  improved  farm  in 
section  35,  Mahomet  township,  Champaign 
county,  is  one  of  the  wide-awake,  ambitious 
agriculturists  of  this  locality,  and  stands 
high  in  the  regard  of  all  who  know  him.  He 
possesses  many  of  tlje  sterling  traits  of 
character  of  his  English  ancestors  and  the 

29 


same  practical  views  on  farming  and  stock- 
raising  that  his  father  has  always  maintained. 
The  latter,  Benjamin  Barber,  now  residing 
with  our  subject,  was  born  in  Norfolk,  Eng- 
land, June,  1818.  He  passed  his  youth  and 
early  manhood  in  his  native  land,  and  there 
married  Eliza  Bowers.  In  1853  they 
crossed  the  ocean  to  the  United  States,  and 
at  first  dwelt  in  Ohio,  whence  they  came  to 
Champaign  county  in  1858.  Buying  land 
here,  Mr.  Barber  energetically  engaged  in 
its  cultivation  and  improvement  until  old 
age  crept  on  apace. 

On  the  old  home  place  in  this  county 
the  birth  of  Frederick  J.  Barber  occurred, 
October  2,  1861,  and  when  he  was  old 
enough  to  be  of  service  in  the  general  work 
of  the  farm  he  commenced  laying  the  foun- 
dations of  his  knowledge  as  a  practical  man 
of  affairs.  His  first  purchase  of  land  was  in 
1887,  when  he  bought  forty  acres,  the  tract 
near  his  present  homestead.  Later  he  pur- 
chased another  tract  of  forty  acres.  After 
spending  six  years  or  more  in  the  culti- 
vation and  improvement  of  the  place  he 
sold  it,  and  in  its  stead  bought  the  quarter 
section  of  land  included  in  his  fine  place  in 
section  35,  paying  for  this  '  eighty-one  dol- 
lars and  a  quarter  an  acre.  By  tiling  and 
other  improvements  he  has  greatly  increased 
the  beauty  and  value  of  the  farm,  and  in 
addition  to  raising  the  usual  line  of  cereals 
and  crops  in  general,  he  had  raised  and  fed 
live  stock  to  some  extent.  In  1881  he 
bought  a  steam  thresher,  and  about  the 
same  time  he  became  the  owner  of  one  of 
the  first  twine  binders  ever  introduced  into 
Champaign.  Since  then  he  purchased  a 
corn  sheller,  and,  during  the  season  finds 
plenty  of  work  to  do  in  his  neighborhood, 
of  late  years  hiring  a  man  to  run  the  ma- 
chines. A  natural  mechanic,  Mr.  Barber 


558 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


does  all  of  his  blacksrnithing  and  repairing 
in  a  small  shop  which  he  has  made  upon  his 
farm,  and  by  his  systematic  methods  he 
manages  to  accomplish  a  vast  amount  of 
work.  He  has  accumulated  a  large  fortune 
for  one  of  his  age  and  occupation,  and  at 
the  same  time  he  has  won  a  well  deserved 
reputation  for  rectitude  and  fair  dealing 
with  everyone. 

On  Christmas  Day,  1883,  the  marriage 
of  F.  J.  Barber  and  Dora -Wright  was  cele- 
brated. Her  father,  Joseph  Wright,  was 
one  of  the  early  settlers  of  this  county,  and 
she  was  born  in  Mahomet  township.  Six 
children  bless  the  happy  home  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Barber,  namely:  Jesse,  Orville,  Bertie, 
Frank,  Mabel  and  Etta. 

In  political  matters  Mr.  Barber  has 
reserved  the  right  of  independent  choice, 
and  never  has  attached  himself  to  any  party 
organization,  and  in  local  affairs  he  has 
steadily  declined  to  enter  into  the  political 
arena  or  to  accept  office.  Fraternally,  he 
is  a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America,  belonging  to  the  Mahomet  lodge. 


JAMES  I.  RICHARDSON,  the  proprie- 
tor of  a  model  country  home  and  many 
broad  and  fertile  acres  in  Tolono  township, 
Champaign  county,  has  just  cause  for  pride 
in  the  success  which  he  has  achieved  by  his 
industry  and  genius,  within  a  comparatively 
short  period  of  time.  In  every  point  of  view 
he  is  a  reliable  citizen,  always  using  his 
influence  in  the  advancement  of  his  county 
and  community,  and  all  who  have  the  pleas- 
ure of  his  acquaintance  speak  of  him  only 
in  the  highest  terms. 

In  tracing  his  history  it  is  found  that  he 
is  one  of  the  native  born  sons  of  Illinois,  his 


birth  having  occurred  in  Morgan  county, 
March  13,  1854.  His  parents,  Vincent  S. 
and  Lydia  (Rawlings)  Richardson,  were 
natives  of  Yorkshire,  England,  where  they 
were  married.  The  father,  who  was  born 
May  9,  1806,  was  somewhat  ambitious,  and 
believing  that  America  offered  better 
opportunities  to  a  young  man,  crossed  the 
ocean,  and  came  to  Illinois,  with  a  view  to 
making  a  permanent  home  here.  He 
arrived  in  Chicago  in  1830,  when  it  con- 
sisted only  a  few  cabins,  and  for  a  short 
time  he  worked  at  the  business  of  shaving 
clapboards  by  hand,  these  to  be  used  in 
buildings.  Locating  in  Morgan  county,  he 
entered  a  quarter  section  of  land  in  his  own 
name  and  three  hundred  and  twenty  atres 
in  the  name  of  his  father,  John  Richardson, 
who  also  desired  to  try  his  fortunes  in  this 
country.  Returning  to  England,  Vincent 
Richardson  arranged  his  affairs  there,  and 
with  his  father  and  family  sailed  for  these 
hospitable  shore*,  where  they  arrived  after 
a  tedious  journey,  the  entire  trip  from  Eng- 
land to  Morgan  county  consuming  fifteen 
weeks.  A  hard  task  was  before  them,  for 
their  land  was  the  wild,  unbroken  prairie, 
and  for  many  years  they  fought  gallantly  to 
reduce  it  to  cultivation,  and  erected  build- 
ings, planted  trees  and  made  other  improve- 
ments. The  father,  John  Richardson,  died 
a  few  years  after  locating  here,  and  only 
one  of  his  eight  children  survives,  Mrs. 
Rachel  Hembrough,  whose  home  is  near 
Jacksonville,  Morgan  county.  Vincent  S. 
Richardson  reared  several  sons  to  be  pros- 
perous, useful  citizens,  and  to  them  he 
left  the  legacy  of  an  umblemished  record. 
He  was  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  held 
many  minor  township  offices  to  the  satisfac- 
tion of  all  concerned.  His  wife  departed 
this  life  in  1865,  when  she  was  in  her  fifty- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


559 


fifth  year.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  in 
1896,  he  lacked  but  a  few  days  of  being 
ninety  years  old.  He  had  been  an  active 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
for  years  and  had  served  as  a  trustee. 

Of  the  nine  children  born  to  Vincent  S. 
and  Lydia  Richardson,  two  died  in  infancy: 
John  W.  is  a  well  known  and  prosperous 
farmer  of  Morgan  county;  Mary  A.  is  the 
wife  of  Robert  Riley,  a  farmer;  William 
resides  east  of  Jacksonville;  Elizabeth  W., 
deceased,  was  the  wife  of  Charles  Lazenby; 
George  S.  resides  west  of  Jacksonville,  in 
Morgan  county;  Vincent,  Jr.,  is  a  farmer  in 
the  same  county,  and  James  I.  is  the  gentle- 
man of  whom  this  sketch  is  penned. 

He  received  a  common-school  education 
in  his  native  county,  and  until  he  attained 
his  majority  aided  his  father  in  the  man- 
agement of  the  home  farm.  He  then 
rented  land  and  worked  upon  an  independ- 
ent basis  for  seven  years,  succeeding  in 
acquiring  a  competency.  After  his  mar- 
riage, in  1882.  he  removed  to  Champaign 
county,  where  he  purchased  his  present 
farm  on  section  20,  Tolono  township.  The 
land  was  only  partially  improved,  and  one 
by  one  Mr.  Richardson  supplanted  the  old 
buildings  with  new,  modern  structures. 
The  large,  handsome  residence  and  sub- 
stantial barns  and  cribs  bespeak  the  char- 
acter of  the  thrifty  owner,  and  everything 
about  the  homestead  bears  out  the  favora- 
ble impression  which  the  visitor  has  at  the 
'first  glance.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  rais- 
ing grain  and  live  stock,  and  in  nearly  all 
of  his  transactions  he  has  met  with  de- 
served success. 

In  1879  the  father  of  our  subject  vis- 
ited England,  and  on  his  return  he  was  ac- 
companied by  several  of  his  old  friends  and 
other  acquaintances.  Among  them  was  a 


young  lady,  Jane  A.  Wilson,  daughter  of 
William  and  Frances  (Warriner)  Wilson, 
both  of  whom  are  deceased.  Their  home 
was  in  Starborough,  Yorkshire,  England. 
James  I.  Richardson  and  Miss  Wilson  were 
married  March  15,  1882.  Since  then  she 
has  made  two  trips  to  her  native  land, 
and  since  her  parents'  death  her  sister. 
Sarah  H.,  has  lived  with  her.  Two  of 
their  brothers  reside  in  England.  Seven 
children  have  been  born  to  our  subject  and 
wife,  namely:  Grace  W.,  Vincent  S.  (whose 
birth  occurred  in  England,  while  his  par- 
ents were  visiting  there),  Alma  W. ,  Harry 
J.,  George  A.,  and  two  who  died  in  in- 
fancy. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Richardson  are  members 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Sa- 
dorus,  the  former  being  a  trustee.  Socially, 
he  is  identified  with  Sadorus  Camp,  No. 
3302,  Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  In 
his  political  faith  he  is  a  Republican.  The 
cause  of  education  finds  in  him  a  sincere 
friend,  and  for  thirteen  years  he  has  been 
a  school  director  and  at  present  is  clerk  of 
the  school  board. 


RICHARD.JOHNSTON.  In  tracing  the 
history  of  this  highly  esteemed  citizen 
of  Mahomet  and  honored  citizen  of  the  Civil 
war,  one  is  deeply  impressed  with  the  fact 
that  success  is  a  matter  of  merit,  of  a  wise 
use  of  opportunities,  and  not  dependent 
upon  external  aidsv  and  influences.  The 
prosperity  which  our  subject  enjoys  has 
been  won  by  diligent  and  long  continued  la- 
bor, and  the  obstacles  to  his  success  have 
been  more  formidable  than  those  confront- 
ing most  young  men  upon  beginning  their 
active  career. 


560 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


The  birth  of  Richard  Johnston  occurred 
in  county  Fermagh,  Ireland,  in  1837,  and 
until  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age  he  resided 
in  the  Emerald  Isle,  having  but  limited 
educational  advantages.  Wisely  determin- 
ing then  to  try  his  fortunes  in  America,  he 
took  passage  in  a  ship  bound  for  Montreal, 
and  for  two  years  after  his  arrival  there  he 
worked  for  farmers  in  Canada.  In  1855  he 
came  to  Illinois,  where,  in  1857,  he  was 
joined  by  his  mother,  brothers  John  and 
Robert,  sister  Jane,  now  the  wife  of  Dr. 
Hadden;  sister  Anna,  wife  of  A.  J.  Ham,  of 
Fisher,  and  a  half  brother,  James  Karr. 
John  later  enlisted  in  Company  H,  One 
Hundred  and  Twenty-fifth  Regiment  of  Illi- 
nois Infantry,  and  died  while  confined  in 
Andersonville  prison.  After"  working  for  S. 
C.  Koogler,  of  Slott  township,  for  several 
years,  he  rented  a  farm  in  the  same  town- 
ship, and  had  made  a  fair  start  on  the  high- 
way leading  to  success,  when  the  imperiled 
position  of  his  adopted  country  put  to  rout 
all  personal  plans  and  ambitions. 

In  August,  1862,  Mr.  Johnston  with  his 
brother  mentioned  above  enrolled  them- 
selves as  privates  of  Company  H,  One  Hun- 
dred and  Twenty-fifth  Illinois  Infantry,  and 
soon  were  sent  to  the  front.  Assigned  to 
the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  they  partici- 
pated in  the  battles  of  Perryville,  Chicka- 
mauga,  Mission  Ridge,  Buzzards  Roost  and 
many  other  noted  engagements.  Our  sub- 
ject was  wounded  in  the  fight  at  Kennesaw 
Mountain,  a  bullet  penetrating  his  thigh, 
and  other  shots  also  taking  effect.  He  was 
sent  to  the  hospital  in  the  vicinity,  and  later 
was  conveyed  to  the  one  at  Chattanooga,  and 
finally  Nashville  hospital  No.  2.  When  he 
had  partially  recovered,  he  went  home  on  a 
two  months'  furlough,  and  then  reported  at 
Nashville,  where  he  was  assigned  to  the  vet- 


eran reserve  corps,  and  sent  to  Indianapolis, 
in  which  city  he  was  mustered  out  of  the 
service,  July  5th,  and  was  honorably  dis- 
charged just  a  week  later  at  home.  He  had 
left  his  young  wife  and  all  of  his  business 
enterprises,  and  manfully  devoted  some  of 
the  best  years  of  his  life  to  the  land  of  his 
love  and  devotion,  and  his  record  as  a  sol- 
dier is  of  the  best. 

For  three  or  more  years  after  his  return 
from  southern  battle-fields,  Mr.  Johnston 
rented  farms,  after  which  he  bought  forty 
acres  of  land  in  Mahomet  township.  Here 
he  made  good  improvements,  and,  desiring  a 
larger  farm,  he  later  rented  other  property 
and  finally  sold  his  own  place.  He  then 
invested  in  his  present  fine  homestead  of  one 
hundred  .and  thirty-two  acres,  located  in 
Mahomet  township.  Only  a  few  improve- 
ments had  been  made,  but  he  soon  reduced 
the  place  to  cultivation,  and  in  the  course 
of  time  erected  a  substantial  house  and 
other  buildings  upon  the  place,  besides 
planting  an  orchard,  making  fences  and  in 
numerous  ways  added  to  the  value  of  the 
farm,  which  is  a  model  one  in  every  respect. 
In  1896,  he  leased  the  homestead  and  since 
then  has  been  practically  retired,  making 
Mahomet  his  place  of  abode. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Johnston  and  Miss 
Mary  Mahony,  a  lady  of  Irish  birth,  was 
solemnized  in  Scott  township,  March  28, 
1 86 1.  They  lost  two  children,  George  T. , 
who  died  at  the  age  of  five  years,  and  Ida, 
who  died  when  five  months  old.  Five  chil- 
dren survive  their  devoted  mother,  who  was 
summoned  to  the  better  land,  in  March, 
1888,  and  was  placed  to  rest  in  the  River- 
side cemetery.  Belle  Johnston,  unmar- 
ried, keeps  house  for  her  brother,  Robert 
Grant,  who  is  a  successful  farmer,  now  liv- 
ing upon  the  old  homestead,  and  is  the 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


561 


present  clerk  of  this  township.  \Yilliam 
Ellsworth  is  married  and  resides  in  Mahomet. 
Jennie,  who  was  one  of  the  successful  teach- 
ers of  this  county  prior  to  her  marriage,  is 
the  wife  of  Zena  Keene,  of  Mahomet. 
Alice  May,  the  youngest,  is  a  graduate  of 
the  local  school,  and  is  very  active  in  church 
work,  being  a  member  of  the  choir  and  sec- 
retary of  the  Epworth  League.  With  her 
sisters,  she  is  identified  with  the  Daughters 
of  Rebekah,  and  is  popular  in  local  society. 
Mr.  Johnston  is  a  member  of  the  Odd 
Fellows  order,  as  are  his  sons,  also.  For 
twelve  years  or  more  he  was  quartermaster, 
and  was  commander  of  Scott  Post,  No. 
464,  G.  A.  R.  He  has  voted  for  every  Re- 
publican nominee  for  the  presidency  since 
he  cast  his  first  ballot  for  Lincoln  in  1864, 
when  at  home  upon  his  furlough.  He  was 
elected  and  served  eight  consecutive  years 
as  highway  commissioner,  was  president  of 
the  board  for  two  years  and  now  is  acting 
on  the  village  board.  In  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  he  has  been  very  promi- 
nent, serving  as  a  trustee  and  steward,  and 
at  present  is  a  member  of  the  building  com- 
mittee. 


A  NTHONY  SCHENK.  America  boasts 
J\  no  better,  more  patriotic  citizens  than 
those  children  of  the  German  empire  who 
have  lived  beneath  the  Stars  and  Stripes  for 
a  few  years,  enjoying  and  participating  in 
this  government  "for  the  people,  by  the 
people,"  and  in  the  case  of  the  subject  of 
this  article  this  truth  is  plainly  shown. 
For  more  than  two-score  years  he  has  con- 
stantly given  proofs  of  the  love  and  loyalty 
which  he  gives  to  this,  the  land  of  his  adop- 
tion, and  while  many  ties  of  affection  and 
memory  bind  him  to  his  native  country,  he 


has  never  regretted  his  decision  to  cast  in 
his  lot  with  the  United  States. 

Born  October  28,  1832,  in  Prussia,  Ger- 
many, our  subject  passed  nineteen  years  of 
his  life  there,  in  the  meantime  acquiring  an 
excellent  general  education  in  the  govern- 
ment schools,  and  later  mastering  the  trade 
of  a  molder.  In  1851  he  took  passage  at 
Bremen  in  the  good  ship  Norman,  bound  for 
New  York,  and  after  a  long,  weary  voyage 
of  fifty  days,  during  which  time  some  severe 
storms  were  encountered  and  a  collision 
with  another  ship  was  narrowly  averted,  he 
arrived  at  his  destination  November  10, 
1851,  and  proceeded  up  the  Hudson  river  to 
Albany,  where  he  had  some  German  friends. 
There  he  found  plenty  of  work  at  his  trade, 
as  he  thoroughly  understood  the  business, 
and  being  ambtious  to  succeed,  he  com- 
menced attending  a  night  school,  thereby 
gaining  knowledge  of  the  English  language 
faster  than  he  could  have  done  otherwise. 

In  1854  Mr.  Schenk  went  to  St.  Louis, 
where  he  was  employed  at  his  trade  for 
three  years.  In  1857  he  came  to  Cham- 
paign county,  and  with  the  earnings  which 
he  had  carefully  husbanded  bought  a 
quarter-section  of  land  in  Brown  township. 
This  property  belonged  to  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral Railway,  and  was  in  a  state  of  nature, 
entirely  unimproved.  He  thus  had  a  great 
undertaking  before  him,  but  with  the  pa- 
tience and  perseverance  which  are  char- 
acteristic of  his  countrymen,  he  never 
faltered,  and  in  the  course  of  a  few  years 
the  results  of  his  well  applied  energy  were 
apparent  upon  every  hand.  The  wild 
prairie  had  been  made  to  "blossom  like  the 
rose,"  and  comfortable  buildings  sheltered 
his  live  stock.  Many  improvements  were 
instituted  by  him  at  different  times  and  the 
homestead  constantly  increased  in  value 


562 


THE  BIOGRAHHICAL  RECORD. 


under  his  wise  management.  Buying  addi- 
tional land  after  a  period,  he  thus  increased 
the  boundaries  of  his  farm  to  two  hundred 
and  forty  acres,  and  by  the  proper  use  of 
ditches  and  tiling  he  has  reduced  the  entire 
proderty  to  cultivation. 

On  the  2nd  of  May,  1858,  Mr.  Schenk 
wedded  Mary,  daughter  of  Christian  Free- 
hauf,  natives  of  Prussia,  Germany.  Mrs. 
Schenk  was  eight  years  old  when  she  came 
to  this  country,  and  with  her  father  she 
dwelt  first  in  Peoria  county,  Illinois,  thence 
removed  to  McLean  county,  and  finally  set- 
tled in  Champaign  county.  She  has  nobly 
borne  her  shore  of  the  burdens  incident  to 
pioneer  life,  and  has  been  an  important  fac- 
tor in  her  husband's  success,  as  he  cheerful- 
ly acknowledges.  Of  their  fourteen  chil- 
dren, four  died  in  infancy.  Emma,  wife  of 
George  Hayes,  resides  in  Carroll  county, 
Iowa.  Louise,  wife  of  Frank  Barrett,  lives 
in  Audubon  county,  Iowa.  Clara,  unmar- 
ried and  now  at  home,  has  been  one  of  the 
successful  teachers  of  this  county  for  eleven 
years,  and  three  of  her  sisters  also  were 
teachers  in  former  years.  Catherine,  mar- 
ried Charles  Steele,  of  Wapello  county, 
Iowa.  Adolp,  now  a  resident  of  Blooming- 
ton,  Illinois,  is  married.  Minnie  is  the  wife 
of  Charles  Fairfield,  and  lives  on  our  sub- 
ject's home  farm.  Ella  is  the  wife  of  Allen 
Fairfield.  of  Fisher.  Cleveland  H.  is  the 
youngest  of  the  family.  Miss  Clara  is  iden- 
tified with  the  Methodist  Episcopel  church, 
while  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schenk  are  members  of 
the  Christian  church. 

In  1860  our  subject  cast  his  first  presi- 
dential ballot  for  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  at  the 
first  election  held  in  Brown  township,  and 
from  that  time  to  the  present  he  has  used 
his  ballot  in  favor  of  the  nominees  of  the 
Democratic  party.  For  fifteen  years  he 


served  as  treasurer  of  the  school  board  in 
his  district,  and  aquitted  himself  of  his  res- 
ponsibilities with  good  judgment  and  ab- 
solute fidelity  to  the  great  trust  reposed  in 
him.  He  also  was  one  of  the  first  trustees 
of  his  township  and  in  that  capacity,  as  well 
as  in  that  of  supervisor,  was  zealous  in  the 
promotion  of  the  welfare  of  his  district. 


DAVID  RICE.  In  the  pioneer  epoch  of 
of  this  section  of  Illinois  David  Rice 
came  to  the  Prairie  state  and  has  been  an 
important  factor  in  the  substantial  develop- 
ment and  permanent  improvement  of  Cham- 
paign county.  He  has  seen  the  wild  lands 
transformed  into  fine  farms,  while  industrial 
and  commercial  interests  have  been  intro- 
duced and  thus  towns  have  become  thriving 
cities.  In  the  work  of  progress  he  has  borne 
his  part  and  has  been  particularly  active  as 
a  representative  of  the  agricultural  interests 
of  the  community.  For  many  years  he  was 
successfully  engaged  in  farming  in  Sadorus 
township,  but  now  makes  his  home  in  the 
the  village  of  Sadorus,  where  he  is  numbered 
among  the  leading  business  men — a  well- 
known  and  prosperous  stock  buyer  and  lum- 
ber dealer. 

Mr.  Rice  was  born  in  West  Virginia, 
April  7,  1836,  and  is  the  eldest  son  of  Shel- 
ton  and  Elizabeth  (Brown)  Rice,  who  were 
born,  reared  and  married  in  the  Old  Domin- 
ion. His  paternal  grandfather  was  one  of 
the  heroes  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  serv- 
ing for  five  years  and  nine  months  in  that 
struggle  for  American  independence.  By 
occupation  the  father  of  bur  subject  was  a 
farmer  and  successfully  followed  that  pur- 
suit in  his  native  state  for  a  number  of  years. 
There  his  wife  died  in  1854,  and  in  Febru- 
ary, of  the  same  year  he  came  to  Campaign 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


563 


county,  Illinois,  purchasing  a  farm  in 
Sadorus  township,  where  he  reared  his 
family.  After  enduring  all  the  hardships 
and  trials  incident  to  pioneer  life,  he  passed 
away  at  his  home  in  Sadorus  township,  in 
1863,  honored  and  respected  by  all  who 
knew  him.  He  made  many  improvements 
upon  his  farm  and  had  just  completed  a  new 
residence  at  the  time  of  his  death.  Of  his 
eif^ht  children,  four  died  in  infancy,  and  the 
others  are  as  follows:  David,  the  subject 
of  this  sketch;  Arthur,  a  farmer  of  Urbana 
township;  Sarah,  wife  of  John  Rollings,  a 
farmer  of  Cherokee  county,  Kansas,  and 
Martha,  wife  of  G.  W.  Harrison,  a  pros- 
perous farmer  and  fruit  raiser  of  California. 

The  limited  education  which  our  subject 
acquired  during  his  boyhood  was  secured  by 
six  months,  attendance  at  the  common 
schools  of  his  native  state.  Being  the  eldest 
son  he  had  to  assist  his  father  in  the  work 
of  the  farm,  receiving  in  that  way  a  good 
practical  knowledge  \vhich  has  been  of  great 
benefit  to  him  in  later  years.  In  1854  he 
came  with  his  family  to  Champaign  county, 
and  continued  to  work  for  his  father  until  he 
attained  his  majority,  when  he  rented  land 
and  began  farming  on  his  own  account. 

In  1859  Mr.  Rice  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Sarah  Haines,  who  was  born  in 
Coles  (now  Douglas)  county,  Illinois,  in 
1840.  Her  parents,  Elijah  and  Matilda 
(McLain)  Haines,  were  natives  of  Ohio  and 
Arkansas,  respectively,  and  came  with  their 
families  to  this  state,  being  married  in  Dan- 
ville, Vermilion  county.  They  had  seven 
children,  of  whom  two  died  in  infancy  and 
two  after  reaching  maturity.  Those  living 
are  Sarah,  wife  of  our  subject;  William  M., 
a  well-'known  farmer  of  Garrett,  Douglas 
county,  Illinois;  and  Eunice,  wife  of  Jasper 
Kawlings,  of  Arkansas. 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rice  began  their  domestic 
life  upon  the  farm  which  he  had  already  se- 
cured. Two  children  blessed  their  union: 
(i)  Eleanor  M.  is  now  the  wife  of  F.  T. 
Hutchinson,  who  is  a  representative  young 
farmer  living"  near  the  village  of  Sadorus 
and  is  one  of  the  popular  msn  of  his  town- 
ship. They  have  three  children,  Nora  M., 
David  ,S.  and  Iva  R.  (2)  Carrie  M.  is  the 
wife  of  Dr.  C.  M.  Craig,  a  successful  phy- 
sician and  surgeon  of  Champaign,  and  they 
have  two  children,  Hazel  L.  and  Walter  R. 

Mr.  Rice's  first  purchase  of  land  con- 
sisted of  ninety-five  acres  in  prairie  land  in 
Sadorus  township,  which  he  worked  hard  to 
improve,  and  finally  sold  and  a  good  profit. 
He  then  bought  another  farm,  which  he 
improved,  and  as  he  succeeded  in  his  farm- 
ing and  stockraising  he  kept  adding  to  his 
land  until  he  became  owner  of  seven  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres.  He  has  since  given 
to  each  of  his  daughters  one  hundred  and 
forty  acres  of  this,  but  is  still  the  owner  of 
some  valuable  property  in  the  count}'. 
Since  1858  he  has  engaged  in  the  stock 
business,  and  has  met  with  most  wonderful 
success  in  that  undertaking.  He  not  only 
raises  stock  in  large  numbers,  but  buys 
others  to  feed  and  fatten  for  shipment. 
His  land  has  been  thoroughly  tiled,  and 
good  and  substantial  buildings  have  been 
erected  for  the  accommodation  of  his  stock, 
as  well  as  a  comfortable  and  commodious 
residence.  Orchards  have  been  planted 
and  the  premises  otherwise  beautified  with 
shrubbery  and  groves.  Here  Mr.  Rice 
lived  a  very  quiet  life  until  1891,  when  he 
purchased  a  home  in  the  village  of  Sadorus, 
but  he  still  keeps  his  farm  stocked  and 
receives  one-half  of  the  proceeds.  Of  a 
very  energetic  nature,  he  was  not  content  to 
remain  idle,  and  again  began  shipping  stock 


564 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


to  market,  being  one  of  the  oldest  stock 
dealers  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the 
county  and  also  on  that  division  of  the 
Wabash  Railroad.  There  being  a  good 
opening  for  a  first-class  grain  elevator  busi- 
ness in  Sadorus,  he  purchased  the  ground 
on  which  was  standing  an  old'  mill,  and 
after  tearing  it  down  built  a  modern  eleva- 
tor, the  heavy  timbers  and  all  the  frame 
work  having  been  cut  from  his  own  ground 
and  converted  into  the  material  necessary 
for  the  building.  Mr.  Rice  had  watched 
these  trees  grow  from  small  sprouts  after  a 
fire  had  swept  over  the  prairie,  and  before 
the  land  was  broken,  fenced  or  improved. 
His  elevator  is  considered  a  model  building 
of  the  kind,  being  substantially  and  conven- 
iently built,  and  having  a  capacity  of  about 
eighty  thousand  bushels,  and  a  twenty- 
horse-power  engine  to  operate  it.  He  only 
engaged  in  the  grain  business  a  short  time, 
however,  and  then  sold  out  to  De  Long 
Brothers,  who  still  carry  it  on.  He  em- 
barked in  the  lumber  business  in  1896,  in 
partnership  with  W.  B.  O'Neal,  who  is  also 
associated  with  him  in  the  stock  business, 
and  as  a  side  issue  they  also  carry  a  line  of 
undertaker's  supplies. 

For  many  years  Mr.  Rice  has  been 
prominently  identified  with  the  growth  and 
welfare  of  the  town  and  township  of  Sa- 
dorus. He  with  two  others  brought  the 
first  grain  separator  to  the  county  in  1858 
from  Pickaway  county,  Ohio,  and  did  all 
the  threshing  for  farmers  from  Bourbon, 
Douglas  county,  to  the  northern  part  of 
Champaign  county,  at  what  was  then  called 
Big  Grove.  They  threshed  eighty  acres  of 
grain  for  a  Mr.  Pierce  where  the  city  of 
Champaign  now  stands,  and  while  thus  em- 
ployed had  to  board  in  Urbana  as  there 
was  no  place  to  board  in  Champaign. 


They  threshed  three  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  grain  for  Stewart  Brothers  in 
Somer  township,  and  for  that  work  Mr. 
Rice  received  two  hundred  dollars  in  gold, 
it  being  the  first  gold  ever  handled  by  him. 
At  that  time  there  were  many  wild  animals 
on  the  prairie,  and  our  subject  has  killed 
deer  upon  his  own  farm.  He  is  a  good  con- 
versationalist, and  can  relate  many  inter- 
esting incidents  of  pioneer  life.  He  has 
always  affiliated  with  the  Republican  party, 
and  from  1891  served  two  terms  as  super- 
visor of  Sadorus  township,  being  one  of  the 
two  Republicans  who  have  ever  held  that 
office.  He  is  an  active  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  a  liberal 
supporter  of  both  church  and  Sunday  school. 
He  is  a  pleasant,  genial  gentleman,  upright 
and  honorable  in  all  his  dealings,  and  has  a 
most  extensive  circle  of  friends  and  ac- 
quaintances who  esteem  him  highly  for  his 
genuine  worth. 


JAMES  H.  HUME.  The  mainstay  of 
^J  any  commonwealth  is  the  agriculturist, 
and  the  prosperity  of  any  nation  depends  in 
a  greater  degree  upon  the  products  of  the 
farm  than  upon  all  other  industries  and  en- 
terprises. Too  many  do  not  give  due  credit 
to  the  farmer,  but  the  political  economist 
and  the  deep,  well  read  scholar  know  that 
to  no  other  class  of  men  does  the  world  owe 
such  a  far-reaching  debt  of  gratitude. 
America  is  specially  fortunate  in  her  tillers 
of  the  soil  for  the  majority  of  them  are  in- 
dustrious, energetic  men,  well  equipped  to 
meet  the  general  duties  of  a  good  citizen, 
and  it  is  a  well  known  fact  that  our  fore- 
most statemen  and  representative  men  in 
every  profession  and  position  have  corne 
from  the  farm. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


565 


James  H.  Hume,  of  Mahomet  township, 
is  one  of  the  leading  farmers  of  his  district 
and  his  numerous  friends  will  take  interest 
in  reviewing  his  career.  He  was  born  on 
the  Fourth  of  July,  1856,  in  Shelby 
county,  Ohio.  His  father,  John  Hume,  was 
a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  whence  he  re- 
moved to  Ohio,  and  there  married  Martha 
Reed,  whose  birth  had  occurred  in  that 
state.  He  decided  to  settle  in  the  west, 
and  arrived  in  this  vicinity  the  middle  of 
May,  1858.  After  prospecting  with  a  view 
to  locating  here  permanently, he  bought  land 
in  Mahomet  township,  and  proceeded  to  im- 
prove and  cultivate  the  property.  In  early 
manhood  he  had  been  a  gunsmith,  and,  be- 
ing a  natural  mechanic,  he  built  a  flour  and 
saw  mill,  east  of  the  village  of  Mahomet,  on 
the  Sangamon  river,  and  for  several  years 
operated  the  mills,  which  he  subsequently 
traded  for  a  farm.  Afterward,  he  went  to 
Nebraska,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  con- 
stuction  of  a  mill  near  Juniata,  Adams  coun- 
ty, in  1874,  when  death  put  an  end  to  his 
labors.  His  widow  survives  him,  and  now 
makes  her  home  with  her  daughter  in  Wei- 
don,  Illinois. 

James  H.  Hume's  life  and  memories  are 
all  closely  associated  with  Champaign  coun- 
ty, where  he  grew  to  manhood  and  received 
his  early  training  and  education.  Under 
his  father's  instruction  he  learned  the  mill- 
ing business,  and  for  seventeen  years  de- 
voted his  time  and  attention  to  that  calling. 
He  was  careful  of  his  earnings  and  invest- 
ments, and  in  1883  was  the  possesser  of  a 
good  bank  account.  A  portion  of  his  means 
he  then  invested  in  a  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  situated  infection  21,  Ma- 
homet township.  Here  he  has  built  a  com- 
fortable house,  substantial  barns  and  farm 
buildings  and  fences,  planted  an  orchard, 


placed  tiling  where  necessary,  and  instituted 
various  other  valuable  improvements.  The 
place  is  kept  in  a  neat  and  thrifty  manner, 
and  everything  bespeaks  the  constant  at- 
tention of  the  enterprising  owner. 

Being  very  popular  and  trusted  by  his 
neighbors.  Mr.  Hume  is  often  called  upon 
to  serve  the  general  public  in  some  official 
capacity.  In  1898  he  was  elected  assessor 
of  his  township,  and  has  made  two  assess- 
ments, thoroughly  and  systematically,  as  is 
his  custom  in  everything  which  he  under- 
takes. The  cause  of  better  schools  and 
strictly  competent  teachers  is  one  which  he 
has  deeply  at  heart,  and  for  several  years 
has  served  his  community  as  a  member  of 
the  school  board.  In  national  elections  he 
uses  his  franchise  in  favor  of  Republican 
principles  and  nominees. 

On  the  3rd  of  March,  1880,  occurred  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Hume  and  Clarissa  I.  Park, 
a  daughter  of  J.  W.  Park,  one  of  the  early 
settlers  and  a  much  respected  citizen  of 
Champaign  county.  Mrs.  Hume  is  a  native 
of  Ohio,  but  passed  her  girlhood  in  Illinois. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hume  are  active  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  she  is 
especially  interested  and  efficient  in  the 
Sunday-school  and  Epworth  League,  at 
present  being  one  of  the  corps  of  teachers 
and  vice-president  of  the  League.  Like  her 
husband,  she  is  highly  esteemed  by  all,  and 
strives  to  promote  the  happiness  of  all  with 
whom  her  life  comes  into  association. 


J\V.  RICHMOND,  of  Fisher,  Champaign 
county,   needs    no    introduction   to  the 
people  of  this  section  of  the  state,  as  he  has 
been  actively  engaged  in  farming  and  stock- 
raising  here  for  many  years,  and  has  made 


566 


THE  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


an  enviable  reputation  as  a  keen  financier 
and  business  man.  The  history  of  a  suc- 
cessful man  is  always  of  interest  to  the  pub- 
lic, and  the  hosts  of  friends  of  Mr.  Rich- 
mond will  be  especially  desirous  of  tracing 
his  career  and  noting  some  of  the  features 
of  his  character  as  shown  by  the  masterly 
way  in  which  he  overcame  difficulties  and 
wrought  his  own  prosperity  unaided  by 
others. 

To  one  knowing  the  patriotic  spirit  of 
Mr.  Richmond  it  is  no  surprise  to  learn  that 
he  comes  of  the  grand  old  Revolutionary 
stock,  and  that  his  greatgrand-father,  Col- 
onel Frank  Richmond,  was  one  of  those 
heroes  who  laid  life  and  fortune  and  all  per- 
sonal aims  and  ambitions  upon  the  altar  of 
his  country,  resolved  to  sacrifice  everything, 
if  necessary,  for  the  triumph  of  the  prin- 
ciples of  justice  and  liberty  in  which  he  be- 
lieved. The  gallant  colonel,  who  owned 
goodly  estates  in  Virginia,  his  native  state, 
won  his  title  by  long  and  meritorious  service 
in  Washington's  army,  "and  not  until  victory 
had  lighted  upon  our  banners  did  he  sheath 
his  sword.  Quite  as  patriotic  service  was 
performed  by  him  in  his  voluntary  contri- 
bution of  more  than  o-ne  thousand  head  of 
horses  and  cattle  to  the  struggling  young 
government.  When  peace  had  been  pro- 
claimed he  returned  to  his  quiet  life  as  a 
country  gentleman,  and  passed  his  last  days 
upon  his  old  plantation,  secure  in  his  dear- 
bought  liberty.  Tradition  says  that  the 
city  of  Richmond,  Virginia,  was  named  in 
honor  of  the  Richmond  who  first  settled  in 
the  state  of  Virginia,  the  family  being  very 
prominent  at  that  time. 

Joseph,  son  of  Colonel  Richmond,  was 
born  at  the  old  Virginia  home,  and  having 
been  reared  in  the  principle  that  country 
has  the  first  claim  upon  a  loyal  citizen  it  is 


not  strange  that  he,  too,  took  up  the  old 
musket  which  his  father  had  carried  in  the 
Revolution,  and  went  forth  to  meet  the 
same  foe  in  the  war  of  1812.  Later  he 
went  to  the  new  state  of  Ohio,  and  settled 
upon  a  tract  of  land  in  Muskingum  county. 
He  married  there,  and  his  son,  Wilson, 
father  of  our  subject,  was  born  on  the  old 
homestead  cleared  in  the  midst  of  the  forest, 
the  date  of  the  event  being  September  9, 
1815.  In  1830  the  family  removed  to  Illi- 
nois, where  the  father  had  been  granted 
some  land  in  consideration  of  the  services 
he  had  rendered  in  the  second  war  with 
Great  Britain.  This  property  was  located 
in  Tazewell  county,  and  here,  on  the  bleak 
prairies,  swept  by  the  keen  winter  winds 
from  the  great  northwest,  the  pioneers 
found  that  they  had  many  difficulties  to 
meet,  which  had  not  been  included  in  their 
experience  hitherto.  In  1831,  the  winter 
of  the  "big  snow,"  as  the  early  settlers 
termed  it,  the  husband  and  father  perished 
with  the  cold  while  returning  home  from  a 
trip  to  Mackinaw,  then  the  county  seat. 
Thus  the  care  of  the  family  devolved  largely 
upon  Wilson  Richmond,  who  was  the  eld- 
est of  the  seven  surviving  children.  He 
nobly  aided  his  mother  in  the  task  of  rear-; 
ing  the  younger  brothers  and  sisters,  and 
when  he  felt  free  to  establish  a  home  for 
himself  he  wedded  Mary  Judy,  daughter  of 
John  Judy,  both  natives  of  Ohio.  Mr. 
Judy  was  a  veteran  of  the  war  of  1812,  and 
was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Tazewell 
county.  It  is  a  pleasure  to  record  that 
success  blessed  nearly  every  undertaking  of 
Wilson  Richmond,  and  that  by  honest  toil 
and  well  directed  energy  he  became  wealthy 
and  extremely  influential  in  Tazewell  county, 
where  he  is  yet  living,  hale  and  happy, 
despite  his  eighty-five  years.  During  the 


THE  BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


567 


Civil  war  he  was  extensively  engaged  in  the 
raising  of  sheep,  annually  selling  from  fifteen 
hundred  to  two  thousand  fleeces,  and,  as 
cotton  could  not  be  cultivated  in  the  south 
to  any  extent  for  several  years,  his  product 
brought  him  a  handsome  income.  Grad- 
ually buying  real  estate,  he  at  length  was 
the  possessor  of  about  fifteen  hundred  acres 
of  fine  farm  land. 

J.  \V.  Richmond,  whose  birth  occurred 
on  his  father's  farm  in  Tazewell  county, 
February  26,  1845,  early  acquired  famil- 
iarity with  agriculture  in  all  its  departments, 
and  from  the  time  that  he  was  fifteen  years 
of  age  until  he  left  home,  in  1884,  he  super- 
intended his  father's  large  homestead.  At 
intervals  he  invested  in  land  upon  his  own 
account,  and  owned  in  the  neighborhood  of 
eighteen  hundred  acres  of  fine  farm  prop- 
erty when  he  came  to  Champaign  county  as 
a  permanent  resident,  at  the  time  of  his 
marriage.  He  has  improved  several  farms 
since  then  and  at  the  present  time  is  the 
proprietor  of  about  three  thousand  acres  of 
land,  most  of  this  being  located  within  the 
boundaries  of  this  county,  and  some  being 
situated  in  the  best  districts  of  Iowa,  In- 
diana, Nebraska  and  Kansas. 

More  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago,  J. 
\Y.  Richmond  determined  to  devote  some 
attention  to  the  matter  of  raising  and  deal- 
ing in  high  grade  horses  and  cattle.  In 
1874  he  made  his  first  trip  to  Europe,  and 
brought  back  some  fine  Percheron  horses. 
Later  he  imported  coach  and  Shire  horses 
in  large  numbers  and,  altogether,  has  made 
five  journeys  to  the  old  world,  traveling 
through  England,  Germany,  France,  Bel- 
gium and  Holland.  He  owns  some  famous 
blue  grass  pasture  land  along  the  Sanga- 
mon  river,  and  for  many  years  has  made  a 
business  of  feeding  cattle  for  the  market, 


selling  from    one  hundred   to  one  hundred 
and  seventy  head  of  stock  each  year. 

Sixteen  years  ago  Mr.  Richmond  and 
Nora  Havenhill  were  married  in  New  York. 
She  was  born  in  Monroe,  Kendall  county, 
Illinois,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Hiram  Haven- 
hill,  a  pioneer  of  Tazewell  county,  and  late 
a  resident  of  Kendall  county,  this  state. 
Four  children  bless  the  home  of  our  subject 
and  wife,  namely:  Wilson,  Lelia,  Cum- 
mings  and  Arthur  Dean. 

Since  becoming  a  citizen  of  Fisher,  Mr. 
Richmond  has  made  five  additions  to  the 
town,  and  in  numerous  substantial  ways  has 
increased  the  prosperity  of  the  place.  He 
is  a  stanch  Republican,  but  in  no  sense  of 
the  word  is  a  politician,  and  has  resolutely 
declined  to  hold  office.  In  the  Masonic 
fraternity  he  stands  high,  and  has  attained 
the  Knight  Templar  degree,  being  identified 
with  the  Urbana  Commandery. 


OOBERT  DAVIS  is  a  worthy  representa- 
1\  tive  of  a  family  which  has  been  noted 
for  all  of  the  attributes  of  upright  business 
men  and  loyal  citizens  for  many  generations. 
For  nearly  four  and  a  half  decades  he  has 
been  numbered  among  the  inhabitants  of 
Champaign  county,  and  few  take  precedence 
of  him  as  a  farmer  and  stock  raiser  in  his 
own  community. 

His  paternal  grandfather,  Zachariah 
Davis,  was  born  in  Virginia,  and  at  an 
early  day  removed  to  Ohio,  where  he  built 
the  first  brick  business  block  ever  erected  in 
Newark,  and,  strange  to  say,  it  is  still  used 
for  the  same  purposes  as  formerly.  His  son 
James,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in 
the  town  mentioned,  November  14,  1811, 
and  there  married  Mary  McCullum;  also  a 


568 


THE  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


native  of  Ohio,  for  his  second  wife.  In  his 
early  manhood  he  had  learned  the  trade  of 
a  wheelwright,  and  in  1842  he  removed  to 
Iowa  City,  Iowa,  where  he  assisted  in  build- 
ing the  first  state  house.  At  the  end  of  two 
years  he  went  to  Wabash  county,  Indiana, 
and  carried  on  a  mercantile  business  for 
some  years.  In  1856  he  came  to  Cham- 
paign county  and  settled  upon  a  farm  situ- 
ated about  four  miles  north  of  Mahomet 
township,  and  there  he  was  successfully  en- 
gaged in  the  cultivation  of  the  place  for  six 
years.  Afterwards  he  turned  his  attention 
to  other  enterprises,  and  lived  in  Mahomet 
for  several  years.  He  died  at  the  home  of 
his  son  Robert,  December  18,  1897,  when 
eighty-six  years  of  age,  having  survived  his 
wife  about  two  years. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in 
Iowa  City,  Iowa,  October  17,  1842,  and 
when  about  fourteen  years  of  age  he  came 
to  this  county,  where  he  grew  to  manhood. 
After  completing  his  education  in  the  Dan- 
ville high  school,  he  was  employed  by  his 
father-  and  laid  the  foundations  for  a  suc- 
cessful business  career.  Having  determined 
to  devote  his  time  and  labors  to  agriculture, 
he  commenced  farming,  and  for  four  years 
carried  on  a  place  in  Hensley  township. 
Later,  he  located  on  the  old  Scott  home- 
stead, and  two  years  afterwards  bought  two 
hundred  and  thirty  acres  of  his  present  farm. 
But  little  improvement  had  been  made,  and 
he  replaced  the  old  house  with  a  modern 
one  and  instituted  many  other  changes. 
From  time  to  time  he  bought  additional 
land,  and  now  owns  four  hundred  and 
thirty-three  acres,  all  in  one  body.  He 
also  built  a  house  and  barns  for  his  son,  on 
a  good  site  on  the  homestead,  and  by  plant- 
ing fruit  and  shade  trees  at  different  points 
greatly  increased  the  beauty  of  the  place, 


which  is  justly  considered  one  of  the  best  in 
the  county.  He  has  kept  a  good  grade  of 
live  stock,  and  has  made  a  comfortable  in- 
come from  this  line  of  business  alone. 

On  the  1 9th  of  October,  1864,  Mr. 
Davis  married  Elvira,  daughter  of  Fielding 
L.  Scott,  who  had  settled  in  this  township 
at  a  very  early  day,  and  had  lived  in  Illinois 
from  1834  until  his  death,  coming  here  from 
Kentucky.  Mrs.  Davis  became  the  mother 
of  five  children,  three  of  whom  died  in  in- 
fancy, and  in  January,  1876,  she  was  sum- 
moned to  the  silent  land.  Wiley  Davis, 
the  only  surviving  son,  is  married,  and  his 
four  children  are  named, respectively,  Hazel, 
Ralph,  Floyd  and  Elsie.  Julia  Belle,  the 
daughter,  is  the  wife  of  F.  E.  Bryan,  a  mer- 
chant of  Mahomet.  The  second  marriage 
of.  Robert  Davis  took  place  September  14, 
1876,  when  Miss  Sarah  G.  Little  became 
his  bride.  Born  in  Bradford,  Pennsylvania, 
she  is  a  daughter  of  Levitt  and  Lucy  Jane 
(Dix)  Little,  both  of  whom  were  born  in  the 
east.  Mrs.  Davis  was  educated  at  Gran- 
ville,  Ohio,  and  for  ten  years  was  a  success- 
ful teacher  at  Mahomet,  Urbana  and  other 
places.  To  our  subject  and  wife  three  chil- 
dren were  born,  namely:  Fannie  Dix, 
Ernest  L.  and  J.  Robert.  The  daughter  be- 
came the  wife  of  Leonard  Rayburn,  a  farmer 
of  this  county,  and  their  only  child  is  Robert 
Lee. 

In  1864  Robert  Davis  cast  his  first  presi- 
dential ballot  for  Abraham  Lincoln,  and 
from  that  day  until  this  he  has  never  faltered 
in  his  allegiance  to  the  Republican  party. 
For  himself  he  has  not  sought  nor  desired 
public  office,  but  in  order  to  do  his  duty  as 
a  citizen  and  to  meet  the  earnest  wishes  of 
his  neighbors  he  acted  as  commissioner  of 
highways  and  as  a  member  of  the  school 
board  at  various  times.  Fraternally  he  is 


THE  BIOGRAHPICAL    RECORD. 


569 


a  Master  Mason,  belonging  to  the  lodge  at 
Mahomet.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  identi- 
fied with  the  Presbyterian  church  and  are 
liberal  in  their  gifts  to  religious  and  chari- 
table organizations. 


DOUGLAS  PARNELL  is  ranked  among 
the  progressive  and  successful  farmers 
of  Mahomet  township,  Champaign  county. 
From  his  English  ancestors  he  undoubtedly 
inherited  many  of  his  eminently  practical 
traits  and  ideas  in  regard  to  the  management 
of  a  farm,  and  his  business  affairs  are  con- 
ducted in  a  systematic  was  which  does  him 
credit.  He  is  a  patriot,  devoted  to  whatever 
tends  to  promote  the  public  welfare,  and  his 
influence  is  always  safely  counted  upon  when 
local  progress  is  at  stake. 

His  father,  William  Parnell,  was  born  in 
Devonshire,  England,  January  5,  1809. 
There  he  passed  the  happy  days  of  his 
youth,  receiving  a  liberal  education  for  that 
period,  but  when  quite  young  he  formed  the 
determination  to  come  to  America.  In  1832 
he  bade  adieu  to  his  old  home  and  friends 
and  sailed  for  the  new  world,  where  he  was 
destined  to  become  rich  and  honored.  For 
some  time  he  made  his  home  in  Ohio,  there 
wedding  Catherine  Goodman,  who  was  of 
German  extraction,  but  herself  a  native  of 
New  York.  In  1844  the  couple  moved  to 
Peoria  county,  Illinois,  where  the  father  im- 
proved and  carried  on  a  farm  of  two  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres.  His  long  and  use- 
ful career  was  brought  to  a  close  November 
i>  iS(jj,  and  his  faithful  wife  had  entered 
the  silent  land  some  six  years  or  more 
previously.  Of  their  seven  children  who 
survived  to  maturity  and  became  respected 
heads  of  families,  Mrs.  Eliza  Ann  Goodner 


resides  in  Hoopstown,  Illinois;  William  F. 
lives  in  Monon,  Indiana;  Frances  is  the 
wife  of  Thomas  Lowry;  Mrs.  Catherine 
Armstrong;  John,  of  Seymour,  Illinois; 
Caroline,  wife  of  William  Meaker,  of 
Peoria  county,  and  Douglas  P.  completes 
the  number. 

The  subject  of  this  narrative  was  born 
upon  the  parental  homestead  in  Peoria 
county,  Illinois,  December  27,  1857.  He 
obtained  such  knowledge  of  the  elementary 
branches  of  learning  as  he  could  in  the 
country  schools,  and  at  the  same  time  be- 
came thoroughly  acquainted  with  farming 
in  all  its  departments.  His  father  being 
anxious  for  him  to  stay  and  carry  on  the 
homestead  after  he  had  attained  his  major- 
ity, the  young  man  did  so,  and  it  was  not 
until  his  marriage,  in  the  autumn  of  1883, 
that  he  entered  upon  an  independent  career. 
A  few  months  before  he  had  come  to  Cham- 
paign county  and  purchased  eighty  acres  of 
land,  the  nucleus  of  the  present  farm.  A 
small  house  of  but  two  rooms  stood  on  the 
place,  and  soon  he  added  a  wing,  and  later 
remodeled  it,  making  a  comfortable  res- 
idence. He  has  good  barns  and  other  farm 
buildings,  well  kept  orchards  and  berry 
patches,  and  beautiful  shade  trees  add 
greatly  to  the  charm  of  the  homestead. 
Having  bought  an  eighty-acre  tract  of  ad- 
joining land,  our  subject  now  owns  a  quar- 
ter section,  situated  in  one  body  and  divided 
into  fields  of  convenient  size.  One  of  the 
features  of  his  financial  success  is  the  active 
part  he  has  taken  in  the  raising  of  high 
grade  horses  and  Jersey,  Holstein  and 
Polled  Angus  cattle.  He  also  feeds  stock 
for  the  market,  and  derives  a  large  share  of 
his  income  from  this  source. 

The  marriage  of    Mr.  Parnell  and  Mary 
Schaad,   daughter  of   Jacob   Schaad,    took 


570 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


place  in  Peoria  county,  September  20,  1883. 
She  was  born  in  Illinois,  while  her  father 
was  a  native  of  Germany,  and  is  numbered 
among  the  pioneers  of  Peoria  county.  Five 
children  bless  the  home  of  our  subject  and 
wife,  namely:  Clara  Estella,  William  J., 
Lena  Viola,  Bertha  C.  and  James  E. 

Since  he  attained  the  right  of  franchise, 
Mr.  Parnellhas  used  his  ballot  in  behalf  of 
the  nominees  of  the  Democratic  party.  He 
is  a  firm  believer  in  temperance,  and  in  local 
elections  he  has  voted  for  Prohibition  men 
and  measures.  He  has  not  sought  nor  de- 
sired public  office  for  himself,  but  is  a  great 
worker  for  his  friends  who  happen  to  be 
candidates.  For  the  past  two  years  he  has 
been  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Farmers 
Mutual  Insurance  Company,  and  socially, 
he  is  connected  with  the  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America.  He  possesses  the  confidence 
.and  sincere  regard  of  all  who  know  him, 
and  his  friends  are  legion. 


JAMES  HARVEY  LEE.  It  is  now  fifty 
years  since  the  family  to  which  this 
well-known  citizen  belongs  became  identi- 
fied with  Champaign  county,  and  its  vari- 
ous members  have  won  for  the  name  an 
enviable  distinction  by  their  intelligence  and 
worthiness.  They  have  also  aided  in  the 
wonderful  growth  and  development  of  the 
county  and  have  been  important  factors  in 
its  prosperiry.  Our  subject,  who  is  counted 
among  the  leading  agriculturists  of  Peso- 
turn  township,  his  home  being  on  section 
15,  displays  in  a  marked  degree  the  admir- 
able characteristics  which  the  name  of  the 
family  suggests. 

Mr.  Lee   was  born  on  the  3d  of  Febru- 
ary, 1847,  m  Pulaski  county,  Kentucky,  of 


which  his  parents,  Squire  and  Elizabeth  A. 
(James)  Lee,  were  also  natives,  the  former 
born  in  1820,  the  latter  in  1821.  The 
mother  was  a  daughter  of  Rev.  J.  M.  James 
and  a  sister  of  John  James,  both  Baptist 
ministers  of  renown.  The  latter  has 
preached  in  Sadorus.  Squire  Lee  grew  to 
manhood  in  his  native  state  and  received  but 
a  limited  education  in  early  life.  In  1847  he 
removed  with  his  family  to  Mercer  county, 
Kentucky,  and  three  years  later  came  to 
Illinois,  first  settling  in  Douglas  county. 
In  1853  he  came  to  Champaign  county  and 
took  up  his'  residence  south  of  Sadorus 
Grove.  He  was  the  first  settler  in  that 
locality  to  locate  on  the  prairie  instead  of 
in  the  timber.  Being  of  a  practical  mind 
he  thought  the  wealth  laid  in  the  soil  and 
not  in  the  woods.  After  erecting  a  log 
cabin  for  the  accommodation  of  his  family, 
he  began  to  break  his  land  and  soon  had 
acre  after  acre  under  the  plow.  Meeting 
with  success  on  his  prairie  farm,  his  example 
was  soon  followed  by  others.  He  pur- 
chased and  improved  four  hundred  and 
eighty  acres  of  land.  He  first  set  out  over 
one  hundred  apple  trees,  which  were  de- 
stroyed by  some  of  his  enemies,  but  later  he 
put  out  six  hundred  and  fifty  more,  his 
being  the  first  attempt  to  plant  fruit  bear- 
ing trees  in  his  part  of  the  county.  In  all 
his  undertakings  he  met  with  excellent  suc- 
cess, and  to  his  original  purchase  he  added 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  improved 
land.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  had 
about  seven  hundred  acres  of  land  all  under 
excellent  cultivation  and  well  improved. 
On  first  coming  to  the  state  he  hauled  ties 
to  where  Tuscola  is  now  located  for  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad,  then  under  con- 
struction. Beginning  life  here  without  cap- 
ital, his  possessions  were  all  acquired  by 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


571 


his  own  perseverance,  industry  and  good 
management,  and  for  the  success  that  he 
achieved  he  deserved  great  credit.  He  was 
always  hale  and  hearty,  possessing  a  strong 
constitution.  He  was  a  Democrat  in  poli- 
tics and  in  his  day  a  prominent  and  ardent 
worker  for  his  party.  His  brother  Noah 
came  to  this  county  but  remained  here  only 
a  short  time. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  mar- 
ried in  1841,  and  seven  children  blessed 
their  union,  namely:  Martha  J.,  born  in 

1842,  is  the  wife  of  A.  P.  Gregory,  a  farmer 
of    Kansas;  Mary    A.,    born  in    November, 

1843,  is  the  wife  of  Arthur  Rice,    Cham- 
paign township,  this  county;     George  W. , 
born   August   8,  1845,    is  a  carpenter    and 
builder  of  Champaign;  James  H.,  our  sub- 
ject, is  next  in  order  of  birth;   Henry,  born 
February  27,  1850,  lives  near  the  old  home- 
stead   in    Pesotum   township;   Noah,    born 
May  27,  1853,  died  in    1890,  leaving  a  wife 
and  two  childre.n,  now  residents  of  Cham- 
paign; and   Sarah   E.,  born  in    1857,  mar- 
ried Thomas  Adair,  and  died  in  1890,  leav- 
ing one   son,  Howard.      She   was   the  first 
white  child  born  in  Pesotum  township.   The 
father  of  this  family  died   March    21,   1885, 
and    the   mother    passed    away   August    3, 
1896. 

Reared  to  manhood  upon  the  home 
farm,  James  H.  Lee  attended  the  local 
schools  during  the  winter  months  until  twen- 
ty-one years  of  age,  while  he  aided  in  the 
labors  of  the  field  through  the  summer  sea- 
on.  He  began  his  education  in  a  primi- 
tive log  school  house  built  in  the  woods. 
It  had  no  desks  and  the  benches  were  made 
of  rough  hewn  logs.  His  teacher  was  his 
uncle,  Henry  James.  The  family  lived  in 
true  pioneer  style,  and  our  subject  was  eight 
years  of  age  when  he  became  the  proud 


possessor  of  his  first  pair  of  shoes.  On 
reaching  his  majority  his  father  paid  him 
wages  for  a  year. 

In  1869,  Mr.  Lee  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Mary  A.  Cook,  who  was 
born  in  Rush  county,  Indiana,  March  8, 
1853,  and  was  a  daughterof  Eli  and  Emily 
(Shupp)  Cook,  the  former  also  a  native  of 
Rush  county,  Indiana,  the  latter  of  Ohio. 
The  father,  who  was  one  of  the  early  set- 
tlers of  this  county,  kept  the  section  house  at 
Cherry  Grove,  now  Ivesdale,  for  four  years 
before  the  Civil  war,  but  in  1862  he  en- 
listed in  Company  E,  One  Hundred  and 
Twenty-fifth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry, 
and  died  in  hospital  from  disease  contracted 
in  the  service,  being  buried  at  Nashville, 
Tennessee.  His  wife  died  in  1873.  In 
their  family  were  six  children,  of  whom  one 
died  in  infancy.  The  others  were  as  fol- 
lows: Mary  A.,  wife  of  our  subject,  is  the 
oldest;  Martha  J.,  born  December  12,  1856, 
is  now  the  widow  of  Benjamin  E.  Harrison, 
of  Sadorus  township;  Olive  F.,  born  Au- 
gust 27,  1858,  is  the  wife  of  J.  Walker,  of 
Kansas  City,  Kansas;  Flora  A.,  born  May 
26.  1860,  married  George  Watson,  and  died 
in  Fort  Scott,  Kansas,  in  1886;  Charles  E., 
born  May  28,  1862,  died  in  Wellington, 
Kansas,  in  1884. 

Of  the  ten  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Lee  one  died  in  infancy;  Cora  O.,  born 
March  3,1,  1870,  is  now  the  wife  of  Walter 
Coleman,  and  they  have  two  children,  Earl 
and  Edith;  Lillian  A.,  born  January  11, 
1872,  is  the  widow  of  S.  Finch,  by  whom 
she  had  one  daughter,  Mildred,  and  they 
live  in  Mattoon,  Illinois;  Myrtle  A.,  born 
November  10,  1873,  is  the  wife  of  William 
L.  Roy,  a  farmer  of  Pesotum  township,  and 
they  have  one  son,  Walter  D. ;  Arthur  C., 
born  November  16,  1876,  is  a  teacher  of 


572 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD 


short  hand  and  type  writing  in  the  Cham- 
paign Business  College;  Robert  R.,  born 
November  5,  1879,  is  a  graduate  of  that 
business  college  and  now  has  charge  of  the 
home  farm,  being  a  practical  agriculturist; 
Herbert  C. ,  born  January  21,  1883;  Jessie 
E.,  born  May  i,  1886;  Ralph  W.,  born 
August  26,  1888,  and  Ruby  Fern,  born  De- 
cember 10,  1894,  are  all  at  home. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Lee  rented  land 
from  his  father  for  some  time  and  operated 
the  same  with  varied  success.  In  1872  he 
moved  to  Indiana,  where  he  raised  two  crops 
snd  also  operated  threshing  machine  for  two 
years,  but  concluding  that  Illinois  was  good 
enough  for  him,  he  returned  to  Champaign 
county  in  1875  and  rented  a  farm  which  he 
successfully  conducted  for  some  time.  In 
1880  he  purchased  of  his  father  his  present 
farm  inPesoturn  township,  and  since  it  came 
into  his  possession  has  thoroughly  tiled  the 
land,  and  in  place  of  the  rude  house  and 
barn  has  erected  good  modern  buildings, 
which  stand  as  monuments  to  his  thrift  and 
industry.  In  1877  he  began  working  at  the 
carpenter's  trade,  and  has  since  done  a  good 
business  as  a  contractor  and  builder,  erect- 
ing nearly  all  the  buildings  put  up  in  Peso- 
turn  township  in  that  time,  a-s  well  as  doing 
considerable  work  throughout  this  county 
and  in  Douglas  county.  He  is  a  man  of 
more  than  ordinary  ability  and  carries  for- 
ward to  successful  completion  whatever  he 
undertakes.  Politically  he  is  identified  with 
the  Prohibition  party,  and  fraternally  he 
affiliated  with  the  Modern  Woodmen  Camp, 
No.  1617,  of  Pesotum,  of  which  he  is  one 
of  the  board  of  managers.  He  is  a  devout 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
of  which  he  was  formerly  a  trustee,  and  is 
highly  respected  and  esteemed  by  all  who 
know  him. 


MILTON  BABB,  deceased,  was  for  sev- 
eral years  one  of  the  prominent  farmers 
and  wealthy  citizens  of  Ogden  township, 
Champaign  county.  He  was  actively  identi- 
fied with  the  early  development  of  the  com- 
munity, and  never  withheld  his  support 
from  any  enterprise  calculated  to  prove  of 
public  benefit.  He  departed  this  life  Janu- 
ary 8,  1869,  and  in  his  death  the  commun- 
ity realized  that  it  had  lost  one  of  its  most 
valued  and  useful  citizens. 

Mr.  Babb  was  born  November  10,  1826, 
in  what  was  then  Hardy  county,  Virginia, 
but  is  now  Grant  county,  West  Virginia. 
His  great-grandfather,  John  Babb,  emigrated 
from  Germany  to  America,  and  arrived  in 
this  country  about  1750,  possibly  Septem- 
ber 22,  1752,  landing  at  Philadelphia  from 
the  ship  Brothers.  He  located  at  Easton, 
Pennsylvania.  In  his  family  were  four 
children,  namely:  Abraham;  John;  Peter, 
grandfather  of  our  subject;  and  Letitia,  wife 
of  Peter  Thrie.  Among  his  descendants  are 
Hon.  Washington  Irving  Babb,  of  Mt. 
Pleasant,  Iowa;  Clement  E.  Babb,  D.  D., 
of  San  Jose,  California;  and  Hon.  E.  S. 
Huston,  of  Burlington,  Iowa.  Peter  Babb, 
grandfather  of  our  subject,  moved  to  Vir- 
ginia,'where  he  made  his  home  throughout 
life.  He  married  a  Miss  Weaver,  and  to 
them  were  born  the  following  children: 
John;  Peter,  Jr.,  father  of  our  subject; 
Daniel;  William;  Samuel;  Levi;  Letitia, 
wife  of  Samuel  Fry,  of  Newark,  Ohio;  and 
Catherine.  Of  this  family  Peter  Babb,  Jr., 
married  Phoebe  Scott,  and  their  children 
were  Rebecca  Catherine,  wife  of  Okey 
Johnson;  James  P.;  Sarah  Ann,  wife  of 
Thomas  R.  Carskadon;  Jane,  wife  of  Henry 
Suit;  Milton;  Daniel;  and  Obed. 

In  early  life  Milton  Babb  worked  upon 
the  home   farm   and   clerked   in  a   store  at 


MILTON  BABB. 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


575 


Moorefield,  Hardy  county,  West  Virginia. 
About  1852  he  came  to  Illinois  and  after 
stopping  for  a  time  with  John  J.  Scott,  a 
relative  who  owned  the  Pilot  Grove  farm  in 
Vermilion  county,  he  came  to  Champaign 
county  and  purchased  a  farm  in  Ogden 
township,  where  he  successfully  engaged  in 
farming  and  stock  raising  until  his  death,  at 
which  time  he  owned  eleven  hundred  acres 
of  land  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and 
well  improved. 

On  the  1 7th  of  December,  1857,  Mr. 
li.ihb  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Elizabeth  Littler,  a  daughter  of  Edwin  and 
Margaret  (Start)  Littler,  of  Vermilion  coun- 
ty, Illinois.  By  this  union  were  born  four 
children,  namely:  Edwin  P.,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  farming  upon  the  place  left  by  his 
father;  Mary  Alice  Jane,  who  married 
George  W.  Helm  and  died  -February  12, 
1880;  James  E.,  a  successful  and  prominent 
attorney,  who  was  engaged  in  practice  in 
Chicago  from  1884  to  1892,,  and  since  then 
in  Lewiston,  Idaho;  and  Charles  D.,  who 
is  engaged  in  the  real  estate,  loan  and  bank- 
ing business  in  Homer,  this  county.  After 
the  death  of  Mr.  Babb.  his  widciw  made  her 
home  in  Homer,  where  she  is  stfll  living. 

Mr.  Babb  and  his  wife  are  both  active 
and  faithful  members  of  the  Methodist 
church.  Although  reared  in  a  slave  state  he 
was  opposed  to  the  institution  of  slavery, 
and  was  a  stanch  supporter  of  first  the  Whig 
and  later  the  Republican  party.  He  was 
strictly  a  business  man,  practical,  indus- 
trious and  enterprising,  and  to  these  charac- 
teristics maybe  attributed  his  success  in  life, 
lu  his  dealings  he  was  upright  and  honor- 
able, and  he  always  took  an  active  interest 
.in  public  affairs.  When  young  he  made  a 
study  of  the  biographies  of  our  great  states- 
men and  the  sermons  of  noted  divines,  and 


though  death  claimed  him  at  a  comparatively 
early  age,  it  found  his  affairs,  both  temporal 
and  spiritual,  in  perfect  order. 


30 


WILLIAM  J.  GILMORE,  an  energetic, 
progressive  and  successful  agricult- 
urist of  Champaign  county,  owns  and  op- 
erates a  fine  farm  of  two  hundred  acres  on 
section  16,  Newcomb  township,  pleasantly 
located  four  miles  southwest  of  Fisher.  The 
neat  and  thrifty  appearance  of  the  place 
testifies  to  his  careful  supervision  and  shows 
conclusively  that  he  thoroughly  understands 
the  occupation  which  he  has  chosen  as  a  life 
work. 

A  native  of  Ohio,  Mr.  Gilmore  was  born 
in  Licking  county,  August  15,  1862.  His 
father,  George  W.  Gilmore,  was  born  in 
Preston  county,  West  Virginia,  July  4,  1830, 
and  was  a  son  of  Peter  and  Sarah  (Wiles) 
Gilmore,  also  natives  of  that  county,  and 
the  latter  of  German  parentage.  In  his 
native  state  George  W.  Gilmore  was  mar- 
ried, October  8,  1861,  to  Miss  Hannah  J. 
Holland,  who  was  born  and  reared  in 
Monongalia  county,  West  Virginia.  Her 
parents,  Reason  and  Lah  (Way)  Holland, 
removed  from  that  state  to  Pennsylvania, 
and  later  to  Licking  county,  Ohio.  In  Feb- 
ruary, 1862,  Mr.  Gilmore  also  took  up  his 
residence  in  Licking  county,  Ohio,  where 
he  engaged  in  farming  for  a  few  years.  In 
the  fall  of  1862  he  was  drafted  and  joined 
Company  C,  Seventy-sixth  Ohio  Volunteer 
Infantry,  with  which  he  served  eleven 
months,  participating  in  the  siege  of  Vicks- 
burg,  the  battle  of  Arkansas  Post  and  other 
minor  engagements.  While  in  Mississippi 
he  received  a  sunstroke  and  later  was  dis- 
charged on  account  of  disability.  Return- 


576 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


ing  to  Licking  county,  Ohio,  he  engaged  in 
farming  there  until  the  spring  of  1876,  when 
he  came  to  Champaign  county,  Illinois,  and 
bought  two  hundred  acres  of  land  in  New- 
comb  township,  which  he  subsequently 
transformed  into  a  good  farm,  becoming 
one  of  the  substantial  and  well-to-do  farmers 
of  the  county.  He  finally  rented  his  land 
and  bought  nice  residence  property  in  Fish- 
er, where  he  lived  retired  until  called  from 
this  life,  June  2,  1898.  During  their  resi- 
dence in  Ohio  he  and  his  wife  held  mem- 
bership in  the  Baptist  church,  but  on  com- 
ing to  this  county  united  with  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  at  Shiloh,  and  on  their  re- 
moval to  Fisher  transferred  their  member- 
ship to  the  Methodist  church  there.  Mr. 
Gilmore  was  widely  and  favorably  known 
throughout  the  county,  being  a  man  of  un- 
blemished character  and  sterling  worth. 
His  wife  survives  him  and  continues  to 
make  her  home  in  Fisher.  To  them  were 
born  six  children,  of  whom  our  subject  is 
the  oldest;  Zela,  the  next  in  order  of  birth, 
is  the  wife  of  D.  D.  Hinton,  a  farmer  of 
Newcomb  township;  Belle  is  the  wife  of  R. 
J.  Myers;  F.  W.  and  C.  H.  are  both  farmers 
of  Newcomb  township;  and  O.  I.  is  study- 
ing pharmacy. 

Our  subject  accompanied  his  parents  on 
their  removal  to  this  county,  and  upon  the 
home  farm  he  grew  to  manhood,  his  educa- 
tion being  acquired  in  the-  common  schools 
of  the  locality.  He  assisted  in  the  opera- 
tion of  the  farm  and  continued  to  carry  it 
on  for  some  years.  His  first  purchase  con- 
sisted of  eighty  acres  adjoining  the  home 
place;  later  he  bought  forty  acres  across 
the  road,  and  still  later  another  eighty-acre 
tract,  making  two  hundred  acres  in  all.  He 
has  made  many  improvements  upon  the 
place  in  the  way  of  tiling,  fencing,  and  the 


erection  of  good  and  substantial  build- 
ings, and  now  has  a  most  desirable  and  at- 
tractive-looking farm. 

In  Le  Roy,  McLean  county,  Illinois, 
Mr.  Gilmore  was  married,  September  14, 
1895,  to  Miss  Ella  M.  Morris,  a  native  of 
that  place,  and  a  daughter  of  A.  H.  Morris, 
a  business  man  of  Le  Roy.  By  this  union 
has  been  born  one  child,  Lucile.  Since 
casting  his  first  presidential  vote  for  Grover 
Cleveland,  Mr.  Gilmore  has  been  a  stanch 
supporter  of  the  Democratic  party,  but  has 
never  sought  political  honors.  He  is  now 
serving  as  school  trustee.  His  wife  is  a 
member  of  the  Shiloh  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  and  he  attends  church  with  her  and 
contributes  to  its  support.  As  a  business 
man  he  is  prompt  and  notably  reliable,  and 
the  success  that  he  has  achieved  in  life  is 
due  entirely  to  his  own  industry,  persever- 
ance and  good  management. 


WILLIAM  B.  LYONS.  One  of  the 
most  enterprising  agriculturists  of 
Mahomet  township,  Champaign  county,  is 
the  gentleman  of  whom  the  following  lines 
are  penned.  He  is  one  of  the  native  sons 
of  this  township,  his  birth  having  occurred 
here  September  21,  1858,  and  his  entire  life 
has  been  intimately  connected  with  the  de- 
velopment of  this  locality. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
William  D.  Lyons,  was  born  and  grew  to 
maturity  in  Maryland,  whence  he  emigrated 
to  Kentucky  at  an  early  period.  He  served 
as  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  was  a 
true  patriot  in  times  of  peace  and  war  alike. 
About  1851  he  removed  from  the  Blue 
Grass  state  to  Champaign  county,  and  buy- 
ing a  farm  in  Mahomet  township,  spent  his 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


577 


last  years  here.  Samuel  Lyons,  one  of  his 
children,  and  the  father  of  William  B. ,  was 
born  in  Lewis  county,  Kentucky,  April  10, 
1831,  and  passed  two  decades  of  his  life  in 
that  beautiful  section  of  the  Union.  In 
1851  he  came  to  Illinois  with  the  rest  of 
the  family,  and  at  the  death  of  his  father  in- 
herited a  portion  of  the  estate.  He  bought 
other  land  and  made  a  fine  farm,  one  of 
best  in  the  community.  He  enjoyed  the 
respect  of  his  neighbors  and  all  who  had 
dealings  with  him,  and  reared  his  children 
to  be  good  and  useful  citizens.  His  wife, 
formerly  Martha  Newell,  he  married  in  1857 
in  this  county,  whither  her  father,  William 
Newell,  had  come  to  dwell  many  years  be- 
fore. She  was  born  in  Geauga  county, 
Ohio,  and  received  much  of  her  education 
there  prior  to  her  arrival  in  this  state.  She 
survived  her  husband,  who  died  August  2, 
1888,  and  since  that  time  has  lived  with  her 
eldest  son,  our  subject,  Another  son,  Wy- 
man,  died  when  he  was  ten  years  old,  and 
Dwight  Lyons,  now  of  Urbana,  is  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Big  Four  Railroad  Company. 
The  only  daughter,  Laura,  is  the  wife  of  M. 
O.  Stover,  who  is  a  successful  farmer  of 
this  township. 

The  record  of  the  life  of  William  B. 
Lyons  presents  no  startling  occurrences, 
and,  in  fact,  it  has  outwardly  flowed  in.very 
quiet,  even  channels.  His  boyhood  was 
that  of  the  usual  farmer's  lad,  and  from  the 
time  that  he  was  old  enough  to  be  of  any 
service  in  the  management  of  the  homestead 
he  commenced  performing  a  share  of  the 
labors  which  fell  to.  his  father.  He  attended 
the  district  schools,  of  course,  and  without 
difficulty  mastered  their  limited  curriculum. 
After  his  father's  death  the  estate  was  di- 
vided, and  for  ten  years  he  cultivated  the 
portion  which  came  to  him.  He  made 


material  improvements  upon  the  place,  and 
by  tiling  and  ditching  the  low-lying  ground, 
every  acre  was  reduced  to  cultivation.  In 
1899  he  sold  part  of  the  property  and 
bought  his  present  fine  place,  with  his  resi- 
dence in  section  9,  about  two  miles  from 
the  village  of  Mahomet.  The  farm  com- 
prises three  hundred  and  thirty  acres,  all  of 
which  is  fertile  and  very  productive,  yield- 
ing a  harvest  of  golden  ducats  to  the  owner 
each  year.  He  found  it  advisable  to  erect 
larger  barns,  and  has  all  facilities  for  hand- 
ling his  crops. 

As  may  be  justly  inferred,  Mr.  Lyons,  in 
the  multiplicity  of  his  business  interests,  has 
had  little  time  to  devote  to  outside  matters, 
yet  he  retains  a  loyal  concern  in  whatever 
affects  his  community,  state  and  country. 
Politically  he  is  a  Democrat  and  cast  his 
first  presidential  ballot  for  Grover  Cleveland. 
Fraternally  he  is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fel- 
lows Order,  belonging  to  the  Mahomet 
Lodge.  His  mother,  who  keeps  house  for 
him,  is  an  earnest  member  of  the  Baptist 
church  of  Mahomet.  Both  are  contributors 
to  benevolences  and  to  the  worthy  poor,  and 
their  names  are  honored  in  many  a  house- 
hold where  their  timely  help  has  brought 
comfort  and  cheer. 


A  BRAHAM  P.  MEHARRY,  residing  on 
l~\  section  5,  Crittenden  township,  is  one 
of  the  most  progressive  and  successful  agri- 
culturists of  Champaign  county.  Many  of 
the  leading  enterprises  and  business  inter- 
ests of  the  community  bear  the  impress  of 
his  individuality  and  owe  not  a  little  of  their 
success  to  his  ability  and  capable  powers  of 
management.  His  great  determination  and 
energy  have  enabled  him  to  overcome  all 


578 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


difficulties  and  obstacles  in  his  path  and  work 
his  way  steadily  upward  to  prosperity.  He 
is  known  among  his  fellow  citizens  for  his 
reliability  in  all  trade  transactions  and  justly 
merits  their  confidence  and  regard. 

Mr.  Meharry  was  born  near  Wingate, 
Montgomery  county,  Indiana,  February  16, 
1842,  and  is  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  In 
1644,  during  the  reign  of  Queen  Mary,  his 
ancestors  were  driven  from  Scotland  on  ac- 
count of  their  religious  opinions  and  sought 
homes  in  Ireland.  His  grandfather,  Alex- 
ander Meharry,  was  born  in  the  latter  coun- 
ty, and  there  he  was  married  in  1794.  The 
following  year  he  and  his  wife  took  passage 
on  a  sailing  vessel,  and  after  a  tedious  voy- 
age of  thirteen  weeks  landed  in  New  York, 
whence  they  proceeded  to  Philadelphia,  and 
afterward  lived  for  a  short  time  in  Chester 
county,  Pennsylvania,  and  in  Connellsville, 
Fayette  county,  the  same  state.  In  1798 
the  grandfather  fitted  out  a  houseboat  and 
floated  down  the  Ohio  river  to  the  site  of 
Manchester,  Adams  county,  Ohio,  where  he 
landed.  He  purchased  a  tract  of  land  at 
the  fork  of  Eagle  creek  and  spent  several 
years  in  the  struggles  of  pioneer  life.  While 
returning  from  a  camp  meeting  he  was 
killed  by  a  falling  tree,  June  21,  1813.  His 
widow  was  reft  with  eight  children,  namely: 
Hugh,  Thomas,  James,  Mary,  Jesse,  David, 
Samuel  and  Alexander.  She  did  a  noble 
part  by  them,  remaining  on  the  homestead 
and  keeping  them  together  until  they  were 
able  to  take  care  of  themselves.  She  died 
in  1844. 

Thomas  Meharry,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  born  in  Adams  county,  Ohio,  in 
1799,  and  throughout  his  active  business  life 
followed  the  occupation  of  a  farmer,  but  for 
ten  years  before  his  death  lived  retired.  He 
was  of  a  retiring  disposition  and  took  no 


active  part  in  public  affairs.  He  was  a  con- 
sistent member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  and  was  a  Republican  in  politics 
from  the  organization  of  that  party.  In 
December,  1827,  in  Brown  county,  Ohio, 
he  married  Miss  E'inity  Patton,  who  was 
born  in  that  county  in  1802.  Their  chil- 
dren were  Jane  P.,  now  the  widow  of  Eli 
H.  Dick,  and  a  resident  of  Philo,  this  coun- 
ty; William,  a  resident  of  Tolono,  whose 
sketch  appears  on  another  page  of  this  vol- 
ume; Ellen,  wife  of  John  S.  Martin,  a  re- 
tired farmer  living  near  Newtown,  .Indiana; 
Jesse,  also  a  retired  farmer  of  Tolono,  who 
is  represented  elsewhere  in  this  work;  Polly 
A.,  deceased  wife  of  A.  C.  McCorkle,  a 
farmer  of  Tippscanos  county,  Indiana; 
Abraham  P.,  our  subject;  Isaac  N. ,  who  is 
living  on  the  old  homestead  in  Montgomery 
county,  Indiana. 

Our  subject  was  reared  on  the  home  farm 
and  educated  in  the  public  schools  and  the 
Wesley  Academy  near  Crawfordsville,  Indi- 
ana. In  1866,  at  the  age  of  twenty-four,  he 
came  to  Philo  township,  Champaign  county, 
Illinois,  joining  his  brothers,  William  and 
Jesse.  They  took  possession  of  the  land 
purchased  by  their .  father,  who  owned  four 
sections  in  this  county,  one  in  McLean 
county,  and  a  half  section  in  Shelby  county, 
Illinois.  During  the  first  year  of  his  resi- 
dence here'  our  subject  engaged  alone  in  the 
stock  business,  and  then  became  associated 
with  his  brother  Jesse  in  farming  and  stock 
dealing  on  a  large  scale,  feeding  and  hand- 
ling several  hundred  head  of  stock  annually. 

Mr.  Meharry  made  his  home  with  his 
brother  Jesse  until  his  marriage,  which  was 
celebrated  June  3,  1879,  Miss  Martha 
McMillin  becoming  his  wife.  She  was  born 
inTippecanoe county,  Indiana,  November  23, 
1846,  a  daughter  of  John  King  and  Sarah 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


579 


(Stafford)  McMillin.  Her  ancestors  were 
also  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  Her  great- 
grandfather, Hugh  McMillin,  emigrated 
from  Scotland  to  America  and  settled  in 
Raleigh,  North  Carolina,  but  afterward 
moved  to  Spartansburg,  South  Carolina, 
where  the  grandfather,  Andrew  McMillin, 
was  born.  He  had  eight  children,  the  oth- 
ers being  Andrew,  Robert,  Hugh,  William, 
Anna,  Mary,  and  two  daughters  whose 
names  are  unknown,  and  who  married  men 
by  the  name  of  McClure.  Near  King's 
Cove,  Tazewell  county,  Virginia,  Andrew 
McMillin  married  Nancy  King,  a  daughter 
of  James  King,  and  one  of  a  family  of  four 
children,  the  others  being  Elijah,  Isaac  and 
John.  Her  paternal  grandfather  emigrated 
from  England  just  before  the  Revolutionary 
war  and  settled  near  King's*  Cove.  He  is 
supposed  to  have  been  killed  by  the  Indians. 
After  his  marriage  Andrew  McMillin  located 
on  a  farm  near  Pucklet  river,  in  Spartans- 
burg  county,  South  Carolina,  where  he 
lived  for  a  number  of  years,  but  finally  re- 
turned to  Virginia,  and  later  moved  to  Clai- 
borne  county,  Tennessee,  locating  at  the 
head  of  Oldtown  creek,  ten  miles  west  of 
Cumberland  Gap.  After  a  residence  there 
of  seven  or  eight  years,  they  returned  to 
Virginia,  where  the  family  continued  to 
make  their  home  until  1830,  but  in  the 
meantime  Andrew  McMillin  died  in  South 
Carolina.  In  the  fall  of  1830  his  widow 
and  children  moved  to  Tippecanoe  county, 
Indiana,  where,  with  a  capital  of  only  fifty 
dollars,  they  assumed  the  trials  of  pioneer 
life  and  the  labors  of  clearing  a  farm  in  a 
heavily  timbered  tract.  This  farm,  consist- 
ing of  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres,  is  now 
known  as  the  Sayers  place.  There  Mrs. 
McMillin's  death  occurred.  Her  children 
were  Jane,  who  married  John  Montgomery, 


and  died  near  Sugar  Grove,  Tippecanoe 
county;  Martha,  wife  of  Robert  Sayers,  of 
Wheeler's  Grove;  Nancy  Ann,  who  married 
Richard  Belcher,  and  died  in  Trenton, 
Missouri;  Robert,  who  died  at  Shawnee 
Mound,  Tippecanoe  county,  Indiana;  Pinck- 
ney,  a  Methodist  Episcopal  minister,  who 
went  to  California  as  a  missionary  in  1849, 
and  died  there;  Mary,  who  wedded  Eli 
Hicks,  and  died  in  Missouri;  Elizabeth,  who 
married  James  Kirkpatrick,  and  died  in 
Iowa;  and  John  King,  father  of  Mrs.  Me- 
harry. 

John  King  McMillin  was  born  near  King's 
Cove,  Tazewell  county,  Virginia,  Septem- 
ber 27,  1807,  and  early  developed  traits  of 
strong  character  that  marked  his  after  life. 
He  procured  mainly  by  his  own  efforts  an 
education  sufficient  to  enable  him  to  teach 
school.  He  subsequently  purchased  two 
hundred  acres  of  land  one-half  mile  north 
of  Sugar  Grove,  Tippecanoe  county.  Indi- 
ana, which  became  his  permanent  home 
and  the  nucleus  of  an  extensive  tract  of 
two  thousand  acres.  In  early  life  he  did  a 
large  business  in  buying,  feeding  and  hand- 
ling stock,  which  he  drove  to  Chicago,  as 
it  was  before  railroads  were  established. 
He  was  married,  January  16,  1838,  to 
Sarah  Ann  Stafford,  a  native  of  Highland 
county,  Ohio,  and  a  daughter  of  James  and 
Sarah  (Micklef)  Stafford.  By  this  union 
were  born  eight  children:  Nancy  A.,  who 
married  John  Lofland  and  died  in  Craw- 
fordsville,  Indiana;  Susan  M  ,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  nineteen  years;  Mary  Z. ,  who 
died  in  childhood;  Martha  J.,  wife  of  our 
subject;  Sarah  E.,  wife  of  Frank  A.  Insley, 
of  Portland,  Oregon;  William  B. ,  a  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  minister  of  Los  Angeles, 
California;  John  S.,  a  resident  of  Roche 
Harbor,  Washington;  and  Adda  E.,  wife  of 


580 


THE  BIOGRAHHICAL  RECORD. 


Barney  Simison,  of  LaFayette,  Indiana. 
The  father  of  these  children  was  a  man  of 
splendid  physique,  being  over  six  feet  in 
height.  He  was  born  under  the  institution 
of  slavery,  but  in  early  life  learned  to  hate 
it.  In  his  business  and  church  relations  he 
was  a  man  of  considerable  prominence  in 
his  county  and  state.  Though  averse  to 
public  positions,  he  filled  the  office  of  com- 
missioner of  Tippecanoe  county  for  two 
terms,  and  his  public  service  was  marked 
with  the  same  integrity  and  honor  which 
distinguished  his  private  life.  In  1878,  af- 
ter his  children  were  all  grown  and  estab- 
lished in  homes  of  their  own,  he  retired 
from  the  farm  to  LaFayette,  where  for  sev- 
eral years  he  spent  a  quiet  and  peaceful 
life.  His  wife  died  February  23.  1885, 
while  visiting  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Meharry, 
and  he  afterwards  found  a  welcome  home 
with  hischildren.  He,  too,  died  at  the  home 
of  Mrs.  Meharry,  November  10,  1896,  when 
in  his  ninetieth  year.  In  speaking  of  his  life, 
one  who  knew  him  well  wrote:  "John  K.  Mc- 
Millin  was  one  of  the  men  of  Tippecanoe 
county  whose  lives  have  stamped  for  genera- 
tions to  come  a  strong  approval  upon  indus- 
try, honor,  integrity,  charity,  parental  affec- 
tion, observance  of  moral  and  civil  laws. 
These  men  have  left  rich  heritages  to  their 
children.  They  were  a  noble  class,  and  their 
departure  is  an  occasion  for  sadness  and  also 
for  inspiration." 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Meharry  com- 
menced housekeeping  on  his  farm  in  a 
modest  little  abode,  sixteen  by  twenty-four 
feet,  and  one  and  a  half  stories  in  height, 
which  stood  on  the  east  side  of  the  creek, 
near  the  northeast  corner  of  section  5,  Crit- 
tenden  township,  where  he  owns  six  hundred 
and  forty  acres.  At  that  time  his  farm  was 
mostly  under  cultivation  and  leased  to  ten- 


ants. In  addition  to  this  he  owns  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  in  this  township.  He 
afterward  enlarged  and  remodeled  his  resi- 
dence, and  it  continued  to  be  his  home  for  a 
number  of  years.  There  two  chil- 
dren were  born  to  our  subject  and  his  wife, 
but  the  older,  a  son,  died  in  infancy.  The 
younger  is  Charles  L.,  born  March  1 1, 1885. 
Since  first  locating  upon  his  farm,  Mr. 
Meharry  has  given  his  personal  attention  to 
his  extensive  farming  interests.  He  made 
stock  rasing,  feeding  and  dealing  an  important 
part  of  his  business  until  1892,  when  he 
leased  his  land  and  has  since  devoted  his 
time  to  looking  after  his  property.  For 
several  years  he  was  interested  to  a  consid- 
erable extent  in  the  breeding  of  thorough- 
bred polled  Angus  cattle,  commencing  with 
two  imported  animals,  but  when  he  discon- 
tinued the  business  he  had  a  fine  herd  of 
about  fifty.  Besides  his  large  farm  in  Crit- 
tenden  township  he  owns  a  section  of  land 
in  Tippecanoe  county,  Indiana,  a  portion 
of  the  McMillin  estate  having  added  by 
purchase  the  shares  of  several  of  the  heirs  to 
that  of  Mrs.  Meharry.  In  1888  Mr.  Me- 
harry erected  his  present  elegant  residence 
at  a  cost  of  twelve  thousand  dollars,  being 
one  of  the  most  expensive  and  best  ap- 
pointed among  the  many  fine  rural  homes 
of  Champaign  county.  It  is  palatial  in  its 
arrangements  and  furnishings,  and  possesses 
all  the  conveniences  and  comforts  of  a  mo- 
dern city  residence.  It  is  pleasantly  located 
on  a  gentle  eminence,  surrounded  by  spa- 
cious and  well-kept  lawns,  and  in  its  artistic 
appointments  indicates  the  culture  and  re- 
finement of  the  inmates.  Mr.  Meharry 
has  certainly  demonstrated  beyond  the  pos- 
sibility of  a  doubt  that  it  is  not  necessary 
to  move  to  a  city  to  enjoy  a  comfortable 
and  luxurious  home,  as  well  as  the  propriety 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


581 


of  receiving  during  life  some  of  the  benefits 
which  ought  to  accompany  a  competence. 
In  public  affairs  he  has  ever  been  inter- 
ested in  the  advancement  and  improvement 
of  his  locality.  Although  his  time  and  at- 
tention have  been  principally  devoted  to 
agricultural  pursuits,  he  has  assisted  in  the 
organization  of  some  of  the  commercial  en- 
terprises of  the  locality.  In  1896  he  was 
one  of  the  founders  and  still  owns  a  third 
interest  in  the  Mattoon  Ice  &  Cold  Storage 
Company  of  Mattoon.  To  his  own  personal 
efforts  and  influence  the  community  is  in- 
debted for  the  establishment  of  the  first 
free  rural  delivery  route  in  this  coun- 
ty. This  he  secured  in  the  fall  of  1899, 
giving  a  free  delivery  to  Crittenden  town- 
ship, which  has  no  postoffice  within  its  boun- 
daries, and  some  of  its  citizens  live  seven 
miles  from  the  nearest  postoffice.  In  pol- 
itics Mr.  Meharry  is  a  zealous  Republican 
and  earnest  worker  for  the  interests  of  his 
party.  He  has  served  as  a  delegate  to 
various  county,  state  and  congressional 
conventions,  but  has  always  declined 
office.  He  takes  an  active  interest  in  edu- 
cational matters,  however,  and  has  served 
on  the  school  board  during  most  of  his  res- 
idence here.  He  and  his  wife  are  leading 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
of  Tolono,  in  which  he  has  served  as 
steward  for  many  years.  In  the  erection  of 
the  new  Methodist  Episcopal  church  Mr. 
Meharry  took  a  prominent  and  active  part. 


A  RTHUR  BABB.  Among  the  agricultur- 
/i  ists  of  this  county  who  have  attained 
success  from  a  financial  point  of  view  is  the 
gentleman  whose  name  introduces  this 
sketch.  He  is  one  of  the  most  progressive 


and  energetic  farmers  and  stock  raisers  of 
Condit  township,  his  home  being  on  section 
12,  and  is  a  complete  master  of  the  calling 
which  he  is  following.  His  sterling  integri- 
ty and  honorable,  upright  manhood,  fully 
entitle  him  to  the  position  which  he  holds 
in  the  estimation  of  the  people  of  the  com- 
munity. 

Mr.  Babb  was  born  June  3,  1862,  in 
Staffordshire,  England,  of-  which  shire  his 
parents,  Charles  and  Eleanor  (Bunting) 
Babb,  were  also  natives.  After  following 
farming  there  for  some  years,  the  father,  in 
1870,  emigrated  to  America  with  his  family, 
and  on  landing  in  this  country  came  at  once 
to  Champaign,  Illinois,  where  he  joined  some 
English  friends.  For  some  time  he  worked  by 
theday  or  month  at  anything  he  could  find  to 
do,  and  then  rented  land  in  Rantoul  town- 
ship and  turned  his  attention  to  agricultural 
pursuits.  Subsequently  he  bought  eighty 
acres  in  that  township,  to  which  he  later  add- 
ed from  time  to  time  until  he  now  owns 
two  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  well  im- 
proved land  near  the  village  of  Rantoul,  all 
of  which  has  been  acquired  through  his  own 
well  directed  labors.  He  is  one  of  the  most 
successful  farmers,  stock  raisers  and  dealers 
in  this  part  of  the  county,  and  is  widely  and 
favorably  known.  He  lost  his  first  wife  in 
in  1896,  and  he  later  married  again. 

Arthur  Babb  was  quite  small  on  the  emi- 
gration of  the  family  to  the  United  States, 
and  in  this  county  he  grew  to  manhood,  his 
education  being  obtained  in  its  district 
schools.  He  helped  carry  on  the  home  farm 
until  twenty-three  years  of  age,  and  thus  ac- 
quired an  excellent  knowledge  of  agricultural 
pursuits.  He  was  married  in  Rantoul  town- 
ship, August  27,  1885,  to  Miss  Alice  Mer- 
chant, a  daughter" of  George  and  Martha 
(Crane)  Merchant.  She  was  born  in  Fulton 


582 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


county,  Illinois,  but  was  principally  reared 
in  Champaign  county.  Our  subject  and  his 
wife  have  two  daughters,  Jessie  and  Flor- 
ence, who  are  students  in  the  home  school. 
After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Babb  rented  a 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
land  in  Rantoul  township  for  one  year,  and 
for  the  following  five  years  operated  a  two- 
hundred-acre  farm  in  Condit  township,  which 
he  rented.  During  that  period  he  bought 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  on  sec- 
tion 12,  Condit  township,  upon  which  he 
located  in  1892  and  which  has  since  been 
his  home.  He  has  made  many  improve- 
ments upon  the  place  in  the  way  of  buildings, 
has  set  out  an  orchard,  and  tiled  and  fenced 
the  land,  transforming  it  into  a  fine  farm. 
Besides  his  property  he  owns  a  well-im- 
proved farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  in  Rantoul  township.  Though  he 
commenced  life  for  himself  in  limited  cir- 
cumstances, he  has  by  his  own  labor, 
enterprise  and  good  management  acquired  a 
competence,  and  is  now  numbered  among 
the  well-to-do  men  of  his  community.  He 
has  been  a  member  of  the  school  board  in 
his  district,  but  has  never  cared  for  political 
honors,  desiring  rather  to  devote  his  entire 
time  and  attention  to  his  business  interests. 
In  his  political  views  he  is  a  stanch  Repub- 
lican. His  estimable  wife  holds  member- 
ship in  the  Christian  church. 


JOSEPH  H.  RITTENHOUSE,  a  pro. 
gressive  agriculturist  who,  own  and 
operates  a  fine  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
eighty  acres  of  land  on  section  7,  Hensley 
township,  Champaign  county,  Illinois,  was 
born  in  Ross  county,  Ohio,  April  30,  1844, 
and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Sarah  J.  (Veatch) 


Rittenhouse,  the  former  also  a  native  of 
Ohio,  the  latter  of  Maryland.  His  paternal 
grandfather  was  a  soldier  of  the  war  of  1812. 
In  early  life  the  father  learned  the  tanner's 
trade  which  he  followed  for  several  years, 
but  later  turned  his  attention  to  farming  and 
stock  raising.  While  a  resident  of  Ohio, 
before  the  railroads  were  built,  he  used  to 
drive  his  stock  to  Wheeling,  Baltimore,  Cin- 
cinnati, Louisville  and  other  -markets.  It 
was  in  1858  that  he  came  to  Champaign 
county,  Illinois,  and  purchased  a  farm  in 
Hensley  township,  upon  which  he  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  life.  He  always  took  an 
active  interest  in  politics,  was  a  Henry  Clay 
Whig,  and  a  strong  opposer  of  slavery.  On 
the  formation  of  the  Republican  party  in 
1856  he  adopted  its  principles,  and  ever 
afterwards  supported  its  candidates.  He 
never  aspired  to  office,  his  time  being  de- 
voted to  his  farming  operations  and  home 
relations.  He  was  an  active  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  Sunday 
school;  was  a  deacon  and  trustee  for  many 
years;  was  a  licensed  exhorter,  and  a  leader 
in  the  Mt.  Vernon  church  of  Hensley  town 
ship  for  several  years.  He  departed  this  life 
December  25,  1873,  aged  sixty-three  years, 
his  estimable  wife  passed  away  November, 
1864,  aged  fifty-four  years.  She  was  a  true 
and  faithful  wife  and  mother,  and  an  active 
worker  in  both  church  and  Sunday  school. 
To  this  worthy  couple  were  born  fifteen 
children,  of  whom  four  died  in  early  child- 
hood, while  the  eleven  who  reached  man  and 
womanhood  were  John  F.,  Sarah  J., 
Hezekiah  V.,  Lena,  William,  Edna,  David, 
Leathy  A.,  Joseph  H.,  J.  S.  and  Charles  E. 
All  of  the  daughters  are  now  deceased; 
Charles  E.  is  a  resident  of  Cambridge, Ohio; 
William,  of  Bainbridge,  Ohio;  David,  of 
Champaign,  Illinois;  and  J.  S.,  of  Peoria, 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


583 


this  state.  Five  of  the  sons  were  numbered 
among  the  boys  in  blue  of  the  Civil  war  and 
valiantly  fought  for  the  old  flag  and  the 
cause  it  represented.  William  and  Hezekiah 
V.  enlisted  in  the  Eighteenth  Ohio  Volunteer 
Infantry,  but  after  serving  for  a  few  months 
William  was  discharged  on  account  of  dis- 
ability, though  he  later  enlisted  in  another 
regiment  and  served  for  one  year.  Hezekiah 
was  in  active  service  from  1862  un- 
til hostilities  ceased.  He  was  under 
the  comnad  of  General  Roseranz  and 
participated  in  the  battle  of  Murfrees- 
boro  and  several  other  engagements,' 
but  was  never  wounded  or  off  duty  for  a 
single  day.  Levi  was  a  member  of  the 
Tenth  Kansas  Regiment,  which  was  assigned 
to  the  Western  Division  of  the  army  and 
was  stationed  on  the  frontier.  J.  S.  enlisted 
in  1863,  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years,  in  the 
Seventy-first  Indiana  Volunteer  Infantry, 
which  was  later  changed  to  the  Mounted 
Infantry.  He  was  under  the  command  of 
General  Burnside  and  saw  some  hard  ser- 
vice, taking  part  in  the  battles  of  Knoxville, 
Cumberland  Gap  and  others.  Our  subject 
was  also  in  the  service,  enlisting  in  1862 
in  the  Company  H,  Seventy-first  Illinois 
Infantry,  and  did  garrison  duty  for  three 
months. 

Joseph  E.  Rittenhouse  was  about  four- 
teen years  of  age  when  with  his  parents  he 
came  to  Champaign  county,  Illinois,  and  in 
Hensley  township  he  grew  to  manhood, 
early  acquiring  an  excellent  knowledge  of 
agricultural  pursuits  and  obtaining  a  good 
practical  education  in  the  schools.  After 
laying  aside  his  text  books  he  worked  for 
his  father  until  attaining  his  majority  and 
then  started  out  in  life  for  himself  as  a  farm- 
er. In  1872  he  located  on  the  farm  which 
has  since  been  his  home,  and  in  its  oper- 


ation has  met  with  marked  success.  It  is 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  well 
improved,  in  fact  is  one  of  the  most 
desirable  farms  of  its  size  in  the  town- 
ship. 

In  1865  Mr.  Rittenhouse  married  Miss 
Mary  Richards,  a  daughter  of  John  Wesley 
and  Drusilla  (McCabe)  Richards,  natives  of 
Kentucky  and  Ohio  respectively.  The  father 
died  in  Sacramento,  California,  in.  1850,  at 
the  age  of  forty  years,  and  later  the  mother 
married  S.  Osborne,  of  Mahomet,  this 
county.  She  died  in  1874  at  the  age  of 
fifty-eight  years.  There  were  six  children 
born  of  the  first  marriage:  George  M.,  now 
a  printer  of  Warsaw,  Missouri;  David,  who 
was  killed  in  the  battle  of  Missionary  Ridge 
during  the  ivil  war;  Mary,  wife  of  Cour  sub- 
ject; John  Wesley,  a  resident  of  Cole  Camp, 
Bsnton  county,  Missouri;  William,  a  printer 
and  farmer  of  Clark  county,  Illinois;  and 
Eliza  M.,  deceased  wife  of  Theodore  Funk. 
The  family  hold  membership  in  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  church. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rittenhouse  have  been 
born  five  children,  namely:  Arthur,  at  home 
with  his  parents;  Addie,  wife  of  D.  S.  Her- 
riott,  a  farmer  of  Condit  township,  this 
county;  John  R.,  who  married  Ida  Stoudt, 
and  is  engaged  in  fanning  in  Mahomet  town- 
ship, this  county;  Levi  W.,  who  married 
Mary  Betz  and  lives  on  the  homestead 
with  his  parents;  and  Kate,  wife  of  Charles 
S.  Herriott,  a  farmer  of  Hensley  town- 
ship. 

Fraternally  Mr.  Rittenhouse  is  a  mem- 
ber of  Ephraim  Scott  Post,  No.  464,  G.  A. 
R. ,  of  Mahomet.  He  takes  an  active  and 
commendable  interest  in  public  affairs,  and 
has  most  creditably  and  acceptably  filled  the 
offices  of  school  director  for  several  terms 
and  assessor  nine  years. 


584 


THE  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


MYRON  E.  NELSON.  Among  the 
progressive  and  enterprising  farmers 
and  stock  raisers  of  Condit  township  none 
stand  higher  in  public  esteem  than  the  gen- 
tleman whose  name  heads  this  sketch.  He 
has  been  a  resident  of  the  county  since 
January,  1862,  and  now  makes  his  home 
on  section  23,  Condit  township,  where  he 
owns  a  good  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres.  He  also  has  another  farm  of  eighty 
acres  on  section  26,  and  an  undivided  inter- 
est in  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  in  the  same 
township. 

Mr.  Nelson  is  a  native  of  Vermont,  born 
in  Windham  county,  March  16,  1845,  and 
is  a  son  of  Myron  E.  Nelson,  Sr. ,  who  was 
born  in  Franklin  county,  Massachusetts,  in 
1821.  The  grandfather,  Obed  Nelson,  was 
also  born  in  the  old  Bay  state,  where  the 
family  was  founded  at  an  early  day  in 
the  history  of  this  country.  The  father  of 
our  subject  grew  to  manhood  in  Massa- 
chusetts, and  married  Lucy  E.  Lynde,  a 
native  of  Vermont  and  a  daughter  of  Squire 
Lynde.  After  his  marriage  he  engaged  in 
the  hotel  business  in  Vermont  and  Massa- 
chusetts, and  on  coming  west  in  1852 
opened  a  boarding  house  in  Cook  county, 
Illinois,  which  he  conducted  in  connection 
with  farming  for  six  years.  In  1862  he  re- 
moved to  Champaign  county  and  bought 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  raw  land  on 
section  26,  Condit  township,  where  he 
opened  up  and  improved  a  farm.  There  he 
died  in  the  winter  of  .1885,  but  his  wife  is 
still  living  and  now  makes  her  home  in 
Champaign. 

Our  subject  is  the  oldest  in  a  family  of 
four  sons,  all  of  whom  reached  manhood, 
while  three  still  survive.  He  was  reared  in 
Cook  and  Champaign  county  and  given  the 
advantages  of  a  common-school  education. 


He  remained  upon  the  home  farm  some  two 
or  three  years  after  attaining  his  majority, 
and  then  purchased  a  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  in  Condit  township,  upon 
which  he  made  some  permanent  improve- 
ments and  which  he  operated  for  five  years. 
On  disposing  of  that  place,  he  bought 
another  tract  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  new  land,  which  he  broke  and  im- 
proved. He  built  a  good  house,  which  he 
has  since  enlarged,  has  erected  a  barn  and 
other  outbuildings,  put  up  a  wind  pump  and 
stock  scales,  has  tiled  the  land  and  planted 
an  orchard  and  forest  trees,  all  of  which 
improvements  add  greatly  to  the  value  and 
attractive  appearance  of  the  place.  He 
purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  on  section 
26,  Condit  township,  and  also  owns  an  in- 
terest in  the  old  home  farm,  which  he 
operates.  To  his  own  industry,  enterprise 
and  perseverance  may  be  attributed  his  suc- 
cess in  life,  for  he  started  out  for  himself 
empty-handed,  and  unaided  has  overcome 
the  obstacles  in  his  path  until  he  is  now 
quite  well-to-do. 

On  the  I4th.of  April,  1870,  in  this  coun- 
ty, Mr.  Nelson  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Amanda  E.  Hensley,  a  native  of  Ohio, 
and  a  daughter  of  A.  P.  Hensley,  one  of 
the  first  settlers  of  the  county,  who  came 
to  this  locality  from  Ohio  by  team.  Here 
Mrs.  Nelson  was  reared.  Our  subject  and 
his  wife  have  four  children:  Archie  M., 
who  assists  his  father  in  carrying  on  the 
home  farm;  Lucy  E. ,  at  home;  Elmsr  P., 
who  married  'Bessie  Stanbus  and  lives  in 
Condit  township;  and  William,  at  home. 

Since  casting  his  first  presidential  vote 
for  General  U.  S.  Grant  in  1868,  Mr.  Nel- 
son has  been  an  ardent  Republican,  and  has 
served  as  a  delegate  to  numerous  county 
conventions  of  his  party.  He  filled  the  of- 


THE  BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


585 


fice  of  township  assessor  two  terms;  com- 
missioner of  highways  two  or  three  terms; 
has  been  a  member  of  the  school  board 
twelve  years,  and  is  now  township  school 
trustee.  He  has  also  served  as  collector, 
and  in  1896  was  elected  sjpervisor,  to 
which  office  he  was  re-elected.  He  was  a 
member  of  several  important  committees, 
and  chairman  of  the  committee  on  swamp 
lands.  In  the  spring  of  1900  he  was  ap- 
pointed to  fill  an  unexpired  term  in  the 
same  position  and  is  now  a  member  of  two 
committees.  In  whatever  position  he  has 
served  he  has  proved  a  faithful  and  efficient 
officer,  and  his  public  and  private  life  are 
alike  above  reproach. 


FREDERICK  SPERLING,  whose  home 
1  is  on  section  32,  East  Bend  township, 
Champaign  county,  Illinois,  is  one  of  the 
highly  respected  and  worthy  citizens  of  his 
community.  Although  born  on  the  other 
side  of  the  Atlantic,  he  is  thoroughly  Amer- 
ican in  thought  and  feeling,  and  that  he  is 
patriotic  and  sincere  in  his  love  for  the  stars 
and  stripes  was  manifest  by  his  service  in 
the  Union  army  during  the  Civil  war. 

A  native  of  Germany,  Mr.  Sperling  was 
born  in  Prussia,  September  i,  1836, and  there 
spent  the  first  thirteen  years  of  his  life,  re- 
ceiving good  educational  advantages  in  the 
schools  of  that  country.  In  1850  his  father, 
Godfrey  Sperling,  with  his  family  sailed 
from  Hamburg  on  the  Elba,  commanded  by 
Captain  Hydeman,  and  after  a  stormy  voy- 
age of  fifty-two  days  landed  in  New  York, 
in  August  of  that  year.  They  immediately 
proceeded  westward,  going  up  the  Hudson 
river  to  Albany,  by  rail  to  Buffalo,  and  by 
boat  round  the  lakes  to  Sheboygan,  Wis- 


consin, where  the  family  spent  two  years. 
The  father  then  purchased  land  near  that 
city,  cleared  away  the  timber  and  trans- 
formed the  wild  land  into  a  good  farm. 

In  the  public  schools  of  Wisconsin  our 
subject  obtained  a  good  knowledge  of  the 
English  language,  and  he  remained  with  his 
father  until  grown.  In  April,  1861,  at  the 
first  call  for  troops,  he  enlisted  for  three 
months  in  the  Fourth  Wisconsin  Volunteer 
Infantry,  but  was  n^ver  called  into  active 
service.  The  following  June  he  re-enlisted 
in  Company  A,  Ninth  Wisconsin  Volunteer 
Infantry,  which'  was  assigned  to  the  Army 
of  the  Frontier,  and  sent  to  Leavenworth, 
Kansas.  His  first  engagement  was  at  New- 
tonia,  which  was  followed  by  the  battle  of 
Prairie  Grove,  Arkansas,  and  small  engage- 
ments at  Little,  Missouri,  Boonsboro, 
Prairie  De  Ann,  Poison  Springs,  Camden, 
and  the  battle  on  the  Saline  river,  Arkansas. 
They  pursued  the  Quantrell  band  through 
Missouri  and  Arkansas,  and  were  in  many 
skirmishes.  Although  his  clothes  were 
pierced  by  bullets  in  many  places,  Mr. 
Sperling  was  never  seriously  wounded,  and 
lost  no  time  from  his  regiment  on  account 
of  sickness.  He  was  honorably  discharged 
at  Milwaukee,  in  December,  1864,  and  re- 
turned home. 

Mr.  Sperling  was  married,  in  Wisconsin, 
in  1860,  to  Miss  Anna  Marie  Miller,  who  was 
also  born  in  Germany,  who  was  reared  on 
a  farm  in  Wisconsin.  The  early  home  of 
her  family  was  near  the  River  Rhine  in 
Hesse-Darmstadt.  It  was  in  1848  that  she 
came  to  America  with  her  father,  Christ- 
opher Miller,  and  settled  on  a  farm  in 
Sheboygan  county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sperling 
have  six  children  living,  namely;  Dorothea, 
wife  of  John  A.  Marriner  of  Chicago;  J.  C. 
R. ,  who  is  married  and  also  lives  in  Chicago; 


586 


THE  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Laura  H.,  wife  of  James  McGowan  of  South 
Evanston,  Illoinis,  Minerva  who  died  when  a 
young  lady  Edwin  L.  who  is  engaged  in  farm- 
ing near  Urbana,  this  county;  Frederick  W., 
who  went  to  Cuba  as  a  soldier  of  the  Span- 
ish-American war,  but  is  now  at  home;  and 
Marie,  who  is  now  with  her  brother  in  Chi- 
cago attending  school. 

In  the  spring  of  1865  Mr.  Sperling  and 
his  family  removed  to  Bloomington,  Mc- 
Lean county,  Illinois,  where  he  worked  in 
a  nursery  and  in  George  Burner's  lumber 
yard  until  the  following  December,  when 
he  came  to  Champaign  county.  Here  he 
engaged  in  farming  upon  rented  land  for 
several  years.  His  first  purchase  consisted 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  raw  land, 
which  he  bought  in  partnership  with  his 
brother,  and  in  connection  with  its  cultiva- 
tion they  also  operated  rented  land  and  en- 
gaged in  the  stock  business  quite  extensively 
for  seven  years,  the  partnership  being  dis- 
solved at  the  end  of  that  time.  The  prop- 
erty was  then  divided  and  our  subject  took 
the  farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
on  section  32,  East  Bend  township,  where 
he  now  resides.  It  was  purchased  from  the 
Illinois  Central  Railroad  in  1869,  and  has 
since  been  converted  into  a  well-improved 
and  productive  farm. 

In  his  political  affiliations  Mr.  Sperling 
is  a  stanch  Republican,  and  cast  his  first 
presidential  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln  in 
1860.  He  has  ever  taken  an  active  interest 
in  educational  affairs,  and  for  eleven  years 
was  a  member  of  the  school  board  and  clerk 
of  the  district.  In  1888  he  was  elected 
supervisor,  and  so  acceptably  did  he  fill  that 
office  that  he  has  been  continuously  re- 
elected,  and  is  the  present  incumbent,  his 
term  not  expiring  for  two  years.  He  has 
been  a  member  of  nearly  every  committee, 


and  has  been  chairman  of  some  of  the  most 
important,  including  those  on  education  and 
the  poor  house  and  farm.  He  has  served 
as  a  delegate  to  numerous  county,  con- 
gressional and  senatorial  conventions. of  his 
party,  and  has  discharged  all  his  duties,  both 
public  and  private,  in  a  most  commendable 
and  satisfactory  manner.  He  and  his  wife 
attended  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  church 
of  Dewey,  and  he  is  a  member  of  the  Dewey 
Post,  No.  282,  G.  A.  R.  of  that  place,  of 
which  he  is  now  commander,  having  served 
in  that  office  for  two  years.  He  is  also  a 
prominent  member  of  Dewey  Lodge,  No. 
994,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  which  he  is  past  grand 
and  past  representative,  and  is  a  member  of 
the  Encampment  at  Fisher,  No.  158. 


WILLIAM  COOK.  Prominent  among 
the  citizens  of  Champaign  county 
who  have  witnessed  the  marvelous  develop- 
ment of  this  state  in  the  past  sixty  years, 
and  who  have,  by  honest  toil  and  industry, 
succeeded  in  acquiring  a  competence  and 
are  now  able  to  spend  the  sunset  of  life  in 
quiet  and  retirement,  is  the  gentleman 
whose  name  introduces  this  sketch  and 
who  now  makes  his  home  at  No.  409 
Springfield  avenue,  Champaign. 

A  native  of  Illinois,  Mr.  Cook  was  born 
in  Will  county,  December  14,  1835,  and  is 
a  son  of  Jesse  and  Nancy  (Linebarger) 
Cook,  natives  of  Ohio  and  North  Carolina, 
respectively.  The  father  was  reared  in 
Ohio  until  twenty-one  years  of  age,  and 
then  removed  to  Park  county,  Indiana, 
where  he  was  married.  In  the  midst  of  a 
heavily  timbered  tract,  he  cleared  and  de- 
veloped a  farm,  and  made  his  home  there 
until  about  1830,  when  in  company  with  a 


THE  BIOGRAHPICAL    RECORD. 


587 


number  of  other  families  moved  to  what  is 
now  Will  county,  Illinois,  where  he  entered 
land  from  the  government,  but  after  residing 
there  for  a  short  time  they  were  forced  to 
leave  on  account  of  Indian  troubles,  the 
families  being  warned  of  their  danger  by  a 
friendly  Indian.  They  all  returned  to  In- 
diana, but  after  peace  was.  restored  they 
again  took  up  their  residence  in  Will  county, 
where  the  father  of  our  subject  lived  until 
1840,  when  he  sold  his  property  there  and 
moved  to  Macoupin  county,  Illinois,  becom- 
ing a  pioneer  of  that  locality.  He  again 
entered  a  tract  of  wild  land  and  underwent 
the  trials  and  difficulties  of  frontier  life.  In 
1870  he  came  to  Champaign  county  and 
purchased  land  in  Tolono  township,  where 
he  engaged  in  farming  for  some  time,  but 
finally  sold  his  farm  and  retired  from  active 
life,  spending  his  last  days  with  his  children. 
He  died  November,  1883,  his  wife  March  8, 
1885,  honored  and  respected  by  all  who 
knew  them.  Both  were  active  and  faithful 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
and  in  politics  he  was  a  Democrat. 

To  this  worthy  couple  were  born  eight 
children,  namely:  Mary  A.,  who  married 
Greenup  Kinder,  of  Macoupin  county,  and 
both  are  now  deceased.  John,  a  retired 
farmer  of  Tolono  township,  this  county; 
Andrew',  who  spent  most  of  his  life  in 
Macoupin  county,  but  finally  moved  to  Cass 
county,  Missouri,  where  he  died  in  1893; 
Lavina,  widow  of  Samuel  Kinder,  and  a 
resident  of  Montgomery  county,  Illinois; 
William,  our  subject;  George,  a  farmer  of 
Tolono  township, this  county;  Elizabeth, de- 
ceased wife  of  M.  P.  Bobo, of  Jasper  county, 
Missouri, and  Charles  F. ,  a  farmer  of  Mont- 
gomery county,  Illinois.  In  1856  the  father 
and  his  son  Andrew  made  an  overland  trip  to 
California  in  company  with  a  number  of 


their  friends,  and  engaged  in  mining  near 
Sacramento  for  about  a  year,  returning 
home  by  way  of  the  Isthmus  and  Gulf  of 
Mexico.  In  1854  they  went  again  to  the 
Pacific  slope,  and  this  time  were  accom- 
panied by  the  other  members  of  the  family, 
the  elder  son  remaining  in  Illinois.  They 
left  their  home  in  Macoupin  county,  Illi- 
nois, on  the  1 6th  of  March,  that  year,  and 
reached  their  destination  four  months  later. 
The  parents  conducted  a  boarding  house, 
while  our  subject  and  his  brothers  engaged 
in  mining,  until  December,  1857,  when 
they  returned  to  this  state  by  the  water 
route,  our  subject  taking  his  first  car  ride 
across  the  Isthmus. 

William  Cook  was  only  five  years  old 
when  the  family  removed  to  Macoupin  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  where  he  grew  to  manhood  on  the 
farm,  and  from  the  time  he  was  ten  years 
old  followed  the  plow  and  bore  his  share  in 
the  other  farm  work.  His  education  Was 
obtained  in  the  primitive  schools  of  the 
time,  which  he  attended  only  during  the 
winter  months  when  he  could  be  spared  from 
the  farm  work.  On  reaching  his  majority 
he  started  out  in  life  for  himself  by  opera- 
ting rented  land  on  his  own  account. 

On  the  29th  of  March,  1860,  Mr.  Cook 
was  united  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Elizabeth  Bayless,  who  was  born  in  Park 
county,  Indiana,  April  30,  1843,  a  daugh- 
ter of  George  P.  and  Amelia  (Powers)  Bay- 
less,  also  natives  of  Indiana,  where  they 
spent  their  entire  lives.  The  father  was 
a  farmer  by  occupation  and  a  Democrat  in 
politics.  He  was  quite  a  prominent  and 
influential  man  in  his  community,  and  was 
honored  with  several  local  offices,  including 
that  of  assessor.  He  died  September  28, 
1858,  and  his  wife  passed  away  Jan- 
uary 7,  1855.  They  had  a  family  of  six 


588 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


children:  Elizabeth,  wife  of  our  subject; 
Francis,  a  farmer  of  Pottawattamie  county, 
Iowa;  Martha,  who  married  William  Mc- 
Coskey,  a  farmer  of  Vigo  county,  Indiana, 
and  both  are  now  deceased;  Susanna,  wife 
of  James  Campbell,  of  Kentucky;  John 
Wesley,  who  has  spent  his  entire  life  in 
Park  county,  Indiana;  and  William  Perry, 
a  resident  of  Cayuga,  Indiana.  Of  the  five 
children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cook,  three 
died  in  infancy.  Nettie  is  now  the  wife  of 
James  W.  Crow,  a  farmer  of  Colfax  town- 
ship, this  county,  and  they  have  one  child, 
Hazel  G.  Luella  A.  is  the  wife  of  Eugene 
Brownlee,  a  general  merchant  and  postmas- 
ter of  Norwood,  Mercer  county,  Illinois, 
and  they  have  two  sons,  Kenneth  C.  and 
Clifton  D. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Cook  continued 
to  operate  rented  land  for  five  years,  and 
then  purchased  property  arid  began  life  in  a 
modest  way  upon  his  own  farm.  Conclud- 
ing to  try  his  fortune  in  Kansas,  he  went  to 
that  state  in  the  spring  of  1866  in  company 
with  about  six  other  families  from  the  same 
neighborhood,  traveling  by  team  the  entire 
distance,  but  the  ravages  of  the  war  left 
both  Missouri  and  Kansas  in  a  desolate  con- 
dition, and  the  inhabitants  of  the  little  vil- 
lages along  the  way  carried  revolvers  and  all 
presented  so  wild  and  lawless  an  appear- 
ance that  upon  reaching  Fort  Scott  Mr. 
Cook  said  he  would  not  live  in  such  a  coun- 
try, and  immediately  started  to  retrace  his 
steps.  He  had  two  wagons  and  on  the  re- 
turn trip  was  accompanied  by  his  own 
brother  and  his  wife's  brother.  After  an 
absence  of  two  months  he  again  found  him- 
self in  Macoupin  county,  Illinois,  but  too 
late  to  plant  crops  that  year.  Taking  a 
train  he  came  to  Champaign  county  and 
purchased  eighty  acres  of  land  in  Tolono 


township  for  twenty-five  dollars  per  acre, 
and  in  November,  1866,  took  up  his  resi- 
dence thereon.  To  the  improvement  an< 
cultivation  of  that  farm  he  devoted  his  en- 
ergies for  many  years,  and  added  to  it,  mak- 
ing a  fine  farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres.  He  finally  sold  his  place  in  1892 
and  moved  to  Pottawattamie  county,  Iowa, 
where  he  bought  a  quarter-section  of  lane 
and  resided  there  for  two  years.  Disposing 
of  this  property  at  the  end  of  that  time,  h( 
returned  to  Illinois  and  purchased  ninety 
acres  of  land  near  Alexis,  Mercer  county, 
but  after  living  there  for  eight  months  he 
concluded  Champaign  county  was  good 
enough  for  him,  and  accordingly  sold  his 
farm  and  returned  to  this  region.  He  has 
since  made  his  home  in  Champaign,  occu- 
pying a  pleasant  residence  at  No.  409  West 
Springfield  avenue.  He  has  laid  aside  al 
business  cares,  but  still  owns  a  good  fan 
of  ninety  acres  in  Clinton  county,  Indians 
In  his  farming  operations  he  met  with  tl 
success  that  usually  followed  the  industrious 
and  enterprising  man,  and  the  prosperity 
that  has  come  to  him  is  due  entirely  to  his 
own  well-directed  and  energetic  efforts.  As 
a  Democrat  he  takes  an  active  interest  in 
public  affairs,  and  he  merits  and  receives 
the  confidence  and  respect  of  the  entire 
community.  His  estimable  wife  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


AUGUST  SPERLING,  one  of  the  self- 
made    men     of     Champaign    county, 

whose  early  home  was  in  the  German  father- 

/  J  .    . 

land,  commenced  life  without  other  capital 

than  his  strong  hands  and  resolute  will,  and 
has  attained  a  fine  position,  socially  and 
financially,  among  his  fellow  citizens.  He 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


589 


dates  his  residence  in  Champaign  county 
from  the  fall  of  1865,  and  for  the  past  ten 
years  has  been  successfully  engaged  in  the 
grain,  coal  and  implement  business  in 
Dewey. 

Mr.  Sperling  was  born  near  Werninge- 
rode,  Prussia,  Germany,  June  14,  1839,  and 
is  a  son  of  Godfrey  and  Christina  (Bailer) 
Sperling,  also  natives  of  Prussia,  where  the 
father  owned  and  operated  flour  and  oil 
mills  for  some  years.  In  1850  he  brought 
his  family  to  the  United  States,  and  settled 
in  Sheboygan,  Wisconsin,  where  he  resided 
for  two  years.  He  then  located  on  a  farm 
near  that  city,  where  he  reared  his  family, 
and  where  his  wife  died  July  3,  1869.  He 
spent  his  last  days  with  his  sons,  August  and 
Frederick,  in  this  county,  and  died  at  the 
home  of  the  former  in  1888.  Both  were 
laid  to  rest  in  Beekman  cemetery. 

Our  subject  began  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  his  native  land,  but  his  advan- 
tages along  that  line  were  limited.  His 
knowledge  of  English  was  obtained  in  the 
schools  of  Wisconsin.  He  remained  at  home 
until  reaching  man's  estate,  aiding  in  clear- 
ing and  cultivating  the  farm.  On  the  22nd 
of  April,  1 86 1,  at  Sheboygan  Falls,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Johanna  Burk- 
hardt,  who  was  born  in  Wurtemburg,  Ger- 
many, and  when  a  child  of  eleven  years 
came  to  the  United  States  with  her  father, 
Gottlieb  Burkhardt,  who  settled  in  Sheboy- 
gan county,  Wisconsin.  By  this  union  has 
been  born  the  following  children:  Emma 
Felthan,  at  home  with  her  parents;  J.  A.  F., 
who  assists  his  father  in  the  grain  business 
in  Dewey;  Anna,  wife  of  J.  M.  Jones,  of 
Dewey;  Alvin  H.,  a  farmer  of  East  Bend 
township,  this  county;  Godfrey,  a  civil  en- 
gineer, who  is  now  assistant  treasurer  of  the 
Idaho,  Pacific  &  Northern  Railroad  at  Wei- 


ser,  Idaho;  Hannah,  wife  of  William  Burk- 
hardt, a  farmer  of  this  county.  They  have 
lost  four  children:  August  and  Alexander, 
who  both  died  at  the  age  of  one  year; 
Bertha,  who  died  at  the  age  of  two  years, 
and  one  who  died  in  infancy. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Sperling  moved 
to  Winona,  Minnesota,  where  he  rented  and 
operated  a  flouring  mill  for  a  few  months, 
and  then  engaged  in  buying  grain  one  year. 
He  then  returned  to  Sheboygan  county, 
Wisconsin,  and  carried  on  the  home  farm 
until  the  spring  of  1865,  when  he  came  to 
Champaign  county,  Illinois.  The  following 
year  he  and  his  brother  Frederick  bought 
two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  raw  prairie 
land,  and  in  connection  with  its  cultivation 
and  improvement  also  operated  rented  land 
and  engaged  in  the  stock  business,  feeding 
and  dealing  in  cattle  at  first,  but  later  giv- 
ing their  attention  principally  to  hogs.  In 
1872,  at  the  end  of  seven  years,  the  part- 
nership was  dissolved  and  the  property  di- 
vided. Our  subject  located  on  the  farm 
where  he  still  resides  in  1871,  and  has  since 
made  many  improvements  upon  the  place, 
including  the  erection  of  good  and  substan- 
tial buildings,  and  the  planting  of  a  fine 
orchard,  containing  over  one  hundred  and 
sixty  varieties  of  fruits.  His  place  consists 
of  one  hundred  and  seventy-seven  acres  of 
land  on  section  20,  East  Bend  township. 
Since  1880  Mr.  Sperling  has  been  engaged 
in  the  grain  business  in  Dewey,  and  in  1882 
built  an  elevator  there.  He  also  bought  a 
residence  which  he  remodeled  and  improved, 
making  his  home  there  for  ten  years,  but  in 
the  fall  of  1899  he  returned  to  the  farm, 
though  he  is  still  actively  engaged  in  the 
grain  business  at  that  place  and  owns  busi- 
ness property  there. 

Like  his  father,   Mr.    Sperling    has   also 


590 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD 


been  identified  with  the  Republican  party, 
casting  his  first  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln, 
and  he  takes  quite  an  active  part  in  local 
politics.  He  served  twelve  consecutive 
years  as  township  treasurer,  and  has  also 
filled  the  offices  of  assessor  and  collector, 
being  first  elected  assessor  in  1 877.  He  has 
been  a  delegate  to  the  county  conventions 
of  his  party,  has  served  as  notary  public, 
and  is  now  justice  of  the  peace  of  East 
Bend  township.  His  official  duties  are  al- 
ways promptly  and  faithfully  discharged, 
and  his  services  has  given  the  utmost  satis- 
faction. Both  he  and  his  wife  were  reared 
in  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  church.  He  is 
quite  a  prominent  Mason,  a  member  ot 
Sangamon  Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Fisher, 
Gibson  Chapter,  R.  A.  M. ;  and  the  Com- 
mandery,  K.  T. ,  of  Paxton.  He  has 
served  three  terms  as  master  of  his  lodge 
and  has  represented  it  in  the  grand  lodge  of 
the  state  for  several  years.  He  also  belongs 
to  Dewey  Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  in  which  he 
has  passed  through  all  the  chairs,  and  is  now 
past  grand,  and  is  past  chief  patriarch  in  the 
encampment  at  Fisher.  His  success  in  life 
is  due  entirely  to  his  own  well-directed  and 
energetic  efforts,  and  the  prosperity  that  has 
come  to  him  is  certainly  well  merited. 


S  WILLIAM  POTTER,  one  of  the  most 
popular  and  influential  citizens  of 
Ayres  township, Champaign  county,  Illinois, 
who  is  successfully  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits  on  section  17,  was  born  in  Morgan 
county,  this  state.  His  father,  John  Potter, 
was  a  native  of  England,  born  in  Oldham, 
Lancastershire,  March  27,  1832,  and  was  a 
son  of  Samuel  Potter,  who  was  in  the  em- 
ploy of  an  English  cotton  manufacturer,  and 


prior  to  his  removal  to  this  country  he 
visited  Mexico  on  business  connected  with 
his  manufactory.  In  1848  he  emigrated  to 
America  and  took  up  his  residence  in  Morgan 
county,  Illinois,  where  he  made  a  contract 
to  purchase  land,  but  died  before  his  funds 
left  in  England  arrived.  Of  his  children 
two  married  daughters  remained  in  that 
country.  Those  who  came  with  him  to 
America  were  Joseph,  and  John,  father  of 
our  subject,  while  Ann  and  her  husband, 
James  Wilson,  one  year  later  crossed  the 
Atlantic  and  brought  Ralph  and  Elizabeth, 
and  also  located  in  Morgan  county,  Illinois. 
By  a  former  marriage  he  had  one  son, 
Samuel,  who  also  remained  in  England. 

After  the  death  of  their  father,  John 
Potter  and  his  brother  started  out  in  life  on 
their  own  account.  The  former  was  mar- 
ried in  Morgan  county,  October  28,  1858, 
to  Miss  Rebecca  Jane  Gibson,  who  was  born 
in  Guernsey  county,  Ohio,  July  19,  1835, 
and  when  a  child  came  to  Illinois  with  her 
widowed  mother.  After  his  marriage,  Mr. 
Potter  rented  land  in  Morgan  county,  where 
he  made  his  home  until  1877,  when  he 
moved  his  family  to  Champaign  county  and 
purchased  the  northeast  quarter  of  section 
23,  Raymond  township,  it  being  a  part  of 
the  Broadlands  tract  then  offered  for  sale. 
He  was  not  long  permitted  to  enjoy  his  new 
home,  however,  for  he  died  three  yearslater, 
on  the  2ist  of  July,  1880.  He  was  a  prom- 
inent member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and 
was  laid  to  rest  with  the  imposing  ceremonies 
of  that  order.  His  wife  survived  him  about 
five  years  anda  half,  dying  January  29,  1886. 
To  this  worthy  couple  were  born  eight  chil- 
dren, of  whom  S.  William,  our  subject,  is 
the  eldest.  Hugh  D.,  born  October  18, 
1860,  is  a  retired  farmer  of  Broadlands. 
Joseph  P.,  born  September  5,  1862,  married 


S.  W.  POTTER. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


593 


Miss  Louie  Walker,  and  is  engaged  in  farm- 
ing in  Ayres  township.  John  S.,  born  No- 
vember 26,  1863,  married  Miss  Lillie 
Koontz,  and  is  also  farming  in  Ayres  town- 
ship. Margaret  E.,  born  November  21, 
1865,  is  the  wife  of  James  Astell,  of  Ray- 
mond township.  Ira  I.,  born  April  8,  1868, 
died  August  16,  1869.  Robert  L. ,  born 
Octobers,  1869,  resides  in  Broadlands,  and 
is  a  salesman  for  fine  horses.  He  married 
Miss  Mary  Miller,  daughter  of  Thomas  Mil- 
ler, of  Ayres  township.  Hannah  E.,  born 
July  2,  1874,  is  the  wife  of  Samuel  E. 
Shultz,  a  farmer  of  Ayres  township. 

S.  William  Potter  was  reared  on  the 
home  farm,  early  becoming  familiar  with  all 
the  duties  which  fall  to  the  lot  of  the  agri- 
culturist, and  he  obtained  his  education  in 
the  common  schools  of  the  neighborhood 
and  the  practical  school  of  experience.  He 
had  just  attained  his  majority  when  his  fa- 
ther died,  and  being  the  eldest  son  the  care 
and  responsibility  of  the  head  of  a  large 
family  devolved  upon  him.  He  kept  the 
children  together  until  the  youngest  was  of 
age,  and  the  boys  worked  together  in  har- 
mony upon  the  farm,  to  which  they  added 
another  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  mak- 
ing three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  all. 
As  the  children  married  and  left  home  their 
shares  were  purchased,  and  upon  the  mar- 
riage of  the  youngest  sister  a  final  division 
of  the  property  was  made,  our  subject  re- 
ceiving one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  sec- 
tion 17,  Ayres  township  as  his  share.  He  has 
always  given  his  attention  to  general  farming 
and  stock  raising  and  takesa  pride  in  keeping 
well  bred  stock,  being  a  good  judge  and  ad- 
mirer of  horses. 

Since  old  enough  to  cast  the  first  vote, 
Mr.  Potter  has  taken  an  active  interest  in 
public  affairs,  is  an  earnest  supporter  of  the 

31 


Republican  party,  and  for  its  success  he  is 
a  zealous  worker,  having  served  on  the 
town  and  county  central  committees  and  as 
a  delegate  to  various  conventions.  When 
but  twenty-one  years  of  age  he  was  elected 
a  member  of  the  school  board,  in  which 
capacity  he  served  for  eight  years.  His 
next  office  was  that  of  collector  of  his  town- 
ship, which  he  filled  two  terms,  and  was 
the  assessor  of  the  township  of  Ayres  for 
the  same  length  of  time.  In  April,  1897, 
he  was  elected  supervisor  of  Ayres  town- 
ship, and  served  in  that  responsible  position 
for  two  terms  with  credit  to  himself  and  to 
the  satisfaction  of  his  constituents.  He 
was  a  member  of  several  important  com- 
mittees, including  those  of  ways  and  means, 
claims,  and  swamp  lands.  In  1893  he  was 
elected  commissioner  of  the  Little  Vermil- 
ion drainage  district,  in  which  capacity  he 
served  six  consecutive  years.  Fraternally 
he  is  a  member  of  Broadlands  Lodge,  No. 
791,  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Newman  Chapter,  No. 
172,  R.  A.  M.,  of  Newman;  and  Melita 
Commandery,  No.  37,  K.  T. ,  of  Tuscola, 
and  Broadlands  Chapter,  No.  416,  O.  E.  S. 
For  the  past  seven  years  he  has  been  an 
active  worker  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  and  Sunday  school,  serving  as  stew- 
ard and  trustee  of  the  church  and  superin- 
tendent of  the  Sunday  school.  He  has  won 
a  high  place  in  the  regard  and  esteem  of 
his  many  friends  and  acquaintances  for  his 
sterling  qualities  of  head  and  heart,  and  he 
has  the  confidence  of  all  with  whom  he 
comes  in  contact  either  in  business  or  so- 
cial life. 


ABRAM    D.     CROSS,    an    honored  and 
highly    esteemed    citizen    of    Rantoul, 
Illinois,    is  a    worthy  representative  of   an 


594 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


excellent  Pennsylvania  family  of  English  de- 
scent, and  was  himself  born  near  Danville, 
Lycoming  county,  Pennsylvania,  in  Novem- 
ber, 1830.  His  parents  were  Joseph  and 
Mary  A.  (Davis)  Cross,  natives  of  England 
and  Wales,  respectively,  who  during  their 
youth  emigrated  to  this  country  and  after 
their  marriage  settled  on  a  farm  in  Lycom- 
ing county,  Pennsylvania.  The  quiet  of 
their  rural  life  was  interrupted,  however,  by 
the  wars  with  Texas  and  Mexico,  in  which 
the  father  took  part  as  a  Federal  soldier, 
and  as  he  never  returned  home  he  is  sup- 
posed to  have  been  killed  in  battle.  His 
widow  was  left  with  four  children,  two  sons 
and  two  daughters,  of  whom  our  subject  was 
the  eldest. 

Upon  leaving  his  mother's  home,  Abram 
D.  Cross  drifted  to  the  city  of  Philadelphia, 
where  he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade,  re- 
maining there  until  coming  west  in  1856. 
Soon  after  reaching  Illinois  he  concluded 
to  take  up  his  abode  in  Rantoul,  where  he 
commenced  business  as  a  contractor  and 
builder.  He  afterward  served  as  secretary 
of  the  H.  R.  &  E.  Ry.  and  later  as  a  pas- 
senger conductor,  and  subsequently,  in  con- 
nection with  Harvey  Bullock,  distinguished 
himself  as  one  of  the  publishers  of  the  Ran- 
toul Press,  with  which  he  was  connected 
from  1874  to  1877,  when  he  resumed  rail- 
roading as  a  conductor  on  the  Nickle  Plate 
Road,  running  from  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana, 
to  Bellevue,  Ohio,  and  on  the  Cleveland  & 
Marietta  Railroad  from  Cleveland  to  Valley 
Junction.  In  June,  1885,  he  was  appointed 
postmaster  of  Rantoul,  the  duties  of  which 
office  he  performed  with  credit  to  himself 
and  to  the  satisfaction  of  those  recommend- 
ing him.  He  has  been  a  life-long  Demo- 
crat, and  attends  the  Methodist  church. 

In  November,  1851,  Mr.  Crosswas  united 


in  marriage  with  Miss  Martha  Jacoby,  of 
Andalusia,  Pennsylvania,  a  daughter  of  John 
and  Elizabeth  Jacoby,  of  Bloomsburg,  that 
state.  Eight  children  were  born  of  this 
union  but  only  four  are  now  living,  of  whom 
George  S.  is  tlje  oldest.  Lillian  E.  is  now 
the  wife  of  O.  L.  Downey,  of  Chicago. 
Frank  Raymond,  born  in  Rantoul,  in  1870, 
started  the  Rantoul  News  in  1889,  but  after- 
ward sold  out  and  went  to  Chicago,  where 
he  attended  the  Northwestern  University 
for  a  time.  Subsequently  he  conducted  the 
Daily  and  Weekly  Tribune  at  Harvey,  Illi- 
nois, for  some  years,  but  in  1894  he  re- 
turned to  Rantoul,  and  since  April  of  that 
year  has  published  the  Rantoul  Press.  He 
was  married  September  I,  1891,  to  Alice 
Lenox,  of  Rantoul.  Ruth  D. ,  the  youngest 
of  the  family,  is  the  wife  of  Joseph  L. 
Hamel,  a  stenographer  of  Chicago. 


JULIUS  CRANSTON.  Prominent  among 
the  representative  citizens,  and  respect- 
ed and  influential  menof  East  Bend  township 
is  the  subject  of  this  biographical  notice, 
who  owns  and  operates  a  well-improved  and 
valuable  farm  of  one  hundred  and  ninety 
acres  on  section  6.  The  place  is  under  a 
high  state  of  cultivation  and  shows  con- 
clusively that  the  owner  has  not  mistaken 
his  calling  in  adopting  agriculture. 

Mr.  Cranston  was  born  in  Champaign 
county,  Ohio,  October  26,  1833,  and  is  a 
son  of  Stephen  and  Esther  (Hammond) 
Cranston,  natives  of  Rhode  Island  and  Con- 
necticut, respectively. 

Reared  upon  a  farm,  Mr.  Cranston  be- 
gan his  education  in  the  common  schools 
of  the  neighborhood  and  later  attended  the 
Mechanicsburg  Academy.  On  coming  to 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


595 


Illinois  in  1855,  he  worked  on  a  farm  in 
Knox  county  for  one  season,  and  then  found 
employment  in  a  brick  yard  at  Clinton,  De 
Witt  county.  In  1857  he  came  to  Cham- 
paign county  and  bought  land  where  he 
now  resides,  which  he  at  oqce  commenced 
to  improve,  erecting  thereon  a  small  house, 
but  after  operating  the  farm  for  seven  years 
he  sold  out  in  1868  and  removed  to  Ford 
county,  buying  a  place  one  mile  north  of  his 
first  farm.  He  made  his  home  there  for 
eight  years  and  then  returned  to  Champaign 
county,  and  purchased  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  on  section  6,  East  Bend  town- 
ship, where  he  is  now  living.  At  that  time 
only  forty  acres  had  been  broken  and  a 
small  house  erected  thereon.  He  has  since 
made  many  improvements  upon  the  place, 
and  has  added  to  it  until  he  now  has  one 
hundred  and  ninety  acres,  well  tiled  and 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  In  con- 
nection with  general  farming,  he  is  engaged 
in  breeding  and  raising  Galaway  cattle,  and 
now  has  a  fine  herd  of  high  grade  thorough- 
breds upon  his  place. 

On  the  ist  of  May,  1859,  in  Woodford 
county,  Illinois,  was  celebrated  the  mar- 
riage of  Mr.  Cranston  and  Miss  Artemisia 
R.  Atwood,  a  native  of  Vermont,  and  a 
daughter  of  Luke  Atwood,  who  was  also  born 
in  the  Green  Mountain  state,  and  in  1851  re- 
moved to  Ohio,  and  three  years  later  to 
Woodford  county,  Illinois.  Our  subject 
and  his  wife  were  reared  in  the  same  neigh- 
borhood in  Ohio  and  educated  in  the 
same  school.  They  have  a  family  of  seven 
children,  namely:  Leslie  A.,  who  is  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  law  in  Gibson,  Illi- 
nois; Clara,  wife  of  Professor  Stephen  Wag- 
goner, both  of  whom  were  teachers  in  the 
Indian  reservation,  South  Dakota,  for  five 
years  and  now  reside  in  Nebraska;  Mary, 


wife  of  Lincoln  H.  Green,  a  farmer  of  Oak- 
wood,  Illinois;  Lucy,  wife  of  W.  G.  Green, 
a  farmer  living  near  Oakwood;  Phoebe,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  four  years;  Stephen  C. , 
who  assists  his  father  in  carrying  on  the 
farm;  Grace  A.  and  Artie  F.,  both  at  home. 
Mr.  Cranston  has  been  an  ardent  Re- 
publican since  the  organization  of  that 
party,  having  voted  for  John  C.  Fremont  in 
1856,  and  for  all  of  its  presidential  candi- 
dates since  that  time.  He  has  been  an  ef- 
ficient member  of  the  school  board  for  years, 
has  been  a  clerk  of  the  district,  was  high- 
way commissioner  three  years,  and  has  also 
filled  the  office  of  township  collector.  He 
and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Protestant  church  at  Union,  Ford  county, 
and  are  held  in  high  regard  by  all  who  know 
them,  on  account  of  their  sterling  worth 
and  many  excellences  of  character. 


A  RCHIBALD  B.  CAMPBELL.  One  of 
/\  the  wide-awake  young  journalists  of 
Champaign  county  is  Archibald  B.  Camp- 
bell, editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Tolono 
Herald.  He  has  manifested  great  interest 
in  the  improvement  and  progress  of  this 
town  and  the  surrounding  country,  and  is 
personally  very  popular  with  everyone  who 
has  the  pleasure  of  his  acquaintance.  With- 
in a  few  years  he  has  risen  to  a  position  of 
assured  influence  in  the  community,  and  his 
future  is  one  of  great  promise. 

A  native  of  Ayrshire,  Scotland,  he  was 
born  on  the  4th  of  August,  1870,  his  parents 
being  Archibald  B.  and  Christina  (Stewart) 
Campbell,  of  the  same  locality.  The  father 
died  in  Scotland  in  1872,  and  about  a  year 
afterward  the  mother  came  to  America,  set- 
tling in  Tolono,  where  she  is  yet  making 


596 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


her  home.  Of  her  seven  children  Alexan- 
der, the  eldest,  who  was  cashier  of  the  To- 
lono  bank,  died  in  1888;  Jennie,  wife  of  G. 
L.  Baker,  a  music  dealer  of  Champaign,  has 
three  children;  Mary  married  Robert  Leslie, 
agent  of  the  Wabash  Railroad  at  Tolono, 
and  has  four  children;  John  died  in  Scotland 
when  three  years  of  age;  William,  who  was 
a  clerk  in  the  local  railway  offices,  died  in 
1896;  Peter  S.,  foreman  of  the  Urbana 
Herald,  is  married  and  has  two  children; 
and  A.  B.  completes  the  family. 

The  education  of  Archibald  B.  Campbell 
was  gained  in  the  common  schools  of  Tolono, 
supplemented  by  private  study  and  system- 
atic reading.  For  several  years  he  was 
employed  in  the  railroad  offices,  but  in  1891 
he  embarked  in  the  newspaper  business  here, 
by  purchasing  the  Herald  publishing  plant. 
He  has  added  materially  to  the  style  and 
quality  of  the  paper,  and  from  year  to  year 
its  circulation  has  increased  in  a  measure 
exceedingly  gratifying  to  the  young  proprie- 
tor, who  spares  no  effort  in  rendering  the 
journal  one  of  the  brightest  and  newsiest 
sheets  published  in  the  state. 

In  his  political  faith,  Mr.  Campbell  is  a 
stalwart  Republican.  He  was  appointed 
postmaster  of  Tolono  in  July,  1897,  since 
which  date  the  service  has  been  increased 
and  improved,  much  being  due  to  his  inde- 
fatigable efforts.  At  one  time  he  acted  in 
the  capacity  of  town  clerk  for  some  two 
years,  amply  proving  his  general  ability  and 
wise  judgment  in  public  affairs.  In  fra- 
ternal circles  he  is  very  popular,  striving, 
by  all  honorable  means,  to  advance  the  wel- 
fare of  the  several  organizations  with  which 
he  is  connected.  He  is  now  officiating  as 
junior  warden  of  Tolono  Lodge,  No.  391 ,  F. 
&  A.  M. ;  director  of  Crown  Lodge,  No.  578, 
Knights  of  Pythias;  a  manager  of  Central 


Camp,  No.  293,  Modern  Woodmen  of  Amer- 
ica; and  a  trustee  of  White  District  Court  of 
Honor,  No.  229. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Campbell  and 
Bertha  Skinner,  daughter  of  A.  D.  and 
Sarah  (Rich)  Skinner,  was  solemnized  Au- 
gust 21,  1893.  They  have  become  the  par- 
ents of  a  little  daughter,  Florence,  who  is 
the  pride  and  sunshine  of  their  pleasant 
home.  Mrs.  Campbell  is  a  native  of  this 
county,  where  she  was  reared  to  womanhood 
and  educated.  Like  her  husband,  she  is 
very  popular  in  social  circles,  yet  finds  her 
chief  joy  in  the  quiet  home  where  she  pre- 
sides with  grace  and  gentle  dignity. 


CHARLES  ALD,  a  representative  farmer 
and  stock  raiser  of  East  Bend  town- 
ship, residing  on  section  4,  is  a  native  of  Illi- 
nois, his  birth  occurring  in  Woodford  coun- 
ty, February  18,  1844.  His  father,  Henry 
Aid,  was  born  in  Germany,  and  on  his  emi- 
grating to  the  United  States  located  first  in 
Baltimore,  Maryland,  where  he  worked  at 
the  tanner's  trade  for  a  year  or  two.  He 
then  removed  to  Illinois  and  was  one  of  the 
first  settlers  of  Tazewell  county,  but  after 
two  years  spent  there  he  took  up  his  resi- 
dence in  Woodford  county,  where  he  passed 
his  remaining  days. 

In  the  county  of  his  nativity  Charles 
Aid  grew  to  manhood  upon  a  farm.  On  the 
22nd  of  August,  1862,  at  the  age  of  eighteen 
years,  he  enlisted  in  Company  F,  Seventy- 
seventh  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  which 
was  assigned  to  the  Thirteenth  Corps,  Army 
of  the  Tennessee,  and  took  part  in  the  bat- 
tles of  Port  Gibson,  Champion  Hills  and 
Black  River,  was  in  the  siege  of  Vicksburg 
until  the  surrender  of  that  stronghold,  in 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


597 


the  last  battle  of  Jackson  and  the  engage- 
ment at  Sabine  Cross  Roads.  At  the  last 
named  place  Mr.  Aid  was  taken  prisoner 
and  held  for  thirteen  months  at  Tyler, 
Texas.  The  war  ended  ere  his  release  and 
he  was  honorably  discharged  at  Springfield, 
Illinois,  in  July,  1865. 

Returning  to  his  home  in  Woodford 
county,  Mr.  Aid  operated  rented  land  there 
for  several  years,  but  in  1874  he  removed 
to  Ford  county,  where  he  also  engaged  in 
farming  upon  rented  land  for  five  years.  In 
1878  he  purchased  eighty  acres  of  his  pres- 
ent farm  on  section  4,  East  Bend  township, 
Champaign  county,  to  which  he  added  an 
adjoining  forty  acres  in  1888.  Upon  this 
place  he  has  made  his  home  since  1879,  and 
has  devoted  his  energies  to  its  improvement 
and  cultivation  with  most  gratifying  results. 
The  land  is  now  thoroughly  tiled  and  is  sup- 
plied with  a  good  set  of  farm  buildings. 
Renting  his  place  in  1893,  Mr.  Aid  went  to 
Kansas  and  Iowa,  but  soon  returned  to  this 
state  and  resided  in  Gibson  until  the  follow- 
ing spring  when  he  returned  to  his  farm. 
He  ha*s  made  a  specialty  of  breeding  and 
dealing  in  pure  blood  short  horn  cattle  for 
about  twenty  years,  and  he  has  twenty  head 
of  fine  stock,  nearly  all  of  which  are  pedi- 
greed stock.  The  herd  is  headed  by  Water- 
loo Lad,  a  fine  animal  weighing  over  two 
thousand  pounds. 

In  Woodford  county,  September  29, 
1867,  Mr.  Aid  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Martha  Maria  Arrowsmith,  a  daughter 
of  Thomas  Arrowsmith,  a  native  of  England 
and  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Woodford 
county.  She  was  born  in  New  York,  but 
was  reared  in  Woodford  county,  this  state. 
The  only  child  born  to  our  subject  and  his 
wife  died  in  infancy.  They  are  members  of 
the  Methodist  Protestant  church,  and  are 


highly  respected  and  esteemed  in  the  com- 
munity where  they  make  their  home.  By 
his  ballot  Mr.  Aid  supports  the  men  and 
measures  of  the  Republican  party,  and  cast 
his  first  presidential  vote  for  U.  S.  Grant. 
He  is  a  wide-awake,  progressive  man,  whose 
success  in  life  is  mainly  due  to  his  own  in- 
dustry, perseverance  and  excellent  manage- 
ment. 


ED\VARD  DONOGHUE,  superintendent 
of  trains  and  tracks  of  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral Railroad  Company,  residing  at  Rantoul, 
was  born  in  County  Wicklow,  Ireland, 
August  15,  1829,  and  is  a  son  of  Sylvester 
and  Catherine  (Griffin)  Donoghue,  also 
natives  of  the  Emerald  Isle.  The  father 
was  a  prosperous  farmer  and  land  owner  of 
County  Wicklow,  who  died  at  his  birthplace 
in  1877,  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years. 
The  mother  died  in  1879,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-one.  They  had  a  family  of  eight 
children,  but  only  two  are  now  living,  the 
other  besides  our  subject  being  Michael, 
who  came  to  this  country  at  an  early  day 
and  is  now  a  prosperous  farmer  living  a 
short  distance  west  of  Springfield,  Illinois. 
Edward  Donoghue  continued  to  reside 
in  his  native  county  until  1846,  attending 
school  and  working  on  his  father's  farm.  It 
was  during  that  year  that  he  emigrated  to 
the  United  States  and  located  in  Essex 
county,  New  Jersey,  where  he  was  employed 
on  a  farm  until  1848.  The  following  year 
was  spent  in  traveling  through  the  western 
and  southern  states,  spending  some  time  in 
Texas  and  Mexico,  and  in  the  spring  of 
1849  he  came  to  Springfield,  Illinois,  the 
greater  part  of  that  year  being  devoted  to 
hunting  as  game  was  very  plentiful  in  this 
state  at  that  time.  He  spent  the  winter  of 


598 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


1850  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  but  did  not  en- 
gage in  any  regular  employment  there,  and 
the  following  year  returned  to  Springfield, 
where  he  worked  on  the  construction  of  the 
Chicago  &  Alton  Railroad  until  March, 
1852,  when  he  moved  to  Cairo,  this  state, 
and  became  connected  with  the  construction 
corps  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad.  In 
the  spring  of  1864  he  returned  to  Spring- 
field, and  for  four  years  was  engaged  in 
farming  a  few  miles  east  of  that  city.  At 
the  end  of  that  time  he  again  became  con- 
nected with  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
Company  on  the  Springfield  division  of  that 
road,  and  in  1880  removed  to  Centralia, 
Marion  county,  to  take  charge  of  the  road 
department  there.  In  the  employ  of  the 
same  company  he  came  to  Rantoul  in  1887, 
and  has  since  held  the  position  of  super- 
intendent of  trains  and  tracks. 

On  the  Jth  of  April,  1856,  Mr.  Dono- 
ghue  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  An- 
istasia  Hogan,  also  a  native  of  Ireland,  who 
on  coming  to  this  country  located  in  Spring- 
field, Illinois.  To  them  have  been  born 
twelve  children,  eight  of  whom  are  living, 
namely:  Catherine,  born  in  Sangamon 
county,  111.,  is  the  wife  of  Thomas  Kenne- 
dy, a  prosperous  blacksmith  of  Springfield: 
Annie  is  the  wife  of  Thomas  Jackson,  a 
grocer  of  Rantoul;  Ellen  is  the  widow  of 
Harley  Marsh,  a  conductor  on  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad;  Mary,  Alice  and  Anistasia 
are  all  at  home;  Edward  C.  is  an  engineer  on 
the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  and  Sylvester 
is  a  fireman  on  the  same  road.  All  were 
born  in  Sangamon  county,  this  state. 
Thomas,  Michael,  Edward  and  Alice  died 
when  quite  young.  The  children  have  been 
provided  with  the  best  possible  advantages, 
and  the  family  is  one  in  which  the  parents 
may  take  a  just  pride. 


For  forty-two  years  Mr.  Donoghue  has 
been  in  the  employ  of  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad,  and  has  the  entire  confidence  and 
respect  of  the  company,  and  is  also  greatly 
liked  by  the  men  under  his  jurisdiction. 
Although  now  well  advanced  in  years  he  is 
well  preserved  and  very  active,  and  able  to 
give  close  attention  to  his  various  duties.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Democrat,  but  has  never 
sought  nor  desired  public  office,  preferring 
to  devote  his  spare  time  to  his  home  and 
family,  of  which  he  is  quite  fond.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Catholic  church  of  Rantoul. 


A  LEXANDER  F.  STAUBUS,  a  well- 
/~\  known  farmer  residing  on  section  12, 
Condit  township,  Champaign  county,  Illi- 
nois, was  born  in  Augusta  county,  Virginia, 
May  10,  1834,  and  is  a  son  of  Christian  and 
Maria  Elizabeth  (Helker)  Staubus,  natives  of 
Wurtemburg,  Germany,  where  they  were 
married  and  continued  to  reside  until  after 
the  birth  of  two  of  their  children,  the  father 
being  engaged  in  farming.  On  their  emigra- 
tion to  the  new  world  ini8i3,they  settled  in 
Augusta  county,  Virginia,  where  he  followed 
the  same  pursuits  throughout  the  remainder 
of  his  life.  In  their  family  were  fourteen 
children,  nine  sons  and  five  daughters,  all 
of  whom  reached  man  and  womanhood  and 
became  heads  of  families. 

The  boyhood  and  youth  of  our  subject 
were  passed  upon  the  home  farm  in  his  na- 
tive county,  and  there  he  was  married, 
December  25,  1856,  to  Miss  Frances  Miller, 
who  was  also  born,  reared  and  educated 
there.  Her  father,  Daniel  Miller,  was  born 
in  Virginia,  of  German  parentage.  Seven 
children  blessed  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Staubus,  namely:  Edward  Lee  is  married 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


599 


and  engaged  in  business  in  Rochelle,  Illinois; 
Joseph  A.  follows  farming  in  Lee  county, 
this  state;  Charles  J.  is  at  home;  Minnie  G. 
is  the  wife  of  E.  L.  Titus,  of  Lee  county; 
Allie  is  the  wife  of  Tomas  Jervus,  of  Cham- 
paign county;  Bessie  is  the  wife  of  Elmer 
P.  Nelson,  of  this  county,  and  Luella  K. 
married  J.  T.  Fletcher,  and  died  leaving 
one  daughter,  Bessie,  who  resides  with  our 
subject,  and  one  son,  Delbert,  who  is  with 
his  father. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Staubus  rented 
land  and  engaged  in  farming  for  some  years 
in  the  Shenandoah  Valley.  He  entered  the 
Confederate  army  at  the  opening  of  the 
Civil  war,  enlisting  in  1861  in  Company  B, 
Fifty-second  Virginia  Volunteer  Infantry, 
under  the  command  of  Generals  Lee  and 
Stonewall  Jackson.  He  participated  in  the 
battles  of  McDowell,  West  Virginia;  Win- 
chester; and  a  continuous  fight  from  Har- 
pers Ferry  to  Cross  Keys.  He  also  took 
part  in  the  battle  of  Fort  Republic  and 
Richmond  and  the  seven  days  engagement 
there  against  McClellan.  He  was  in  the 
two  battles  of  Menasas,  and  the  battle  of 
Antietam,  after  which  his  command  fell 
back  to  the  Rappahannock  river.  The  fol- 
lowing spring  he  took  part  in  the  battle  of 
Spottsylvania,  driving  out  Hooker,  and  then 
marched  to  the  Shenandoah  Valley  and  at- 
tacked General  Millroy  at  Winchester,  driv- 
ing him  out.  Later  in  July,  Mr.  Staubus 
with  his  command  participated  in  the  bat- 
tle of  Gettysburg,  and  then  fell  back  to  the 
Rapidan  river.  The  following  spring  they 
were  attacked  by  General  Grant,  arid  op- 
posed him  in  his  march  to  Richmond.  They 
took  part  in  the  battle  of  Cold  Harbor,  and 
several  other  engagements  between  Rich- 
mond and  Petersburg,  ending  in  the  surrender 
at  Appomattox,  April  9,  1865. 


The  war  being  over,  Mr.  Staubus  re- 
turned to  his  home  in  Augusta  county, 
Virginia,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  for  a 
couple  of  years.  In  1867  he  removed  to 
McLean  county,  Illinois,  where  he  rented 
land  and  followed  farming  for  six  years,  and 
at  the  end  of  that  time  came  to  Champaign 
county,  purchasing  the  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  on  section  12,  Condit 
township,  where  he  has  since  lived.  When 
he  took  -up  his  residence  thereon  it  was 
a  wild,  unbroken  tract,  but  he  has 
transformed  it  into  a  highly  cultivated  and 
well  improved  farm.  The  success  that  has 
crowned  his  efforts  in  life  has  been  obtained 
by  his  own  labor  and  the  assistance  of  his 
estimable  wife.  Both  are  faithful  members 
of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  church  and 
are  held  in  high  regard  by  all  who  know 
them.  In  his  political  affiliations  Mr.  Stau- 
bus is  a  sta.lwart  Democrat,  and  cast  his  first 
presidential  vote  for  James  Buchanan  in 
1856.  He  takes  an  active  and  commend- 
able interest  in  educational  affairs,  and  most 
efficiently  served  as  school  director  for 
twelve  years. 


JOHN  B.  SAWYER.  Among  those  ag- 
riculturists of  Champaign  county  whose 
places  manifest  to  the  most  casual  observer 
the  energy  and  ability  of  their  owner  in  his 
chosen  calling,  is  the  subject  of  this  personal 
history.  He  makes  his  home  on  section 
4,  East  Bend  town,  and  is  successfully  en-  ' 
gaged  in  both  general  farming  and  stock 
raising. 

Mr.  Sawyer  was  born  near  Olney.  Rich- 
land  county,  Illinois,  January  2,  1851,  and 
is  a  son  of  Sassander  Sawyer,  who  was  born 
and  reared  in  Kentucky,  and  came  to  Illi- 
nois when  a  young  man,  being  one  of  the 


6oo 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


first  settlers  of  Richland  county,  where  he 
spent  the  remainder  of  his  life  as  a  farmer, 
dying  there  in  1873.  His  wife,  who  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  Elizabeth  Bullard,  was 
a  native  of  Richland  county  and  a  daughter 
of  Bryant  Bullard,  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
that  county  from  one  of  the  Carolinas. 

On  leaving  home  at  the  age  of  four- 
teen years,  John  B.  Sawyer  went  to  Wood- 
ford  county,  Illinois,  where  he  worked  by 
the  month  on  the  farm  for  fifteen  months. 
In  1869  he  went  to  Ford  county  where 
he  was  similarly  employed  for  two  years, 
and  then  engaged  in  farming  for  him- 
self upon  rented  land  in  that  county  for 
several  years.  On  first  coming  to  Cham- 
paign county,  in  1871,  he  rented  land. 
He  was  married  in  Richland  county,  De- 
cember 24,  1874,  to  Miss  Cornelia  Knerr, 
also  a  native  of  that  county,  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  Jacob  Knerr,  formerly  from  Penn- 
sylvania. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sawyer  began  their 
domestic  life  in  Champaign  county  upon  a 
rented  farm  adjoining  his  present  place,  and 
lived  there  for  seven  years.  At  the  end  of 
that  time  he  purchased  one  hundred  and 
sixty-six  acres  where  he  now  makes  his 
home.  At  that  time  it  was  but  slightly 
improved,  but  to  its  further  development 
and  cultivation  he'  has  since  devoted  his 
time  and  attention  with  most  gratifying  re- 
sults, and  now  has  a  well  improved  and 
valuable  farm,  on  which  is  a  pleasant  resi- 
dence and  substantial  outbuildings.  He  is 
engaged  in  raising,  feeding,  and  dealing  in 
cattle  and  hogs,  and  now  ships  annually 
three  car  loads  of  cattle  and  two  car  loads 
of  hogs  to  the  city  market.  Besides  his 
home  farm  he  now  owns  a  place  of  ninety- 
five  acres  in  East  Bend  township,  Cham- 
paign county,  and  another  of  forty  acres 
in  Ford  county,  making  in  all  over  three 


hundred  acres,  which  has  been  acquired 
through  his  own  energy,  perseverance  and 
good  management,  for  he  started  out  in  life 
for  himself  empty-handed,  and  has  had  to 
make  his  own  way  in  the  world  unaided  by 
capital  or  influential  friends. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sawyer  have  five  children: 
Pearl,  who  assists  his  father  in  carrying  on 
the  farm;  Ethel,  a  student  in  the  Onarga 
Seminary,  Iroquois  county;  Lela,  Lula  and 
Grace,  all  at  home.  The  wife  and  mother 
is  a  consistent  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church.  Since  casting  his  first 
presidential  ballot  for  General  U.  S.  Grant, 
in  1872,  Mr.  Sawyer  has  been  identified 
with  the  Republican  party,  and  has  taken  a 
commendable  interest  in  public  affairs.  He 
is  the  present  efficient  highway  commis- 
sioner of  East  Bend  township,  and  has  been 
a  member  of  the  school  board  and  clerk  of 
the  district  for  several  years,  the  duties  of 
which  positions  he  has  most  capably  and 
satisfactorily  performed.  Fraternally  he  is 
a  member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America,  the  Code  of  Honor,  and  Elliott 
Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Elliott,  Illinois,  in 
which  he  has  filled  all  the  offices  and  is  now 
past  grand  and  district  grand  deputy.  He 
is  also  a  member  of  the  Encampment  at 
Gibson,  of  which  he  is  senior  warden,  and 
is  a  lieutenant  of  the  Canton  Uniformed 
Rank.  He  is  highly  honored  and  es- 
teemed in  social  as  well  as  business  circles, 
and  wherever  known  commands  the  confi- 
dence and  respect  of  all  with  whom  he  is 
brought  in  contact. 


CAPT.  GEORGE  W.  B.  SADORUS,  an 
honored  citizen  of  the  town  of  Sado'- 
rus,  is  believed  to  be  the   oldest    living  na- 
tive-born    resident  of    Champaign   county, 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


60 1 


and  certain  it  is  that  his  family  was  one  of 
the  first  to  permanently  locate  in  this  sec- 
tion of  the  state,  and  for  three-quarters  of  a 
century  has  been  prominently  identified 
with  the  upbuilding  and  development  of  its 
resources. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
Henry  Sadorus,  born  in  1783,  served  in  the 
war  of  1812,  and  in  1824  came  to  Cham- 
paign county,  where  he  was  the  second 
white  settler.  He  located  in  the  southwest- 
ern part  of  the  county,  which  then  included 
land  from  which  five  counties  were  subse- 
quently formed.  Indians  were  numerous 
and  wild  game  abundant,  and  the  pioneers 
spent  considerable  time  in  trapping  and 
hunting.  Sadorus  Grove  was  named  in 
honor  of  Henry  Sadorus,  who  continued  to 
dwell  on  the  old  homestead  which  he  had 
improved,  until  he  had  completed  his  earth- 
ly career,  his  death  taking  place  in  1878. 
Of  his  four  daughters  and  three  sons  only 
two  survive,  a  daughter  whrse  home  is  in 
California,  and  Allen  M.,  of  Sadorus.  The 
latter  has  several  children  living  in  Califor- 
nia, to  which  state  he  went  in  company 
with  his  brother  Henry,  in  1849,  making 
the  difficult  and  dangerous  trip  across  the 
plains,  and,  during  his  residence  on  the  Pa- 
cific slope  he  lost  his  wife  by  death. 

William,  the  eldest  son  of  Henry  Sador- 
us, Sr. ,  and  father  of  the  gentleman  whose 
name  heads  this  sketch,  was  born  in  Penn- 
sylvania, July  4,  1812.  He  was  a  lad  of 
about  twelve  years  when  he  came  to  this 
county,  and  with  the  exception  of  a  few 
years  when  he  devoted  a  portion  of  his  time 
to  milling  and  Merchandising,  he  was  oc- 
cupied in  agriculture.  The  village  of  Sa- 
dorus was  built  upon  a  part  of  his  home- 
stead, and  no  more  public  spirited  citizen 
ever  dwelt  here.  He  donated  land  to  each 


of  the  three  churches,  besides  subscribing  lib- 
erally to  them,  and  also  gave  lots  for  school 
purposes.  His  influence  and  means  assist- 
ed many  a  local  industry  and  improvement, 
and  when  the  Wabash  Railway  was  built 
through  here  he  contributed  land  for  the 
yards  and  station.  The  high  esteem  in 
which  his  business  ability  and  judgment 
were  held  was  shown  by  the  number  of 
township  offices  to  which  he  was  elected, 
and  faithfully  did  he  discharge  every  trust  re- 
posed in  him.  He  was  a  Democrat  of  the  old 
school,  and  religiously  was  a  Baptist,  an 
earnest  worker,  holding  different  official 
positions  in  the  church.  Prior  to  his  death 
he  divided  over  a  section  of  land  among  his 
children,  for  whom  he  had  previously  made 
good  provision.  Recognized  as  the  oldest 
living  settler  of  the  county,  he  was  present- 
ed with  a  gold-headed  cane  in  1890,  and 
this  cane  he  left  to  his  eldest  son,  George 
W. ,  with  the  understanding  that  it  is  to  de- 
scend to  the  eldest  son  in  each  succeeding 
generation.  His  long  and  honorable  life 
came  to  a  quiet  close,  June  18,  1899.  at  his 
old  home  in  Sadorus,  and,  as  he  was  a  Ma- 
son of  good  standing,  his  funeral  was  con- 
ducted under  the  auspices  of  that  order. 

In  his  early  manhood,  William  Sadorus 
married  Mary  Moore,  a  native  of  Kentucky. 
She  came  to  Champaign  county  when  young 
and  died  when  in  her  prime,  in  1850.  Seven 
children  were  born  to  this  worthy  couple, 
one  dying  in  infancy.  George  W.  B.  and 
Henry  are  farmers  of  Sadorus  township, 
and  Samuel  is  a  farmer  in  Nevada.  Mar- 
garet is  the  widow  of  O.  C.  McConney, 
and  lives  in  Sadorus.  Sarilda  J.  mar- 
ried Thomas  Hixon,  and  lives  on  a  farm  in 
Jasper  county,  Missouri,  and  Sarah  S.,  wife 
of  Charles  Mills,  lives  in  Pana,  Illinois. 
The  second  wife  of  William  Sadorus  bore 


6O2 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


; 


the  name  of  Jincey  A.  Brumley.  She  was 
born  in  Kentucky  and  resided  in  Urbana  at 
the  time  of  their  marriage.  Two  children 
were  born  to  them,  but  lived  only  a  few 
years,  and  the  mother  also  soon  passed 
away.  Later  Mr.  Sadorus  married  Charity 
Hastings,  a  widow  with  three  children,  and 
one  daughter  was  born  to  this  union,  Ida, 
who  is  living  with  her  widowed  mother  on 
the  old  homestead,  west  of  this  village. 

The  birth  of  George  W.  B.  Sadorus  took 
place  in  the  humble  pioneer  log  cabin  of 
his  parents,  at  Sadorus  Grove,  December 
31,  1838.  As  is  obvious,  his  educational 
advantages  were  limited,  though  subsequent 
observation  and  experience  greatly  widened 
his  fund  of  knowledge.  In  1857  he  left  the 
occupation  of  farming,  to  which  he  had 
hitherto  given  his  energy  and  time,  and  em- 
barked in  the  mercantile  business  in  Sadorus. 
When  the  Civil  war  came  on  and  patriots 
laid  aside  personal  ambitions,  Mr.  Sadorus 
arranged  his  affairs,  and  in  1862  enlisted  in 
Company  E,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty- 
fifth  Volunteer  Infantry.  From  that  time 
until  the  dreadful  conflict  was  at  an  end, 
he  stood  faithfully  at  his  post,  nobly  per- 
forming his  duties  and  winning  the  admira- 
tion and  commendation  of  his  superior  offi- 
cers and  comrades.  When  setting  out  for 
the  front  he  was  fifth  sergeant,  but  for 
bravery  and  efficiency  he  was  subsequently 
promoted  to  a  captaincy.  Though  he  par- 
ticipated in  some  of  the  hardest  campaigns 
of  the  war,  and  took  an  active  part  in  about 
twenty-five  engagements,  including  Perrys- 
ville,  Chickamauga,  Chattanooga,  Mission 
Ridge,  Resaca,  Dallas,  Kenesaw,  Jones- 
borough,  Burnt  Hickory,  siege  of  Atlanta, 
and  went  with  Sherman  on  his  march  to  the 
sea,  participating  in  the  battles  of  Savanna, 
Averysboro  and  Bentonville,  he  seemed  to 


lead  a  charmed  life,  as  he  was  never  severel 
wounded.  Twice  he  was  struck  with  spent 
balls,  and  at  Kenesaw  Mountain  he  saw  a 
comrade  on  each  side  of  him  fall,  mortally 
wounded.  W7ith  his  regiment  he  was  in  the 
grand  review  at  Washington,  and  in  that 
city  he  was  mustered  out  June  9,  1865,  and 
was  honorably  discharged  at  Chicago.  The 
sword  which  he  carried  through  his  entire 
service  is  yet  in  his  possession. 

In  1866  Captain  Sadorus  married  Phoebe 
J.  Brown,  daughter  of  Richard  and  Rebecca 
(Kress)  Brown,  and  granddaughter  of  Ethan 
Brown,  who  owned  the  land  upon  which 
the  city  of  Buffalo,  New  York, mow  stands. 
Richard  Brown,  who  died  in  Indiana,  in 
1852,  was  a  native  of  New  York  state,  as 
was  his  wife  also.  She  removed  to  Cham- 
paign county  in  1857  with  her  daughters, 
two  of  her  sons  having  .come  to  this  locality 
in  1855,  and  made  a  home  for  them.  Mrs. 
Sadorus  was  born  in  Erie  county,  Ohio,  in 
1844,  and  has  two  sisters  and  one  brother 
living. 

The  union  of  the  Captain  and  wife  was 
blessed  with  six  children,  one  of  whom  died 
in  infancy.  William  Elmer,  Frank  A., 
Warren  and  Mary  E.  are  -at  home.  Enos 
B.,  the  second  son,  married  Lillian  Marsh, 
and  resides  in  this  township.  They  had 
two  children,  both  of  whom  died  in  infancy. 

When  he  returned  from  the  south  at  the 
close  of  the  war,  Captain  Sadorus  com- 
menced farming  on  a  small  place  of  forty 
acres,  the  nucleus  of  his  present  homestead, 
which  comprises  one  hundred  and  six  acres 
in  the  home  place.  He  has  placed  all  of 
the  numerous  improvements  here  and  keeps 
his  buildings,  fences  and  trees  in  a  neat  and 
thrifty  condition.  He  has  engaged  in  gen- 
eral farming,  and  has  met  with  success  in  all 
his  enterprises.  In  addition  to  his  country 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


603 


home,  he  owns  a  house  and  three  acres  of 
land  in  Sadorus  township,  which  place  is 
occupied  by  his  married  son. 

For  many  years  the  Captain  has  taken 
much  pleasure  in  collecting  curios  and  rel- 
ics, and  in  his  two  large  cabinets  there  may 
be  seen  extremely  interesting  articles  from 
all  portions  of  the  world.  One  of  His  chief 
treasures  consists  of  a  complete  and  authen- 
tic history  of  the  Civil  war,  detailing  the 
parts  taken  by  both  the  Federal  and  Con- 
federate armies.  There  are  one  hundred 
and  thirty  volumes  in  this  set,  besides  which 
he  is  the  fortunate  possessor  of  a  fine  and 
well  selecte?!  library,  comprising  works  of 
the  leading  standard  authors. 

With  his  wife  and  children  the  Captain 
holds  membership  in  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal church.  *  He  has  been  honored  with 
nearly  all  the  official  positions  in  the  congre- 
gation, was  class-leader  and  superintendent 
of  the  Sunday-school  for  years,  and  has  been 
recognized  as  one  of  the  most  active  work- 
ers in  the  church  for  the  past  twenty-eight 
years.  In  his  home  township  he  has  served 
as  a  school  director  for  twelve  years,  and 
for  the  same  length  of  time  has  been  a  ditch 
commissioner.  Fraternally  he  is  a  member 
of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  belong- 
ing to  Sadorus  Post,  No.  322.  In  politics 
he  is  a  stanch  Republican. 


PHILIP  HUMMEL,  JR.  Among  the 
prominent  and  enterprising  citizens  of 
the  northern  part  of  the  county  who  are  'of 
alien  birth  is  this  gentleman,  who  is  now 
living  a  retired  life  in  Dewey.  Like  others 
of  his  countrymen,  he  brought  to  the  new 
world  the  habits  of  economy  and  frugality 
which  are  inherent  characteristics  of  his 


native  land,  and  the  exercise  of  which,  ac- 
companied by  industry  and  good  manage- 
ment, has  secured  him  a  comfortable  com- 
petence that  now  enables  him  to  lay  aside- 
all  business  cares. 

Mr.  Hummel  was  born  in  Hessen-Darm- 
stadt,  Germany,  March  4,  1844,  a  son  of 
Philip  and  Elizabeth  (Blase)  Hummel,  also 
natives  of  the  same  place.  The  father,  a 
farmer  by  occupation,  was  born  in  June, 
1815,  and  came  to  America  in  1854,  locat- 
ing in  Kane  county,  Illinois,  where  he 
spent  about  six  years.  In  1861  he  came 
to  Champaign  county,  where  he  had  pre- 
viously purchased  one  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  and,  and  for  a  year  or  two  he 
lived  upon  rented  land  before  locating  upon 
his  own  place.  Subsequently  he  purchased 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  more,  and 
continued  to  engage  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits for  some  years,  but  now  rents  his  land 
and  lives  retired  in  Dewey,  where  he  owns 
two  residences.  Although  eighty-five  years 
of  age,  he  is  still  well  preserved  and  quite 
active  for  one  of  his  years.  He  has  been 
married  three  times,  the  mother  of  our 
subject  having  died  in  Germany. 

Philip  Hummel,  Jr.,  was  a  lad  of  ten 
years  when  he  came  to  the  new  world,  and 
in  Champaign  county  he  grew  to  manhood. 
He  assisted  his  father  in  opening  up  the 
farm,  and  attended  the  public  schools  to 
some  extent,  but  is  mostly  self-educated. 
On  the  i  5th  of  August,  1862,  he  joined  the 
boys  in  blue  of  Company  F,  One  Hundred, 
and  Twenty-fifth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infan- 
try, with  which  he  served  less  than  a  year, 
being  then  transferred  to  the  Second  Illi- 
nois Battery,  Army  of  the  Tennessee.  He 
participated  in  the  battles  of  Perryville, 
Chickarnauga  and  Missionary  Ridge,  the 
Atlanta  campaign,  and  was  with  Sherman- 


604 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


on  his  famous  march  to  the  sea.  He  was 
slightly  wounded  at  Perryville,  and  still 
carries  a  scar  received  in  the  defense  of  the 
old  flag  and  the  cause  it  represented.  He 
took  part  in  the  last  engagement  of  that 
war,  and  with  his  command  marched 
through  Richmond  and  on  to  Washington, 
D.  C.,  where  he  particpated  in  the  grand 
review.  '  Near  Buzzards  Roost  he  was  cap- 
tured, but  soon  made  his  escape.  He  was 
honorably  discharged  at  Chicago  in  June, 
1865,  and  returned  home,  remaining  with 
his  father  on  the  farm  for  about  two  years. 

On  the  25th  of  February,  1868,  in  East 
Bend  township,  Mr.  Hummel  married  Miss 
Anna  Lorenz,  a  native  of  Saxon  Weirner, 
Germany,  and  a  daughter  of  Gottleib  and 
Dorothea  (Rush)  Lorenz,  who  brought  their 
family  to  America  in  1853,  and  first  located 
at  Covington,  Kentucky,  where  they  resided 
for  some  years,  but  in  1867  came  to  Cham- 
paign county,  Illinois.  Our  subject  and  his 
wife  have  one  son,  Louis,  who  is  now  en- 
gaged in  business  in  Dewey.  Two  other 
children,  Louisa  and  Elvira,  were  born  .to 
them,  but  both  died  in  infancy. 

After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Hummel  located 
on  a  farm.  His  first  purchase  consisted  of 
forty  acres,  to  which  he  later  added  another 
forty-acre  tract  of  raw  land,  and  engaged  in 
the  cultivation  of  that  farm  for  eight  years, 
when  he  sold  and  bought  a  Well-improved 
farm  of  eighty  acres  elsewhere  in  East  Bend 
township,  making  it  his  home  for  seventeen 
years,  during  which  time  he  devoted  con- 
siderable attention  to  raising  and  feeding 
stock.  Renting  his  farm  in  1895  ne  re- 
moved to  Dewey,  where  he  bought  a  lot  and 
erected  a  substantial  residence  where  he 
now  makes  his  home,  and  also  has  a  resi- 
dence and  three  business  lots  in  Dewey.  He 
has  since  purchased  another  forty-acre  tract 


near  Dewey,  but  is  now  living  retired,  leav- 
ing the  operation  of  his  land  to  others. 
Since  casting  his  first  presidential  vote  for 
General  U.  S.  Grant'in  1868,  he  has  been  a 
stanch  supporter  of  the  Republican  party, 
but  has  never  cared  for  the  honors  or  emolu- 
ments of  public  office.  '  He  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  Dewey  Post,  G.  A.  R. ,  since  its  or- 
ganization, and  both  he  and  his  wife  are 
members  of  the  German  Lutheran  church  at 
that  place. 


JAMES  R.  WILSON  is  now  successfully 
engaged  in  the  stock  business  in  Dewey, 
but  formerly  was  one  of  the  most  active  and 
progressive  farmers  of" East  Bend  township, 
where  he  stiil  owns  a  valuable  farm  of  two 
hundred  and  forty  acres  two  miles  from 
the  village.  He  is  numbered  among  the 
old  settlers  of  the  state,  dating  his  residence 
here  from  1853,  and  has  made  his  home  in 
Champaign  county  since  1870. 

Mr.  Wilson  was  born  on  the  Ohio  river, 
near  Evansville,  Indiana,  August  24,  1837, 
and  is  a  son  of  James  Wilson,  a  native  of 
Virginia,  who  when  a  young  man  removed 
to  Indiana  and  there,  in  the  midst  of  the 
forest,  cleared  and  opened  up  a  farm.  In 
that  state  he  married  Susan  Whiting,  a  na- 
tive of  Kentucky,  and  for  a  number  of  years 
he  continued  to  follow  farming  there.  It 
was  in  1853  that  he  removed  to  Danvers 
township,  McLean  county,  Illinois,  and 
purchased  a  farm,  which  he  operated  several 
years.  His  last  days  were  spent  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Danvers,  where  he  died  in  1866. 
His  wife  had  previously  passed  away,  dying 
in  1883. 

Our  subject  came  with  his  parents  to  this 
state  in  1853,  and  assisted  his  father  in  the 
cultivation  of  the  home  farm  until  after  the 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


605 


Civil  war  broke  out,  his  education  being  ob- 
tained in  the  common  schools  of  the  neigh- 
borhood. On  the  22nd  of  August,  1862,  he 
enlisted  in  Company  F,  Eightieth  Indiana 
Volunteer  Infantry,  which  was  assigned  to 
the  Army  of  the  Tennessee.  His  first  en- 
gagement was  the  battle  of  .Perryville,  Ken- 
tucky, which  was  followed  by  the  battles  of 
Franklin,  Nashville  and  Resaca,  and  the 
Atlanta  campaign,  where  he  was  shot 
through  the  right  thigh  and  permanently 
disabled.  For  a  time  he  was  confined  in 
the  hospitals  at  Cumberland  and  Nashville, 
and  was  then  sent  to  Louisville,  Kentucky, 
and  later  to  the  marine  hospital  in  Evans- 
ville,  Indiana.  On  his  recovery  he  rejoined 
his  regiment  at  Nashville,  and  took  part  in 
the  battle  of  Clifton,  Tennessee,  and  assisted 
in  driving  Hood  from  the  state.  The  com- 
mand then  went  to  Cincinnati,  from  there 
to  Washington,  D.  C. ,  and.  by  sea  to  Ben- 
tonville,  North  Carolina,  where  they  par- 
ticipated in  the  last  battle  of  the  war,  John- 
ston's army  surrendering  at  that  place.  The 
regiment  then  proceeded  to  Salisbury, 
North  Carolina,  where  they  remained  until 
mustered  out,  being  discharged  at  Indian- 
apolis, Indiana,  July  12,  1865. 

For  some  time  after  his  return  home  Mr. 
Wilson  worked  by  the  month  as  a  farm  hand 
or  was  employed  in  a  sawmill  and  at  any- 
thing which  he  could  find  to  do.  In  Mc- 
Lean county  he  was  married,  December  30, 
1869,  to  Miss  Lucilla  Franks,  who  was  born, 
reared  and  educated  in  that  county.  Her 
father,  James  Franks,  was  a  native  of  Fred- 
ericksburg,  Virginia.  When  a  young  man 
he  went  to  Kentucky,  where  he  married  Re- 
becca Walton,  a  native  of  that  state,  and 
about  1830  they  came  to  Illinois.  After 
spending  some  years  in  Pekin,  they  removed 
to  McLean  county,  where  Mr.  Franks  en- 


gaged in  farming,  and  where  he  died  in  1872. 
His  wife  survived  him  ten  years,  passing 
away  in  1882,  and  was  laid  by  his  side  in 
Stout  Grove  cemetery.  Our  subject  and 
his  wife  have  one  son,  Charles  S.,  who 
served  one  year  in  the  Second  Illinois  Vol- 
unteer Infantry  during  the  Spanish-Ameri- 
can war,  and  now  holds  a  business  position 
in  Chicago. 

In  the  spring  of  1870  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Wilson  took  up  their  residence  in  East  Bend 
township,  Champaign  county,  where  he  had 
purchased  eighty  acres  of  land,  on  which 
had  been  erected  a  small  house.  Prosperity 
seemed  to  smile  upon  his  efforts,  and  he  was 
able  to  purchase  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  adjoining,  making  a  fine  farm  of  two 
hundred  and  forty  acres,  which  he  placed 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  upon 
which  he  made  many  useful  and  valuable 
improvements.  In  1890  he  rented  the  place 
and  moved  to  Dewey,  where  he  has  erected 
a  large  neat  residence,  one  of  the  best  in 
the  village,  and  has  since  engaged  in  buying 
and  shipping  stock.  Besides  the  property 
already  mentioned  he  now  owns  a  well  im- 
proved farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
in  Lee  county,  Illinois.  He  has  met  with 
marked  success  in  his  undertakings,  being 
one  of  the  most  energetic,  enterprising  and 
progressive  business  men  in  the  community, 
and  the  prosperity  that  has  come  to  him  is 
certain  justly  merited  for  it  is  due  entirely 
to  his  own  unaided  efforts  and  good  man- 
agement. 

The"  Republican  party  has  always  found 
in  Mr.  Wilson  a  stanch  supporter  of  its 
principles  since  he  cast  his  first  vote  for 
Abraham  Lincoln  in  1864.  He  served  as 
commissioner  of  highways  for  fifteen  con- 
secutive years,  and  as  a  member  of  the 
school  board  for  some  years,  his  services 


-6o6 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


giving  the  utmost  satisfaction.  He  is  a 
charter  member  of  Dewey  Post,  G.  A.  R., 
of  which  he  is  past  commander;  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Blue  Lodge,  No.  801,  F.  &.  A. 
M.,  of  Fisher;  and  Gibson  Chapter,  R.  A. 
M. ;  the  Odd  Fellows  Lodge  of  Dewey,  in 
which  he  has  filled  all  the  offices,  and  is  now 
past  grand;  and  a  member  of  the  encamp- 
ment of  Rantoul. 


LEWIS  H.  LOREXZ,  a  well-known 
general  merchant  of  Dewey,  Champaign 
county,  Illinois,  was  born  in  Saxony,  Ger- 
many, November  11,  1847,  a  son  of  Gottlieb 
and  Dorothea  (Rush)  Lorenz,  also  natives 
of  Saxony.  On  the  emigration  of  the  family  to 
the  new  world  in  1850,  they  located  in  Ken- 
tucky, where  they  made  their  home  for  some 
years,  but  in  1 866  carne  to  Champaign  coun- 
ty, Illinois,  and  the  father  purchased  a  farm 
in  East  Bend  township,  where  he  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  life,  dying  there  July  10, 
1897.  The  mother  died  in  1872.  In  their 
family  were  the  following  children:  Edward, 
a  resident  of  Covington,  Kentucky;  Ernest, 
the  present  sheriff  of  Champaign  county; 
Annie,  wife  of  Philip  Hummel,  Jr.,  of 
Dewey,  and  Lewis,  our  subject. 

The  subject  of  this  review  was  twenty 
years  of  age  when  the  family  came  to  this 
county,  and  for  two  years  thereafter  he  aided 
his  father  in  the  operation  of  the  home  farm. 
He  then  rented  land  and  engaged  in  farm- 
ing on  his  own  account  for  several  years. 
In  August,  1872,  he  was  married  in  this 
county  to  Miss  Matilda  Heinmann,  a  native 
of  Indiana,  and  a  daughter  of  John  N.  Hein- 
mann, who  was  born  in  Germany  and  came 
to  America  when  a  young  man  with  Mr. 
Lorenz'  family.  After  spending  some  years 


in  Indiana,  he  removed  to  Mattoon,  Illinois, 
then  to  Ford  county,  and  later  carne  to 
Champaign  county.  He  became  one  of  the 
prosperous  and  substantial  farmers  of  East 
Bend  township,  where  he  died  in  1898.  His 
wife  is  still  living,  and  now  makes  her  home 
with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Lorenz.  Our  sub- 
ject and  his  wife  have  three  children  living, 
namely  Lillian,  wife  of  John  Huffman,  a 
resident  of  Gilman,  Illinois;  Minnie,  wife  of 
Harry  Alexander  and  residents  of  Dewey, 
and  Rozella,  who  is  attending  the  home 
school.  The  daughters  have  all  assisted 
their  father  in  the  store.  Three  children  of 
the  family  died  in  childhood,  two  sons  and 
one  daughter. 

For  two  years  after  his  marriage  Mr. 
Lorenz  continued  to  operate  rented  land, 
and  then  purchased  "one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  raw  land,  which  he  converted  into 
a  good  farm,  giving  his  entire  time  and  at- 
tention to  its  improvement  and  cultivation 
for  several  years.  He  next  engaged  in 
the  restaurant  business  In  Elliott  for  nine 
months,  and  later  conducted  a  hotel  in  Pax- 
ton  for  a  year  and  a  half,  in  January,  1881, 
he  came  to  Dewey,  and  was  with  his  brother 
until  the  following  August,  when  he  started 
in  business  for  himself  in  a  small  way.  When 
Mr.  Lorenz  first  started  in  business  his  stock 
of  goods  cost  only  seventeen  dollars  and 
fifty-five  cents,  the  bill  for  which  he  still 
keeps  as  a  souvenir.  He  has  gradually  in- 
creased his  stock  to  meet  the  -growing  de- 
mands of  his  trade,  and  now  has  a  good 
general  store,  supplied  with  everything 
found  in  a  first  class  establishment  of  the 
kind.  As  a  business,  man  he  enjoys  an  en- 
viable reputation  for  fair  dealing,  and  to- 
day enjoys  the  reward  of  his  painstaking 
and  conscientious  work.  His  success  has 
been  worthily  achieved,  being  due  entirely  to 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


607 


his  own  industry,  perseverance  and  sound 
judgment  in  business  affairs.  He  owns  the 
building  in  which  he  carries  on  business  and 
three  good  residences  in  the  village. 

Since  casting  his  first  presidential  vote 
for  General  U.  S.  Grant  in  1872,  Mr. 
Lorenz  has  been  a  stalwart  supporter  of  the 
Republican  party  and  its  principles,,  but  has 
never  sought  office  preferring  to  devote  his 
entire  time  and  attention  to  his  business  in- 
terests. Religiously  he  and  his  estimable  wife 
are  membersof  theGermanLutheranchurch. 


DAVID  H.  LESTER,  or,  as  he  is  more 
frequently  called  by  relatives  and  old 
friends,  "Harvey"  Lester,  is  an  active,  en- 
terprising business  man  and  agriculturist  of 
Champaign  county.  His  record  as  a  citizen 
and  neighbor  and  in  all  of  the  relations  of 
the  domestic  circle  is  beyond  reproach,  and 
to  his  posterity  he  will  leave  what  is  better 
than  riches,  an  untarnished  name. 

He  is  one  of  the  native  sons  of  Indiana, 
his  birth  having  occurred  in  Switzerland 
county,  not  far  from  the  Ohio  river,  October 
1 8,  1848.  His  father,  David  Lester,  was 
born  in  the  same  county  twenty-one 
years  previously,  and  the  grandfather,  David 
Lester,  Sr. ,  was  a  native  of  New  York,  and 
one  of  the  sterling  pioneers  of  the  Hoosier 
state.  David  Lester,  Jr.,  upon  reaching 
maturity,  married  Eliza  Gerard,  daughter  of 
Squire  Gerard,  who  had  died  when  she  was 
young.  Mr.  Lester  engaged  in  farming  in 
the  county  of  his  birth  until  death  put  an 
end  to  his  labors,  in  1862,  when  he  was  in 
his  prime — only  thirty-five  years  old.  His 
widow  subsequently  became  the  wife  of 
Daniel  Sullivan,  since  deceased,  and  she 
now'makes  her  home  in  Champaign  county. 

David    Harvey    Lester,   as  he   was    the 


eldest  of  his  parent's  children,  was  his  moth- 
er's mainstay  after  the    father's  death,  and 
he  continued  to  manage    the  home  farm  in 
Switzerland     county  until   he    was    twenty 
years  of  age.      At  that  time  he- came  to  Illi- 
nois,   joining    his  'cousin,   John    B.  Lester, 
and  for  two  years  he  worked  for  farmers  in 
this    locality.       Later    he   rented    land  for 
about  a  year,  and  after  his  marriage  he  and 
his  wife  went  to  Furnas  county,  Nebraska, 
where  they  took  up  a  homestead  and  made 
some    improvements.       They    stayed  there 
nearly  three  years  and  then  sold  out  and  re- 
turned   to  Champaign    county.      Here  Mr. 
Lester  rented  land  again   until  1882,    when 
he  bought  forty  acres  of  his  present  home- 
stead   in    section  22,    Newcomb    township. 
His  wife   afterward    fell    heir  to  thirty-two 
acres   of    her  father's    property,  which  ad- 
joined, and  buying  another  small  tract,  our 
subject  extended  the  boundaries  of  his  farm 
to  its  present  dimensions,  eighty-eight  acres. 
He  has  expended  a  large  amount  of  money  in 
improvements,  and  the  attractive  residence, 
good  barns,    orchards,    fences,   ditches  and 
tiling    speak    eloquently    of  his    enterprise 
and  thrift.     In  addition  to  raising  a  general 
line  of  cereals,  hay  and  other  crops,  he  pays 
considerable    attention    to   the    raising  and 
feeding  of  live  stock. 

For  some  years  Mr.  Lester  served  as 
highway  commissioner  of  his  township,  and 
he  also  acted  as  constable  for  a  like  period. 
The  cause  of  education  finds  a  sincere 
friend  in  him,  and  for  sixteen  years  he  was 
a  member  of  the  school  board  and  at  this 
writing  is  president  of  that  organization. 
Politically,  he  is  a  stalwart  Republican  in 
national  issues,  and  never  fails  in  deposit- 
ing his  ballot  for  his  party's  nominee.  So- 
cially, he  is  identified  with  the  Fisher  Lodge 
of  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 


6o8 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


In  this  county  Mr.  Lester  and  Phoebe 
Broderick  were  married,  November  16, 
1872.  She  was  born  in  Newcomb  township 
on  the  farm  next  to  the  one  on  which  she 
now  resides.  Her  father,  William  V.  Brod- 
erick, was  born  in  the  vicinity  of  Cincin- 
nati, Ohio,  May  10,  1815.  He  was  only 
fourteen  years  of  age  when  he  commenced 
earning  his  own  livelihood,  and  going  to  In- 
diana, resided  in  Dearborn  and  Tippecanoe 
counties  until  1853,  when  he  came  to  New- 
comb  township.  He  married  Phceba  Keel- 
er,  in  Tippecanoe  county,  April  13,  1839, 
and  they  became  successful  farmers  of  this 
locality.  He  was  called  to  his  reward  No- 
vember 8,  1895,  having  survived  his  wife 
forty  years,  as  she  had  died  January  I  5,  1855. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lester  were  born  six  chil- 
dren, of  whom  five  are  living.  Erne,  the 
eldest,  married  Hiram  S.  Wright,  a  farmer 
of  this  township,  and  they  have  one  son, 
Harry  Smith.  Jesse  is  at  home  and  aids  in 
the  management  of  the  farm.  Bert,  Orren 
and  Daisy  are  students  in  the  neighboring 
school.  Willie  died  when  eighteen  months 
old.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lester  are  members  of 
the  Shiloh  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and 
the  latter  is  a  member  of  the  Women's  Home 
Missionary  Society.  They  are  liberal  con- 
tributors to  all  worthy  enterprises,  and  many 
a  poor  and  needy  one  remembers  them  with 
gratitude  for  kindnesses  shown. 


ISAAC  N.  PARKER,  a  thorough  and  sys- 
tematic farmer  and  stock-raiser  residing 
on  section  11,  East  Bend  township,  Cham- 
paign county,  Illinois,  was  born  fn  Hardy 
county,  West  Virginia,  June  23,  1837,  and 
belongs  to  an  old  Virginian  family  of  Eng- 
lish origin.  His  father,  Joseph  Parker,  was 


a  native  of  Jefferson  county,  West  Vir- 
ginia, and  there  wedded  Mary  Jenkins,  a 
native  of  the  same  state,  and  a  daughter  of 
Benjamin  Jenkins.  Both  died  in  Hardy 
county,  where  the  father  was  engaged  in 
farming  for  many  years.  In  their  family 
were  ten  children,  six  sons  and  four  daugh- 
ters, of  whom  four  are  still  living,  namely: 
Jane,  wife  of  Washington  Cook,  of  this 
county;  Joseph  J.,  a  resident  of  Fayette 
county,  Ohio;  Eli,  of  Hardy  county,  West 
Virginia;  and  Isaac  N.,  of  this  review. 

Our  subject  grew  to  manhood  in  his  na- 
tive state,  and  at  the  opening  of  the  Civil 
war  was  drafted  in  the  Confederate  army, 
but  his  sympathies  being  with  the  north,  he 
enlisted  August  4,  1862,  in  Company  G, 
Ninety-fifth  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  which 
was  assigned  to  the  Army  of  the  Tennessee. 
His  first  engagement  was  at  Richmond, 
Kentucky,  and  was  followed  by  the  battles 
of  Jackson,  Mississippi,  Black  River  Bridge, 
the  siege  of  Vicksburg.  the  second  battle  of 
Jackson,  and  the  engagement  at  Guntown, 
Mississippi,  where  he  was  taken  prisoner, 
being  held  in  captivity  at  Cahaba,  Alabama, 
for  nine  months.  After  being  exchanged  at 
Black  River  Bridge,  he  started  for  home  on 
the  steamer  Sultana,  which  was  blown  up 
near  Memphis,  Tennessee,  sixteen  hundred 
out  of  the  twenty-three  hundred  on  board 
being  lost.  The  others  were  all  more  or 
less  injured.  Our  subject  was  taken  to 
Memphis,  where  he  was  cared  for  a  short 
time,  and  was  then  sent  up  the  river  to 
Cairo,  and  on  to  Camp  Chase,  Ohio,  where 
he  was  honorably  discharged  in  May,  1865. 

Mr.  Parker  then  went  to  Clark  county, 
Ohio,  where  the  family  had  removed  during 
the  war,  and  where  he  engaged  in  farming 
that  summer.  In  the  fall  of  1865  he  was 
married  in  Madison  county,  Ohio,  to  Miss 


THE  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


609 


Lucinda  R.  Stanley,  a  native  of  that  county, 
and  a  daughter  of  John  Stanley,  an  old 
settler  from  North  Carolina.  By  this  union 
were  born  eight  children  who  are  still  living: 
Mary,  now  the  wife  of  George  Seward,  of 
Quincy,  Illinois;  Sarah,  wife  of  Frank 
Boley,  of  Jackson,  Mississippi;  Frances, 
wife  of  Edward  Wolever,  a  farmer  of  this 
county;  Lulu,  wife  of  Samuel  Braden,  a 
farmer  of  East  Bend  township;  Charles 
Edward,  who  holds  a  business  position  in 
Elmwood,  Illinois;  John,  who  is  employed 
in  Ouincy;  Clarence  Standley,  who  assists 
his  father  on  the  farm;  and  Frank,  a  student 
in  the  home  school.  Two  children  of  this 
family  died  in  infancy,  and  Etta  May  at  the 
age  of  five  months. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Parker  engaged 
in  farming  upon  rented  land  in  Clark  coun- 
tv,  Ohio,  for  several  years,  and  in  1870 
came  to  Champaign  county,  Illinois,  and 
purchased  forty  acres  oH  land  in  East  Bend 
township,  where  he  erected  a  small  house, 
making  that  his  home  for  four  or  five  years. 
He  then  sold  the  place,  and  after  renting 
another  farm  for  two  years  he  moved  to 
the  farm  where  he  now  resides,  but  did  not 
purchase  the  place  for  sometime  afterward. 
It  consists  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres, 
which  is  well  tiled  and  under  excellent  cul- 
tivation, while  the  improvements  thereon 
are  good  and  substantial,  including  a  com- 
fortable residence  erected  by  our  subject. 

By  his  ballot  Mr.  Parker  supports  the 
men  and  measures  of  the  Republican  party, 
and  cast  his  first  presidential  vote  for 
Abraham  Lincoln  in  1864.  He  has  effi- 
ciently served  as  a  member  of  the  school 
board  for  a  number  of  years,  but  has  never 
cared  for  political  preferment,  although  he 
always  takes  an  active  interest  in  every- 
thing tending  to  promote  the  public  welfare. 

32 


He  is  a  member  of  Dewey  Post,  No.  282, 
G.  A.  R. ,  and  both  he  and  his  wife  are  con- 
sistent and  faithful  members  of  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  church  at  Harmony. 


JOHN  DAY  has  for  thirty  years  been 
prominently  identified  with  the  agri- 
cultural interests  of  Champaign  county,  and 
now  owns  and  operates  a  fine  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  on  section  14,  East 
Bend  township.  He  was  born  on  the  8th 
of  March,  1824,  in  New  Jersey,  of  which 
state  his  parents,  Cornelius  R.  and  Mary 
(Weatherholt)  Day,  were  also  natives. 
About  1828  the  family  removed  to  Ohio, 
becoming  pioneers  of  Franklin  county, 
where  the  father  cleared  and  improved  a 
farm,  making  his  home  there  until  called  to 
his  final  rest. 

Our  subject  is  the  oldest  of  a  family  of 
seven  children  and  the  only  survivor.  Amid 
pioneer  scenes  he  grew  to  manhood  upon  a 
farm,  and  at  an  early  day  commenced  earn- 
ing his  own  livelihood  by  making  rails, 
chopping  wood  and  cradling  grain.  Being 
very  active  and  rugged,  he  could  endure 
much  hard  work,  and  became  an  expert  in 
wielding  a  scythe  and  cradle.  While  in  his 
prime  he  could  easily  cut  and  stack  six  acres 
of  heavy  wheat  or  oats  in  a'day,  and  recalls 
with  pleasure  those  early  days  when  the  men 
tried  hard  to  follow  him  in  the  harvest  field. 

In  the  fall  of  1862,  Mr.  Day  was  married 
in  Fairfield  county,  Ohio,  to  Miss  Emma 
Houck,  who  was  born,  reared  and  educated 
near  Lancaster,  that  county.  By  this  union 
were  born  four  children,  three  sons  and  one 
daughter,  namely:  Pearl  W.  is  married  and 
engaged  in  farming  in  Lee  county,  Illinois; 
Dwight  follows  the  same  occupation  in 
Kansas;  Ella  M.  is  the  wife  of  C.  J.  Ricker, 


6io 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


of  Urbana,  this  county;  and  Harry  A.,  who 
carries  on  the  home  farm,  married  Maggie 
Kennelley  of  Rantoul,  and  they  have  one 
daughter,  Gladys  M. 

For  about  three  years  after  his  marriage 
Mr.  Day  continued  to  make  his  home  in 
Ohio,  engaged  in  farming  and  hauling  wood, 
but  in  the  fall  of  1865  came  to  Illinois,  and 
first  located  in  Greenup,  where  he  worked 
at  making  rails,  digging  wells,  or  anything 
by  which  he  could  earn  an  honest  dollar. 
He  also  engaged  in  farming  to  some  extent. 
In  1868  he  removed  to  Woodford  county, 
where  he  followed  farming  for  a  year,  and 
then  went  to  McLean  county,  where  he  was 
similarly  employed  until  coming  to  Cham- 
paign county  in  1870.  He  had  previously 
purchased  his  present  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  on  section  14,  East  Bend 
township,  upon  which  not  a  furrow  had 
been  turned  nor  an  improvement  made. 
The  first  year  spent  here  he  built  a  house 
and  broke  seventy  acres  of  his  land,  and  has 
since  ditched  and  tiled  the  land,  has  built 
fences,  a  barn  and  other  outbuildings,  has 
planted  an  orchard,  and  made  many  other 
improvements  upon  the  place,  which  add  to 
its  value  and  attractive  appearance.  Since 
locating  here  he  has  met  with  fair  success 
and  become  quite  well-to-do. 

Mr.  Day  cast  his  first  presidential  ballot 
for  Martin  Van  Buren,  the  Democratic  can- 
didate, but  at  national  elections  he  now 
supports  the  Republican  party,  and  in  local 
affairs  votes  for  the  men  whom  he  believes 
best  qualified  to  fill  the  offices  regardless  of 
party  lines.  His  son  Harry  is  a  stanch 
Republican.  Our  subject  and  his  family 
are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  and  are  highly  respected  and  es- 
teemed in  the  community  where  they  have 
so  long  made  their  home* 


HENRY  HUMMEL.  Prominent  among 
the  agriculturists  of  East  Bend  town- 
ship, who  have  witnessed  almost  the  entire 
development  of  Champaign  county,  and  who 
have,  by  honest  toil  and  industry,  succeeded 
in  acquiring  a  competence,  is  the  gentleman 
whose  name  heads  this  sketch.  He  is  one 
of  the  most  active  and  thrifty  farmers  of  his 
community,  and  now  owns  and  occupies  a 
desirable  farm  of  two  hundred  and  forty 
acres  on  section  28,  East  Bend  township, 
conveniently  located  within  a  mile  and  a 
half  of  Dewey. 

Mr.  Hummel  was  born  in  Germany,  Au- 
gust 28,  1850,  and  was  only  about  three 
years  of  age  when  brought  by  his  parents  to 
this  country.  His  father  is  Philip  Hummel, 
Sr. ,  a  retired  farmer  of  Dewey,  who  is  men- 
tioned more  fully  in  the  sketch  of  Philip 
Hummel,  Jr.,  on  another  page  of  this  vol- 
ume. After  living  in  Kane  county,  Illinois, 
for  about  six  years,  the  family  came  to 
Champaign  county,  in  1861,  and  located  in 
East  Bend  township,  where  our  subject 
grew  to  manhood  and  attended  the  public 
schools. 

Mr.  Hummal  assisted  his  father  in  carry- 
ing on  the  home  farm  until  twenty-seven 
years  of  age,  when  he  was  married,  in  Har- 
wood  township,  this  county,  February  10, 
1879,  to  Miss  Mary  Hannagan,  who  was 
born  in  Grundy  county,  Illinois.  Her  fa- 
ther, Felix  Hannagan,  a  native  of  Ireland, 
was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Tazewell 
county,  and  finally  became  a  resident  of 
Champaign  county.  Mrs.  Hummel,  was 
educated  at  the  Normal  in  Bloomington,  and 
for  ten  years  successfully  engaged  in  teach- 
ing school  in  this  county.  To  our  subject 
and  his  wife  have  been  born  the  following 
children:  Charles,  Ella,  Kate,  Maggie,  Al- 
oysius  and  Jennie. 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


611 


Prior  to  his  marriage.  Mr.  Hummel  had 
purchased  a  partially  improved  farm  of 
eighty  acres  in  East  Bend  township  upon 
which  he  and  his  wife  began  their  domestic 
life,  and  he  has  since  added  to  it  until  he  now 
has  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  well  im- 
proved and  valuable  land,  besides  five  acres 
of  timber.  In  connection  with  his  farming 
operations,  he  has  owned  and  operated  a 
steam  thresher  and  cornsheller  in  season  for 
the  past  twenty-four  years.  He  is  a  wide- 
awake, energetic  business  man,  progressive 
and  methodical,  and  in  all  his  undertakings 
has  been  remarkably  successful.  He  is  a 
stanch  friend  of  the  public  schools,  and  has 
most  capably  served  as  a  member  of  the 
school  board  in  his  district  for  a  number  of 
years.  In  his  political  affiliations  he  is  a 
Republicnn,  unwavering  in  his  allegiance  to 
that  party  since  casting  his  first  presidential 
vote  for  General  U.  S.  Grant  in  1872. 
Mrs.  Hummel  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic 
church  of  Rantoul. 


JOHN  F.  TROTTER  is  a  thrifty  and 
progressive  agriculturist,  who  is  now 
successfully  operating  the  old  Trotter  home- 
stead of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  on 
section  14,  Newcomb  township,  Champaign 
county,  Illinois.  He  was  born  in  Clinton 
county,  Indiana,  April  7,  1852,  a  son  of 
Hiram  and  Lydia  (Allemang)  Trotter,  who 
were  born,  reared  and  married  in  Virginia. 
On  leaving  their  native  state  the  parents  re- 
moved to  Clinton  county,  Indiana,  where 
the  father  engaged  in  farming  for  a  few 
years,  and  then,  in  March,  1856,  came  to 
Champaign  county,  Illinois,  locating  upon 
the  farm  now  occupied  by  our  subject.  At 
that  time  the  land  was  all  wild,  and  to  its 


improvement  and  cultivation  the  father 
gave  his  time  and  attention  for  a  number  of 
years,  but  is  now  living  retired  in  Fisher,  at 
the  age  of  eighty-seven  years,  his  birth  oc- 
curring in  1813.  He  was  one  of  the  active, 
enterprising  and  successful  farmers  of  the 
county.  His  wife  died  on  the  old  home- 
stead in  1879,  leaving  nine  children,  four  sons 
and  five  daughters,  who  are  still  living. 

John  F.  Trotter  was  a  child  of  four 
years  when  brought  by  his  parents  to  this 
county,  and  amid  pioneer  scenes  he  grew  to 
manhood,  attending  the  common  schools 
and  aiding  in  the  arduous  task  of  trans- 
forming wild  land  into  highly  cultivated 
fields.  He  was  married  in  this  county  Jan- 
uary 20,  1876,  to  Miss  Eliza  Jane  Funston, 
a  native  of  Piatt  county,  Illinois.  She  re- 
ceived a  good  practical  education  and  suc- 
cessfully engaged  in  teaching  school  prior 
to  her  marriage.  Her  father,  J.  H.  Funston, 
was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  the  county 
from  Ohio.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Trotter  have  a 
family  of  four  children,  namely:  Ira,  who 
assists  his  father  in  the  operation  of  the 
home  farm;  Maud,  who  has  acquired  a  good 
education  in  the  local  schools  and  now  holds 
a  teacher's  certificate;  Grace,  at  home;  and 
Daisy,  who  is  attending  the  district  school. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Trotter  located 
on  a  farm  of  eighty  acres  which  he  owned 
in  Newcomb  township,  but  after  operating 
it  four  years,  he  sold  out  and  moved  to 
Nebraska  in  1884,  locating  in  Butler  county, 
where  he  bought  and  improved  a  farm  of 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  After  residing 
there  for  a  year,  he  sold  his  place  and  re- 
turned to  this  county,  taking  up  his  abode 
on  the  old  homestead,  which  he  has  since 
carried  on  with  marked  success,  being  ac- 
counted one  of  the  best  and  most  success- 
ful farmers  in  Newcomb  township. 


6l2 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Politically  Mr.  Trotter  was  formerly 
identified  with  the  Democratic  party,  but 
now  votes  independent  of  party  lines,  en- 
deavoring to  support  the  men  best  qualified 
for  the  offices.  He  has  served  as  township 
clerk  two  or  three  years,  and  in  1895  was 
elected  collector,  to  which  office  he  has 
been  three  times  re-elected,  being  the  pres- 
ent incumbent.  He  is  a  stanch  friend  of 
education  and  public  schools,  and  for  some 
years  has  been  a  member  of  the  school  board 
and  is  now  president  of  the  same.  His  of- 
ficial duties  have  always  been  most  capably 
and  satisfactorily  discharged.  Socially  he 
is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias  Lodge 
of  Fisher,  and,  together  with  his  wife 
and  children,  he  holds  membership  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Shiloh.  For 
almost  forty-four  years  he  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  Champaign  county,  and  has  wit- 
nessed his  wonderful  growth  and  develop- 
ment. He  has  seen  the  swamps  drained 
and  transformed  into  fertile  farms,  has 
seen  cities  and  villages  spring  up,  and 
has  seen  the  wolves,  deer  and  other  wild 
game  disappear.  He  is  widely  and  favor- 
ably known  and  has  a  host  of  warm  friends 
in  the  community  where  almost  his  entire 
life  has  been  passed. 


WILLIAM  H.  COSNER.  Indiana  has 
contributed  a  large  quota  of  the  stur- 
dy, energetic  agriculturists  of  this  country, 
and  among  them  are  to  be  found  men  of 
sterling  worth  and  integrity,  who  have  con- 
tributed much  toward  the  development  and 
improvement  of  the  locality  in  which  they 
settled.  Prominent  among  these  is  Mr. 
Cosner  whose  home  is  on  section  18,  East 
Bend  township,  three  and  a  half  miles  from 
Fisher. 


This  honored  pioneer  was  born  in  Monroe 
county,  Indiana,  January  24,  1844,  and  is 
a  son  of  Jacob  L.  Cosner,  who  was  born  in 
North  Carolina,  in  1822,  and  in  1831  re- 
moved to  Indiana  with  his  father,  Henry 
Cosner,  locating  in  Monroe  county,  where 
the  latter  opened  a  shop  and  engaged  in 
blacksmithing.  There  the  father  of  our 
subject  grew  to  manhood,  and  spent  his 
early  life  in  making  rails  and  working  on  a 
farm.  He  married  Lettie  A.  Jordan, 
a  native  of  Virginia,  and  a  daughter  of  Will- 
iam Jordan,  who  removed  from  that  state 
to  Kentucky,  and  later  to  Indiana.  In 
1849  Mr.  Cosner  brought  his  family  to  Illi- 
nois, and  after  spending  one  year  in  Cass 
county  came  to  Champaign  county  in  the 
fall  of  1850.  He  purchased  forty  acres  of 
the  farm  where  our  subject  now  resides, 
and  later  added  to  it  until  he  had  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty-five  acres,  which  he  placed 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  im- 
proved in  an  excellent  manner.  He  was 
one  of  the  thrifty  farmers  of  East  Bend 
township.  Here  he  died  February  21,  1896, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-four  years,  honored 
and  respected  by  all  who  knew  him.  His 
wife  survives  him  and  still  resides  on  the  old 
homestead  at  the  age  of  seventy -seven  years. 

The  only  son  of  this  worthy  couple  is 
William  H.  Cosner,  our  subject.  He  spent 
his  boyhood  and  youth  in  much  the  usual 
manner  of  farmer  boys,  and  received  but 
limited  educational  advantages,  though  he 
later  attended  the  Champaign  Commercial 
School,  and  through  his  own  efforts  has  be- 
come well  informed.  In  early  life  he  en- 
gaged in  teaching  school  for  one  term  of 
seven  months.  He  never  left  the  parental 
roof,  and  on  reaching  manhood  took  charge 
of  the  home  farm,  which  he  still  operates. 
He  owns  a  farm  of  eighty  acres  in  the  same 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


613 


township,    and    as  an  agriculturist    he    has 
met  with  excellent  success  in  his  labors. 

In  Monroe  county,  Indiana,  in  the  fall 
of  1872,  was  celebrated  the  marriage  of 
Mr.  Cosner  and  Miss  Mary  J.  Gentry,  who 
was  born,  reared  and  educated  in  that 
county,  and  is  a  daughter  of  James  S.  Gen- 
try. By  this  union  there  is  one  child, 
Eliza  Myrtle,  now  a  student  in  the  home 
school.  Mr.  Cosner,  his  wife  and  mother, 
all  hold  membership  in  the  Methodist  Prot- 
estant church,  of  East  Bend  township,  and 
the  family  is  one  of  the  most  prominent 
and  highly  respected  in  the  community 
where  they  reside.  Our  subject  has  been 
a  life-long  Democrat,  and  has  served  one 
term  as  assessor  of  his  township;  was  a 
member  of  the  school  board  for  several 
years;  and  is  now  president  of  the  district. 
He'  is  one  of  the  oldest  members  of  the 
Odd  Fellows  Lodge  at  Rantoul,  with  which 
he  became  connected  in  1870.  He  now 
holds  membership  in  Fisher  Lodge,  No. 
704.  He  has  filled  all  the  chairs,  and  is 
now  past  grand.  During  his  residence  here 
he  has  seen  the  county  transformed  from 
an  almost  unbroken  wilderness  into  a 
thickly  populated  district  containing  good 
schools,  fine  churches  and  beautiful  homes 
and  farms.  Wolves,  deer  and  other  wild 
game  have  disappeared,  railroads  have 
been  built,  and  towns  and  villages  sprung 
up.  In  the  work  of  advancement  Mr. 
Cosner  has  always  borne  his  part,  and  is 
justly  numbered  among  the  honored  and 
valued  citizens  of  his  community. 


JULIUS  K.    UNZICKER,    a    successful 
and  prosperous  farmer  residing  on   sec- 
tion 13,  Brown  township,  Champaign  coun- 


ty, where  he  owns  a  fine  farm  of  two  hun- 
dred and  seventy  acres,  pleasantly  located 
three  miles  north  of  Fisher,  is  a  native  of 
Illinois,  born  in  Tazewell  county,  July  18, 
1864,  and  there  grew  to  manhood,  being 
reared  to  agricultural  pursuits  and  educated 
in  the  district  schools  near  his  home. 

Peter  Unzicker,  fatherof  oursubject,  was 
born  in  Germany,  and  was  a  young  man  at 
the  time  of  his  emigration  to  the  new  world. 
He  first  located  near  Cincinnati,  in  Hamil- 
ton county,  Ohio,  where  he  married  Cath- 
erine Kennel,  who  was  also  a  German  by 
birth,  but  was  reared  in  Ohio.  After  farm- 
ing in  that  state  for  a  few  years,  they  came 
to  Illinois,  in  1844,  and  settled  in  Tazewell 
county,  where  the  father  opened  up  a  farm 
and  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  in  1890.  His 
wife  died  January  12,  1898. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  remained  with 
his  father  until  the  latter's  death  and  then 
took  charge  of  the  home  farm,  which  he 
carried  on  until  coming  to  Champaign  coun- 
ty, in  1893.  Purchasing  the  place  where 
he  now  resides  he  has  since  devoted  his 
time  and  energies  to  its  further  improve- 
ments and  cultivation,  and  now  has  one  of 
the  most  desirable  farms  of  its  size  in  Brown 
township,  it  being  supplied  with  all  the  ac- 
cessories and  conveniences  found  upon  a 
model  farm  of  the  present  day. 

In  Tazewell  county,  Mr.  Unzicker  was 
married,  in  May,  1887,  to  Miss  Mary  H. 
Oesch,  who  was  born  in  Elm  Grove  town- 
ship, that  county,  near  Pekin.  Her  father, 
Christian  Oesch,  was  a  native  of  Germany, 
and  an  early  settler  of  Tazewell  county, 
where  he  located  when  a  young  man,  and 
where  he  was  married.  He  is  now  living  in 
Champaign  county  at  the  age  of  eighty-one 
years.  As  a  farmer  he  met  with  excellent 


614 


THE  BIOGRAHHICAL  RECORD. 


success,  becoming  quite  well-to-do.  To 
our  subject  and  wife  have  been  born  five 
sons,  namely:  Otto,  Walter  and  Arthur, 
twins,  Ezra  and  Roy. 

By  his  ballot  Mr.  Unzicker  has  always 
supported  the  Democratic  party  since  cast- 
ing his  first  presidential  vote  for  Grover 
Cleveland,  but  he  has  never  sought  nor  de- 
sired official  honors.  In  religious  belief 
he  and  his  wife  are  German  Baptists,  and 
hold  membership  in  the  old  Amish  church  in 
East  Bend  township.  They  are  widely  and 
favorably  known  and  have  made  many  warm 
friends  during  their  residence  in  this  county. 


§G.  STEVENSON.  There  is  proba- 
bly no  man  in  East  Bend  township  wider 
or  more  favorably  known  than  Mr.  Steven- 
son, who  came  to  this  county  in  pioneer 
days,  and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  impor- 
tant factors  in  its  progress  and  develop- 
ment. Throughout  his  entire  business  ca- 
reer he  has  engaged  in  agriculture  pursuits, 
and  now  owns  a  good  farm  of  one  hundred 
acres  on  section  19,  two  and  a  half  miles 
from  Fisher. 

A  native  of  Pennsylvania,  Mr.  Steven- 
son was  born  in  Warren  county,  September 
20,  1839,  and  is  a  son  of  Martin  Stevenson, 
who  was  born  in  the  same  county  in  1812.  His 
paternal  grandfather  was  Stephen  Stevenson. 
The  father  grew  to  manhood  in  his  native 
state,  and  then  removed  to  Switzerland 
county,  Indiana,  where  he  wedded  Mary  F. 
Peabody,  a  native  of  that  county,  and  a 
daughter  of  S.  G.  Peabody,  a  soldier  of  the 
war  of  1812,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylva- 
nia, and  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
Switzerland  county,  Indiana.  Afler  his 
marriage  the  father  of  our  subject  spent  a 


few  days  in  Pennsylvania,  and  then  re- 
turned to  Indiana,  where  he  followed  farm- 
ing and  also  operated  a  grist  and  saw-mill. 
In  the  fall  of  1850  he  came  to  Champaign 
county,  Illinois,  and  entered  eighty  acres  of 
land  in  East  Bend  township,  upon  which 
our  subject  now  resides,  and  the  patent  for 
which  was  signed  by  President  Franklin 
Pierce.  Before  locating  upon  his  own  land 
he  rented  and  operated  a  farm  in  Newcomb 
township  for  three  years,  and  then  removed 
to  the  farm  which  continued  to  be  his  home 
until  called  from  this  life  in  1886.  His  wife 
survived  him  for  a  few  years,  passing  away 
in  1890. 

Our, subject  was  a  lad  of  eleven  sum- 
mers on  the  removal  of  the  family  to  this 
county,  and  in  its  common  schools  he  com- 
pleted his  education.  Prompted  by  a  spir- 
it of  patriotism,  he  enlisted  in  July,  1862, 
in  Company  F,  One  Hundred  and 
Twenty-fifth  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry, 
under  Captain  Lester,  and  served  with  the 
Army  of  the  Cumberland,  under  the  • 
command  first  of  General  Rosecranz  and 
later  General  Sherman.  He  participated 
in  the  battle  of  Perry ville,  Kentucky; 
was  next  on  patrol  duty  at  Nashville, 
and  later  was  in  the  engagements  at  Chick- 
amauga,  Missionary  Ridge,  Lookout  Mount- 
ain, and  the  Atlanta  campaign,  during 
which  time  he  was  under  fire  nearly  every 
day.  After  the  surrender  of  Jonesboro, 
the  regiment  went  with  Sherman  on  the 
march  to  the  sea,  was  in  the  battle  of  Ben- 
tonville,  and  then  marched  through  Rich- 
mond and  on  to  Washington,  D.  C.,  where 
they  participated  in  the  grand  review 
at  the  close  of  the  war.  Later  they  were 
mustered  out  and  honorably  discharged  at 
Chicago,  in  June,  1865. 

Mr.  Stevenson  lost  very  little  time  from 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


615 


sickness  or  other  causes  during  his  service. 
After  his  return  home  he  took  charge  of  the 
farm,  and  cared  for  his  parents  in  their  de- 
clining years.  In  connection  with  the  cul- 
tivation of  his  land,  he  has  owned  and 
operated  a  steam  thresher,  having  been 
engaged  in  that  business  for  nearly  twenty 
years. 

On  the  26th  of  January,  1866,  in  East 
Bend  township,  Mr.  Stevenson  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Sarah  E.  Tucker, 
who  was  born  in  Ohio  and  came  to  this 
county  with  her  father,  John  Tucker,  about 
1856.  By  this  union  were  born  the  follow- 
ing children:  Thomas  Elmer,  who  died 
April  23,  1899;  Elizabeth,  now  the  wife  of 
Fred  Covert,  of  East  Bend  township;  Addie, 
Gertie,  Iva,  Myra,  Frank  and  George,  all 
at  home;  and  one  who  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Stevenson  has  been  identified  with 
the  Republican  party  since  casting  his  first 
presidential  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln  in 
1860.  He  is  now  acceptably  serving  his 
second  term  as  commissioner  of  highways, 
and  has  been  a  member  of  the  school  board 
for  some  years.  Socially  he  is  a  member 
of  the  Grand  Army  Post  and  the  Odd  Fel- 
lows Society  of  Fisher,  and  both  he  and  his 
wife  are  earnest  and  faithful  members  of 
the  Methodist  Protestant  church. 


/COLONEL  SAMUEL  T.  BUSEY.  It 
^-J  is  not  an  easy  task  to  describe  ade- 
quately a  man  who  has  led  an  eminently 
active  and  busy  life  and  who  has  attained  to 
a  position  of  high  relative  distinction  in  the 
more  important  and  exacting  fields  of  human 
endeavor.  But  biography  finds  its  most 
perfect  justification,  nevertheless,  in  the 
tracing  and  recording  of  such  a  life  history. 


It  is,  then,  with  a  full  appreciation  of  all 
that  is  demanded,  and  of  the  painstaking 
scrutiny  that  must  be  accorded  each  state- 
ment, and  yet  with  a  feeling  of  significant 
satisfaction,  that  the  writer  essays  the  task 
of  touching  briefly  upon  the  details  of  such 
a  record  as  has  been  the  voice  of  the  char- 
acter of  the  honored  subject  whose  life  now 
comes  under  review.  In  the  active  affairs 
of  life  he  has  achieved  most  honorable  and 
creditable  success,  yet  has  not  labored  alone 
for  individual  prosperity  for  his  efforts  have 
contributed  to  the  general  welfare  along 
many  lines. 

Colonel  Samuel  T.  Busey  was  born  in 
Greencastle,  Indiana,  on  the  i6th  of  No- 
vember, 1835,  and  is  a  son  of  Mathew 
Wales  and  Elizabeth  (Bush)  Busey,  natives 
of  Shelby  county,  Kentucky.  The  paternal 
grandfather,  Samuel  Busey,  was  born  in 
Yadkin  county,  North  Carolina,  and  was  a 
son  of  Mathew  Busey,  who  was  probably 
born  in  Frederick  county,  Maryland.  The 
family  is  of  English  lineage,  the  original 
American  ancestors  having  located  in  Fred- 
erick county,  Maryland,  about  the  middle 
of  the  eighteenth  century.  Mathew  Busey 
removed  to  North  Carolina  where  hebecame 
associated  with  Daniel  Boone,  and  married 
a  relative  of  the  noted  Kentucky  explorer. 
He  accompanied  Daniel  Boone  to  the  "dark 
and  bloody  ground,"  was  in  the  fort  at 
Boonesboro  when  it  was  besieged  and  was 
a  companion  of  Boone  in  many  of  his  ad- 
ventures. His  son,  Samuel  Busey.  was 
captured  by  the  Indians  when  a  lad  of  twelve 
years  and  was  carried  far  to  the  northward, 
but  managing  to  make  his  escape  from  the 
Red  Men  he  found  his  way  home,  guided  by 
marks  which  he  had  apparently  carelessly 
made  on  the  way  north  in  the  hope  that 
they  might  later  prove  of  benefit  to  him. 


6i6 


THE  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Afterward  the  family  removed  to  Shelby 
county,  Kentucky,  where  Mathew  Busey 
made  his  home  until  his  death,  becoming 
the  owner  of  a  large  farm  there. 

Mathew  Wales  Busey,  the  second  son 
of  Samuel  Wales,  and  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  born  in  Shelby  county,  Kentucky, 
in  1798,  and  during  his  boyhood  accompan- 
ied his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Wash- 
ington county,  Indiana,  where  he  married 
Elizabeth  Bush,  also  a  native  of  Shelby 
county.  Soon  afterward  he  removed  to  Put- 
nam county,  Indiana,  where  he  was  elected 
colonel  of  the  state  militia,  which  position 
he  held  until  his  removal  to  Illinois,  when 
he  was  again  elected  colonel  in  that  state. 
He  was  also  chosen  to  represent  his  district 
in  the  General  Assembly,  filling  that  im- 
portant office  from  1840  to  1842.  He  also 
held  several  minor  offices  and  was  a  recog- 
nized leader  in  public  thought  and  action. 
For  some  years  he  made  his  home  in  Ur- 
bana,  where  he  was  extensively  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  brick.  His  sons,  Simeon 
H.  and  John  S.,  were  also  members  of  the 
State  Legislature.  His  death  occurred  in 
December,  1852,  and  his  wife,  long  surviv- 
ing him,  passed  away  in  1880,  at  the  age  of 
eighty  years. 

Samuel  T.  Busey,  their  third  son,  was 
reared  on  a  farm  amid  the  wild  scenes  of 
frontier  life  and  received  his  education  in  a 
log  school-house.  In  1857  he  began  mer- 
chandising in  Urbana  and  for  many  years 
was  an  active  factor  in  the  business  life  of 
the  city.  In  1867,  he  and  his  brother, 
Simeon  H.,  opened  a  private  bank,  which 
was  conducted  under  the  name  of  Busey 
Brothers  &  Company  Banking  Company, 
the  Colonel  giving  to  it  his  personal  super- 
vision and  making  it  one  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful and  reliable  institutions  of  the  kind 


in  the  county.  He  continued  active  con- 
nection therewith  until  1888,  when  with  a 
handsome  capital  he  retired  to  enj  oy  a  well- 
earned  rest  from  business  cares. 

A  public-spirited  and  progressive  citi- 
zen, he  has  labored  most  earnestly  and  ef- 
fectively for  the  welfare  of  the  county,  state 
and  nation.  In  1 860  he  was  a  Douglas  Demo- 
crat, but  after  the  inauguration  of  the  war 
he  became  a  strong  supporter  of  the  Lin- 
coln administration,  and  in  1862  he  disposed 
of  his  business  interests,  entering  the  re- 
cruiting service  as  second  lieutenant  of  Com- 
pany B,  Seventy-sixth  Illinois  Infantry.  He 
was  made  captain  on  its  organization  at 
Kankakee,  August  7,  1862,  was  appointed 
lieutenant-colonel  on  the  I2th  of  August 
and  became  colonel  of  the  regiment  in  May, 

1863.  His  command  won  distinction  as  be- 
ing the  best  drilled  regiment  and  best  dis- 
ciplined in  the  Army  of  Tennessee  and  was 
so  mentioned  by  the  inspector-general.    Aft- 
er the  siege  of    Vicksburg  he    refused  the 
promotion  to  the  rank  of  brigadier-general, 
and  after  the   battle  of  Jackson  he   refused 
the  command  of    the    district  of    Natchez, 
Mississippi,    preferring    field    service.      He 
joined    the  Army   of  the   Gulf,    January  5, 

1864,  marched  to   Pensacola,  Florida,   and 
then  proceeded  north  in  March,   1865.     At 
the  siege  of  Fort  Blakely,  Alabama,  he  was 
wounded   in   the  eye  by  the   bursting  of  a 
shell,  while  landing  the  regiment  in  an  as- 
sault on  the  fort.     Three  days  later,  on  the 
8th  of  April,    single-handed,    he   engaged  a 
gun  squad  inside  the  works,  killing  the  gun- 
ner and  dispersing  the  squad.      He  received 
a  severe  wound  in   the  left  thigh  in  that  en- 
counter.     On    account    of    his    meritorious 
service  he  was    brevetted  on    recommenda- 
tion of  his  division  commander,  Major-Gen- 
eral  C.  V.  Andrews.      W7ith  a  most   honor- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


617 


able  war  record  Colonel  Busey  returned  to 
his  home,  having  on  many  a  field  of  battle 
fought  for  the  supremacy  of  the  stars  and 
stripes  and  the  cause  they  represented. 

He  has  been  very  prominent  m  public 
affairs,  a  recognized  leader  in  thought  and 
action,  and  his  name  is  deeply  engraved  on 
the  public  records  of  the  state.  He  was  a 
candidate  for  the  Legislature  on  the  Demo- 
cratic ticket  in  1866,  and  for  trustee  of  the 
Illinois  University  in  1888,  but  was  defeated. 
His  popularity  in  his  own  city,  however, 
where  he  is  best  known,  is  most  marked,  and 
his  fellow  townsmen,  recognizing  his  worth 
and  ability,  have  five  times  elected  him 
mayor  of  the  city.  During  his  service  as 
the  chief  executive  of  Urbana,  the  water 
works  system  was  established  and  the  elec- 
tric light  system  was  put  in.  He  gave  to 
both  measures  his  hearty  endorsement,  in 
fact  has  at  all  times  supported  every  pro- 
gressive measure  having  for  its  object  the 
welfare  and  improvement  of  the  city.  He 
has  been  treasurer  of  the  Democratic  county 
committee  for  a  number  of  years,  and  has 
taken  a  very  active  part  in  the  work  of  the 
organization,  doing  all  in  his  power  to  secure 
the  adoption  of  the  principles  of  Democracy. 
He  was  elected  to  the  fifty-second  Congress, 
wherein  he  served  on  the  committees  on 
banking  and  currency  and  on  the  District  of 
Columbia.  He  was  active  in  supporting 
Crisp  for  speaker,  and  through  his  influence 
in  securing  votes  secured  his  election.  He 
was  also  instrumental  in  calling  up  a  bill  de- 
manding air  brakes  and  couplers  on  trains 
and  secured  its  passage.  It  was  also  through 
his  efforts  that  the  Sibley  bill  was  defeated 
and  that  the  amendment  to  the  national 
bank  bill — a  very  important  measure,  pro- 
viding for  an  agent  for  banks  that  had  been 
in  the  hands  of  a  receiver, — was  secured. 


The  agent  is  to  close  up  the  affairs  of  the 
bank  after  the  receiver  has  finished  his  work. 
This  greatly  simplifies  matters  and  makes 
titles  more  secure  in  the  sale  of  real  estate, 
as  in  the  old  way  it  required  a  majority  of 
the  stockholders,  while  now  the  agent  can 
sell  real  estate,  and  bring  the  business  of  the 
bank  to  a  more  speedy  termination.  In 
1892  Colonel  Busey  was  again  the  nominee 
of  his  party,  but  was  defeated,  although  he 
ran  fifteen  hundred  votes  ahead  of  the  rest 
of  his  ticket.  He  is  public-spirited  in  an 
eminent  degree;  national  progress  and  local 
advancement  are  causes  both  dear  to  his 
heart  and  his  devotion  to  his  country  is 
above  question. 

The  Colonel  is  a  valued  member  of  Black 
Eagle  Post,  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Re- 
public, was  active  in  its  organization  and 
was  its  first  commander.  He  does  all  in  his 
power  to  advance  the  interests  of  the  local 
post,  his  opinions  carry  weight  in  its  coun- 
cils, and  he  has  been  chosen  as  its  represent- 
ative to  the  state  encampments.  He  was 
also  at  one  time  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity  and  served  as  its  secretary  for 
several  years,  but  has  not  been  connected 
with  the  lodge  since  the  war.  His  home 
life  is  very  pleasant,  and  he  is  a  man  of 
strong  domestic  tastes.  He  wedded  Miss 
Mary  E.  Bowen,  of  Delphi,  Indiana,  a 
daughter  of  Abner  H.  and  Catherine  Gay 
(Trowen)  Bowen.  Her  mother  was  born 
in  India,  being  a  daughter  of  Rev.  Trowen, 
one  of  the  first  Presbyterian  missionaries  to 
that  land.  He  died  in  India  and  his  widow 
afterward  returned  to  Virginia,  where  she 
was  arrested  on  account  of  teaching  her 
negro  servant  how  to  read.  Her  persecu- 
tion led  to  her  removal  to  Delphi,  Indiana. 
The  marriage  of  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Busey  oc- 
curred December  25,  1877,  and  has  been 


6i8 


THE  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


blessed  with  three  children — Marietta, 
Bertha  and  Charles  B.,  all  at  home.  His 
wife  and  children  attend  the  Presbyterian 
church  and  the  Colonel  contributes  liberal- 
ly to  its  support. 

With  a  capacity  and  experience  which 
would  enable  him  to  fulfil  any  trust  to  which 
he  might  be  chosen,  he  has  never  given 
much  time  to  office  seeking  but  has  been 
content  to  do  his  duty  where  he  could  and 
and  leave  the  self-seeking  to  others. 
Viewed  in  a  personal  light,  he  is  a  strong 
man,  of  excellent  judgment,  fair  in  his 
views,  but  strong  in  advancing  ideas  which 
he  believes  to  be  right.  His  friends  are 
many,  and  on  the  list  are  numbered  many 
who  are  numbered  among  the  representative 
men  of  the  state.  His  life  has  been  manly, 
his  action  sincere,  his  manner  unaffected 
and  his  example  well  worthy  of  emulation. 


WILLIAM  FRANKLIN  BURRES,  M. 
D.  The  motto  "  merit  always  com- 
mands its  reward  "  is  well  exemplified  in 
the  career  of  this  gentleman.  He  early 
learned  that  knowledge  is  the  key  with 
which  the  poor  boy  can  open  the  storehouse 
of  the  world  and  cull  its  choicest  fruits,  and 
the  result  is  that  he  is  now  one  of  the  most 
successful  physicians  and  surgeons  of  Urba- 
na,with  office  at  No.  217  West  Main  street. 
The  Doctor  was  born  in  Coles  county, 
Illinois,  June  29,  1857,  a  son  of  George  W. 
and  Amanda  J.  (Woods)  Burres.  The  fa- 
ther was  born  in  Ohio  and  left  an  orphan 
at  an  early  age.  In  1836,  when  about  four 
years  old,  he  was  brought  to  Coles  county, 
Illinois,  becoming  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
that  locality,  where  he  subsequently  engaged 
in  farming  for  many  years.  For  a  time  he 


carried  the  United  States  mail  on  horse- 
back from  Ashmore  to  Oakland,  a  distance 
of  twelve  miles,  and  served  as  deputy  sher- 
iff and  constable  in  Coles  county  for  some 
years.  He  and  his  wife  are  still  living  in 
Texas  county,  Missouri,  the  former  at  the 
age  of  sixty-four,  the  latter  at  the  age  of 
sixty-three  years.  They  are  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  are 
highly  respected  by  all  who  know  them. 
Mrs.  Burres  was  born  in  Stanton,  Virginia, 
and  is  a  representative  on  her  mother's  side 
of  the  Miller  family,  one  of  the  old  and 
prominent  families  of  that  state.  At  the 
age  of  six  years  she  came  with  her  parents 
in  a  covered  wagon  from  Green  Brier  coun- 
ty, Virginia,  to  Edgar  county,  Illinois, 
and  located  near  Grandview.  The  Doc- 
tor's parents  were  married  March  11,  1856, 
and  to  them  were  born  nine  children: 
J.  R.,  an  attorney  of  Chicago;  Ella,  who 
for  the  past  sixteen  years  has  engaged  in 
teaching  school  in  Richland,  Missouri; 
Charles,  who  died  at  the  age  of  thirty- 
three  years;  John,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
twenty-two;  Ira,  who  is  engaged  in  farm- 
ing in  Kansas;  Viola,  wife  of  Peter  Jensen, 
of  Marissa,  Illinois;  Lewis,  a  resident  of 
New  York;  and  Florence,  also  a  teacher  in 
the  schools  of  Richland,  Missouri.  Of  the 
nine  children,  eight  have  followed  the  teach- 
er's profession. 

Dr.  Burres,  the  eldest  of  this  family, 
pursued  his  studies  in  the  common  schools 
until  thirteen  ^years  of  age,  and  among  his 
early  teachers  he  gratefully  remembers  W.C. 
Kimball,  now  deceased,  of  Ashmore,  Illi- 
nois, and  Dr.  H.  C.  Hobart,  now  a  practic- 
ing physician  of  that  place.  Next  to  his 
parents  he  feels  more  indebted  to  these  two 
gentlemen  than  to  any  one  for  many  favors 
and  acts  of  kindness  received  at  their  hands. 


THE  BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


619 


At  the  age  of  thirteen  he  removed  with  his 
parents  to  Douglas  county,  where  he  worked 
on  a  farm  for  several  years.  Feeling  the 
need  of  a  better  education,  he  entered  As- 
bury  (now  DePauw)  University,  at  Green- 
castle,  Indiana,  in  1875,  and  being  without 
means  worked  his  way  through  college.  He 
arrived  at  that  place  just  after  having  a  chill, 
and  the  recollection  of  that  with  other 
things  which  closely  followed  has  left  a  very 
vivid  picture  on  his  mind.  One  of  these 
was  that  he  had  only  one  dollar  remaining 
after  paying  his  matriculation  fee  and  tuition 
and  buying  some  books  which  were  needed 
to  carry  on  his  studies,  but  those  were  happy 
days  and  the  year  soon  passed,  leaving  him 
much  better  physically  and  mentallynotwith- 
standing  the  fact  that  while  not  engrossed  in 
study  he  was  working  for  his  board  most  of 
the  time.  The  following  year  he  attended 
the  Wesleyan  University  of  Illinois,  at 
Bloomington,  where  he  paid  his  bills  by 
carrying  coal  for  the  Munselian  Hall.  He 
then  took  the  place  oj  his  brother,  J.  R. , 
upon  the  farm,  and  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits  through  the  summer  and  teaching 
during  that  winter,  that  his  brother  might 
attend  the  law  department  of  the  Illinois 
\Yesleyan  University. 

In  1876  Mr.  Burres  took  up  the  study  of 
medicine  in  the  office  of  Dr.  Dunn,  a 
homeopathic  physician  of  Bloomington, 
with  whom  he  remained  three  months,  and 
later  was  in  the  office  of  Dr.  Wagner,  of 
Newman,  Illinois.  He  then  attended  Rush 
Medical  College,  of  Chicago,  for  one  term, 
and  at  the  end  of  that  time  passed  the  re- 
quired examination  before  the  board  of 
health  and  was  licensed  to  practice,  but  the 
following  year  he  returned  to  college  and 
was  graduated  with  the  class  of  1882.  Lo- 
cating at  Sidney,  Illinois,  he  was  success- 


fully engaged  in  practice  at  that  place  for 
several  years  and  served  as  local  surgeon  of 
the  Wabash  Railroad  for  twelve  years.  In 
the  meantime  he  took  a  post-graduate 
course  at  Rush  Medical  College  in  1895, 
and  on  the  ist  of  May,  1899,  went  to  Lon- 
don, England,  where  he  made  a  study  of 
hospital  work,  remaining  there  until  the  fol- 
lowing fall.  During  this  time  he  made 
special  study  of  children's  diseases,  receiv- 
ing a  certificate  from  the  Children's  Hos- 
pital at  that  place.  On  his  return  to  this 
country  he  decided  to  sell  his  practice  in 
Sidney  and  come  to  Urbana,  where  he  is 
already  meeting  with  well-deserved  success, 
his  skill  and  ability  being  soon  recognized. 
While  a  resident  of  Sidney  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Wabash  Surgeons  Association, 
has  also  served  as  president  of  the  Cham- 
paign County  Medical  Society  for  one  term, 
and  holds  membership  in  London  Medical 
Graduates  Polyclinic. 

Dr.  Burres  was  married  November  23, 
1882,  to  Miss  Allie  Coolley  and  they  have 
one  child,  Opal,  now  fourteen  years  of  age. 
Mrs.  Burres  is  the  eldest  daughter  of  Rev. 
C.  P.  Coolley  and  the  granddaughter  of 
Rev.  Jonathan  Coolley,  one  of  the  pioneer 
ministers  of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian 
church.  Mrs.  Burres  was  born  at  Newman, 
Illinois,  where  she  was  married  to  the  Doc- 
tor on  her  twentieth  birthday,  November  23, 
1882.  In  deference  to  the  wishes  of  the 
Doctor  she  has  always  maintained  her  re- 
lation to  the  Presbyterian  church,  thus 
cherishing  the  memory  and  ministerial  work 
of  her  ancestors  who  have  been  so  devoted 
to  that  denomination,  her  father  having 
been  for  some  time  the  financial  agent  of 
Lincoln  University  and  at  this  time  pastor 
for  the  Presbyterian  church  of  Virginia,  Illi- 
nois. 


62O 


THE  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Politically  Dr.  Burres  is  identified  with 
the  Republican  party,  and  socially,  affiliates 
with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows, the  Knights  of  Pythias,  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America  and  the  Court  of 
Honor,  while  religiously,  he  is  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  his 
wife  of  the  Presbyterian.  He  is  a  pleasant, 
genial  gentleman,  who  is  held  in  high  re- 
gard by  all  who  know  him,  and  has  already 
made  many  friends  in  Urbana. 


/CHARLES  M.  BRIDGES.  The  fam- 
V^  ilies  from  which  our  subject  has  des- 
cended were  prominent  and  honored  ones  of 
Virginia,  and  his  father,  Dr.  Vernon  Brid- 
ges, was  a  representative  member  of  the 
medical  profession  in'Mattoon,  Illinois,  for 
many  years  and  his  fame  was  not  confined 
to  his  own  state  or  community.  Born  in 
Virginia,  he  became  a  resident  of  Charles- 
ton, Illinois,  when  about  twenty  years  of 
age',  and  having  been  graduated  in  Rush 
Medical  College,  of  Chicago,  and  in  Bellevue 
College,  New  York,  embarked  in  practice. 
At  the  first  call  for  defenders  of  the  Union, 
in  the  Civil  war,  he  promptly  proffered  his 
services,  and  was  connected  with  the  Seven- 
ty-second Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry.  Dur- 
ing the  almost  five  years  of  his  army 
life,  he  made  a  splendid  record,  and 
for  some  time  was  the  assistant  surgeon  in 
the  brigade  commanded  by  General  Grant, 
and  continued  to  serve  as  surgeon  during 
the  entire  war.  Subsequently  he  was  ap- 
pointed to  act  as  a  member  of  the  local 
pension  board,  and  continued  to  serve  there- 
on until  his  death.  In  the  meantime,  Presi- 
dent Cleveland  had  appointed  another  man 
to  the  place,  but  as  the  remaining  members 


of  the  board  refused  to  act  with  the  new- 
comer, Dr.  Bridges  was  reinstated.  This 
action  faintly  indicates  the  popularity  of  the 
Doctor,  and  the  high  regard  in  which  his 
opinions  were  held  by  his  colleagues.  He 
was  a  great  student,  and  contributed  nu- 
merous notable  articles  on  timely  subjects  re- 
lating to  his  profession,  to  medical  journals 
of  high  rank,  and  upon  several  occasions 
he  gave  lectures  before  the  various  medical 
societies  with  which  he  was  connected. 
Politically,  he  was  an  ardent  Republican, 
and  at  one  time  his  friends  brought  forward 
his  name  as  a  candidate  for  the  Legislature, 
but  his  own  party  being  in  a  minority  he 
was  defeated.  Fraternally,  he  was  a  Mason. 
He  was  a  man  of  fine  constitution  and  hard- 
ly knew  what  illness  meant  for  himself  un- 
til he  was  stricken  with  pneumonia  in  1895, 
and  died  in  the  sixty-ninth  year  of  his  age. 
His  loss  is  deeply  felt  in  the  community 
where  he  so  long  made  his  home,  and  where 
his  influence  was  always  exercised  for  truth 
and  right. 

The  first  marriage  of  Dr.  Vernon  Bridges 
was  to  Mary  E.  Boyd,  who,  with  her  par- 
ents, John  A.  and  Rebecca  Boyd,  were 
natives  of  Kentucky.  The  father  lived  to  the 
advanced  age  of  ninety  years  and  the  mother 
was  seventy-six  years  old  when  called  to 
her  reward.  They  were  loyal  members  of 
the  Presbyterian  church.  Dr.  Bridges  and 
wife  identified  themselves  with  the  Christian 
church,  and  continued  active  workers  for 
Christian  unity  and  primitive  Christianity  as 
long  as  they  lived.  Mrs.  Bridges  was  sum- 
moned to  her  reward  when  she  was  in  her 
fifty-seventh  year.  Subsequently  the  Doctor 
married  Miss  Jennie  Cushman,  of  Mattoon, 
who  survives  him,  and  with  their  thirteen- 
years-old  daughter,  Marion,  is  still  making 
her  home  in  Mattoon.  Of  the  four  children 


THE  BIOGRAHPICAL    RECORD. 


621 


born  to  Dr.  Bridges  and  his  first  wife,  the 
eldest,  Emma,  who  was  a  successful  music 
teacher,  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years, 
and  the  youngest,  Edward,  passed  to  the 
better  land  when  he  was  seven  years  of  age. 
Flora,  who  was  graduated  in  the  Mattoon 
high  school,  and  in  Oberlin  (Ohio)  College, 
received  such  high  honors  in  the  last-named 
institution  that  she  was  awarded  a  scholar- 
ship prize,  consisting  of  a  two-years  course 
in  a  German  university.  Upon  her  return 
she  accepted  the  chair  of  Greek  in  Mt. 
Holyoke  Seminary,  and  later  occupied  the 
same  chair  in  Butler  University,  near  In- 
dianapois.  At  present  she  is  teaching  both 
Latin  and  Greek  in  the  Mount  Olivet  (Michi- 
gan) schools,  and  is  steadily  progressing  in 
her  chosen  avocation. 

Charles  M.  Bridges  was  born  in  Coles 
county,  Illinois,  July  12,  1861,  and  was  a 
pupil  in  the  public  schools  of  Mattoon,  and 
later  of  Lee's  Academy,  near  his  home  town. 
After  spending  four  terms  in  the  academy, 
he  went  to  the  Illinois  State  University  for 
a  year.  Having  been  called  home  by  the 
illness  and  death  of  his  mother,  he  then  de- 
cided to  commence  earning  his  own  liveli- 
hood entirely,  and  to  that  end  accepted  the 
first  opportunity  which  presented  itself  — 
this  proving  to  be  a  clerkship  in  the  Mattoon 
general  store.  About  a  year  later  he  went 
to  Caldwell,  Kansas,  where  he  was  similarly 
employed  for  two  years  more.  Acting  upon 
his  father's  suggestion  he  returned  home  in 
1884  and  entered  the  competitive  examina- 
tions for  a  lieutenancy  in  the  regular  -army. 
The  result  was  highly  creditable  to  him,  on 
the  whole,  but  his  average  was  materially 
lowered  on  account  of  the  questions  in 
astronomy,  which  branch  of  learning  he  had 
never  studied. 

About   this  time  he  obtained  his  initial 


experience  in  railroading  as  fireman  in  the 
employ  of  the  Iron  Mountain  &  Southern 
Railroad,  but  had  made  only  four  trips  when 
by  the  carelessness  of  another  man  the  end 
of  his  thumb  was  smashed.  He  then  ob- 
tained a  position  as  a  teacher  in  Little  Rock, 
and  successfully  conducted  a  school  for  four 
terms.  Finally  he  returned  to  Mattoon  and 
obtained  a  situation  as  voucher  clerk  for 
the  St.  Louis  division  of  the  Big  Four  Rail- 
road, with  which  corporation  he  has  since 
been  connected.  In  1885  he  was  sent  to 
Urbana  as  assistant  clerk  in  the  motive 
power  department,  and  in  1886  was  chief 
clerk;  in  1898  was  made  round-house  fore- 
man, and  in  1899  was  made  general  fore- 
man, and  is  still  serving  in  that  capacity, 
one  of  the  most  reliable  and  trusted  em- 
ployees of  the  company.  He  now  has  the 
general  supervision  of  the  locomotive  de- 
partment of  the  Big  Four  shops.  When  a 
resident  of  Mattoon  he  was  a  member  of 
the  Sons  of  Veterans,  and  during  the 
Spanish- American  war  he  assisted  in  raising 
a  company  in  Urbana.  The  quota  of  Illi- 
nois being  filled,  they  were  not  called  upon, 
but  retained  the  organization  for  some  time 
in  order  to  respond  to  an  emergency  call, 
should  any  come.  During  the  great  strike 
at  Pana  Mr.  Bridges  and  his  comrades  as- 
sembled and  made  preparations  to  do  their 
duty  as  soldiers,  but,  fortunately,  the  matter 
was  adjusted  without  bloodshed. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Bridges  and  Miss 
E.  M-  Gray  occurred  April  14,  1884.  She 
is  one  of  the  five  children  of  George  and 
Rosa  Gray,  the  former  a  native  of  Durham, 
England,  and  the  latter  of  Illinois.  Robert, 
her  eldest  brother,  is  foreman  in  the  boiler 
shops  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  Com- 
pany at  Trinidad,  Colorado.  John,  the 
next  in  order  of  birth,  is  taking  a  post- 


•622 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


graduate  course  in  the  University  of  Illinois, 
and  at  the  same  time  is  serving  on  the  re- 
portorial  staff  of  the  Chicago  Inter-Ocean, 
Times-Herald,  and  the  St.  Louis  Globe. 
Albert,  who  resides  with  his  parents  in  Ur- 
bana,  is  a  member  of  the  high-school  class 
of  1900,  and  is  the  president  of  his  literary 
society. 

Religiously,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bridges  are 
members  of  the  Christian  church,  and  are 
deeply  interested  in  whatever  makes  for  the 
uplifting  of  humanity.  He  is  connected 
with  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  uses  his 
franchise  in  favor  of  the  nominees  of  the 
Republican  party. 


WILLIAM  SIM,  deceased,  was  one  of 
the  founders  and  foremost  citizens 
of  Urbana,  and  to  his  posterity  he  has  left 
an  unblemished  name  and  record,  of  which 
they  may  justly  be  proud.  Though  he  was 
actively  engaged  in  business  here,  from  the 
time  when  the  now  flourishing  city  was  a 
mere  hamlet  until  he  was  called  to  the  si- 
lent land,  a  few  years  ago,  he  maintained  a 
high  standard  of  rectitude  in  all  his  deal- 
ings and  won  the  admiration  and  genuine 
esteem  of  all  who  knew  him. 

The  Sim  family,  which  had  the  blood  of 
the  Bruces  flowing  in  their  veins,  espoused 
the  Stuart  cause  in  their  native  Scotland, 
and  when  they  were  defeated  and  their 
large  estates  confiscated,  three  Sim  broth- 
ers cast  in  their  lot  with  the  American  col- 
onies. Colonel  Joseph  Sim,  one  of  them, 
fought  with  Generals  LaFayette  and  Green, 
in  the  Revolutionary  war,  and  subsequent- 
ly settled  in  Frederick  county,  Maryland. 
Anthony,  son  of  Colonel  Joseph  Sim,  also 
made  a  permanent  location  in  Frederick 


county,  and  at   his  death  he  left  two  sons, 
Joseph  W.  and  Thomas. 

The  former,  Joseph  W.  Sim,  father  of 
our  subject,  was  born  and  reared  in  Mary- 
land, and  there  married  a  lady  of  that  state, 
Keturah  Mercer,  who  was  of  French  lineage. 
They  removed  to  the  vicinity  of  Mt.  Vernon, 
Ohio,  in  the  spring  of  1831, and  in  the  spring 
of  1854  they  came  to  Champaign  county 
and  located  upon  the  Isaac  Downs  farm,  a 
mile  and  a  half  from  Urbana.  Subsequent- 
ly they  removed  to  the  village,  where  he 
died  at  an  advanced  age.  The  wife  and 
mother  was  a  devout  member  of  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  church.  They  were  the  par- 
ents of  eleven  children,  of  whom  ten  grew 
to  maturity.  One  of  the  number  was  the 
mother  of  John  Nelson,  once  chief  justice  of 
the  supreme  court  of  the  United  States,  and 
minister  to  France.  The  only  survivor  of 
this  large  family  is  Keturah,  wife  of  Will- 
iam Hessler,  of  Chicago. 

The  birth  of  William  Sirn  occurred  No- 
vember 2,  1825,  in  Maryland  and  in  his 
youth  he  received  a  good  education.  After 
completing  his  common  school  studies,  he 
commenced  teaching,  in  order  to  obtain 
the  means  to  pay  his  way  through  Martins- 
burg  Academy.  Later  he  attended  the 
Ohio  Wesleyan  University,  at  Delaware, 
Ohio.  Subsequently  he  taught  in  the  high 
school  at  Fredericksburg,  Ohio,  and  in 
1853  he  came  to  Urbana,  where  he  had 
charge  of  a  school  for  three  years. 

At  the  end  of  that  period  Mr.  Sim  em- 
barked in  the  drug  business,  in  what  has 
been  known  for  years  as  the  Sim  Drug  Com- 
pany, of  Urbana.  Until  1861  he  was  in 
partnership  with  Dr.  C.  A.  Hunt  and  M. 
Lindley,  and  later  he  was  associated  with 
John  T.  Farson  for  three  years.  From 
that  time  forward  Mr.  Sim  was  in  business 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


623 


alone,  and  by  good  methods  and  square 
dealing  won  the  regard  and  patronage  of 
the  public.  He  accumulated  considerable 
property  in  the  course  of  a  few  years,  own- 
ing the  business  block  occupied  by  his 
store,  and  a  desirable  residence,  besides  his 
extensive  drug  stock  and  other  investments. 
The  marriage  of  Mr.  Sim  and  Lucinda 
Lindley  took  place  August  9,  1853.  She  is 
a  daughter  of  Mahlon  and  Anna  (Wolfe) 
Lindley,  who  were  natives  of  Ohio,  and 
owned  a  valuable  farm  near  Fredericks- 
town,  that  state.  The  father  lacked  but 
three  months  of  ninety  years  at  the  time  of 
his  death,  and  the  mother  died  nine  months 
before,  aged  about  seventy-five  years.  They 
were  earnest  and  zealous  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  church.  They  had  eight  chil- 
dren, namely:  Jane,  deceased,  was  the  wife 
of  Rev.  Dr.  Sweaney;  Joseph,  who  died  in 
Florida,  where  he  owned  an  orange  grove, 
was  a  graduate  of  Kenyon  College,  and  for 
years  was  a  teacher  in  the  Episcopal  Fe- 
male Seminary;  James  W.  died  at  the  age 
of  seventy-six  years,  January,  1899;  Phrebe 
is  the  widow  of  Rev.  Doolittle,  of  the  Epis- 
copal church,  and  is  a  resident  of  Mansfield, 
Illinois;  John  W. ,  who  resides  on  the  old 
homestead  in  Knox  county,  Ohio,  is  a  grad- 
uate of  Miami  University,  of  Oxford,  Ohio, 
where  he  had  the  honor  of  initiating  into 
the  literary  society  the  gentleman  since 
known  as  president  of  the  United  States, 
Benjamin  Harrison;  Mrs.  Sim;  Jacob,  whose 
wife,  Almira  (Green)  Lindley,  is  deceased, 
lives  upon  a  farm  in  northern  Illinois;  and 
Dr.  Mahlon  Lindley  is  a  prominent  physi- 
cian of  Urbana.  The  six  brothers  and  sis- 
ters then  living  met  at  the  home  of  Mrs. 
Sim,  in  Urbana,  in  October,  1898,  the  first 
time  they  had  been  together  in  happy  reun- 
ion in  forty  years. 


Mrs.  Sim  attended  the  schools  of  Ha- 
gerstown  and  Martinsburg  Academy  in  her 
native  state,  Ohio.  She  came  to  Urbana  a 
bride,  determined  to  prove  herself  a  true 
helpmate  to  her  husband,  and  well  did  she 
carry  out  her  resolve.  To  them  six  chil- 
dren were  born.  Anna,  who  is  the  widow 
of  A.  B.  Shuck,  of  Urbana,  has  one  child, 
Helen;  Coler  L. ,  who  graduated  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  Illinois,  class  of  '77,  married  Nel- 
lie Huntoon,  and  has  two  children,  Arthur 
B.  and  Nellie.  He  formerly  was  engaged 
in  the  drug  business  in  Topeka,  Kansas,  and 
at  present  is  carrying  on  a  real  estate  busi- 
ness in  Wichita,  same  state.  Edward  T. 
and  Frank  B.  are  enterprising  druggists  at 
Topeka,  Kansas.  Edward  married  Belle 
Young  and  Frank  chose  Nellie  Morris  as  a 
wife.  The  latter  couple  have  two  children, 
Zenorah  and  Anna.  Walter  T.,  of  St. 
Louis,  is  a  traveling  salesman  for  a  promi- 
nent drug  house,  and  his  wife  formerly  was 
Miss  Emma  Coogan.  William,  a  graduate 
of  the  Urbana  high  school  and  of  the  School 
of  Pharmacy,  of  Chicago,  is  a  practical 
druggist,  and  since  his  father's  death  has 
had  charge  of  the  drug  store  so  long  ago 
established  by  his  senior. 

In  1849  Mr.  Sim  united  with  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church,  and  for  just  forty 
years  he  was  actively  connected  with  all  of 
the  enterprises  of  that  great  denomination. 
He  occupied  some  official  position  in  the 
church  nearly  all  of  the  time  of  his  mem- 
bership, and  liberally  contributed  to  its 
maintenance.  Upon  the  organization  of 
the  Republican  party  he  became  affiliated 
with  that  body,  and  for  twenty-eight  years 
he  served  as  school  treasurer  of  Urbana 
township.  During  that  time  many  thou- 
sands of  dollars  passed  through  his  hands, 
and  every  cent  was  accounted  for  by  him  in 


624 


his  usual  systematic,  manner.  The  life  of 
this  noble  Christian  man  came  to  a  close 
May  22,  1889,  when  he  was  in  his  sixty- 
fourth  year.  Mrs.  Sim  and  several  of  her 
children  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church.  She  resides  in  the  at- 
tractive home  provided  for  her  by  her  hus- 
band on  West  Green  street. 


WILLIAM  F.  MORGAN,  an  old  and 
honored  resident  of  Champaign,  Illi- 
nois, where  he  has  made  his  home  since 
1862,  was  born  in  Carlysle,  Nicholas  coun- 
ty, Kentucky,  April  19,  1813,  and  is  a  son 
of  Gerard  and  Sarafi  (Sanderson)  Morgan, 
both  natives  ol  Virginia  and  early  settlers 
of  Kentucky.  The  father  was  born  in  Gooch- 
land  county,  Virginia,  October  28,  1772, 
and  died  in  March,  1814,  and  the  mother 
was  born  in  1777,  and  disd  in  Covington, 
Kentucky,  in  1848.  After  the  father's 
death,  when  our  subject  was  fifteen  years  of 
age,  the  mother  moved  to  Greensburg, 
Indiana,  where  she  purchased  a  farm.  She 
was  left  with  seven  children,  namely:  John 
S. ;  James;  Woodson;  Gerard;  Elizabeth, 
who  married  a  Mr.  Jemison;  Mary,  who 
married  a  Mr.  Hamilton;  and  William  F., 
our  subject.  The  family  became  quite 
prominent  in  Kentucky  politics,  John  S. 
serving  as  a  member  of  the  state  legislature 
and  senate;  James,  a  member  of  both  the 
lower  house  and  senate;  and  Woodson,  of 
the  senate. 

William  F.  Morgan  remained  on  his 
mother's  farm  in  Greensburg,  Indiana, 
until  he  attained  his  majority  and  then  re- 
moved to  his  native  county  in  Kentucky, 
where  he  clerked  in  his  brother  John's  store 
at  Carlysle  for  two  years,  at  the  end  of 


which  time  he  brought  out  the  business,  con- 
tinuing to  successfully  engage  in  general 
merchandise  at  that  place  for  two  or  three 
years  on  his  own  account.  He  then  re- 
moved to  the  neighboring  town  of  Moore- 
field,  where  he  engaged  in  the  same  line 
of  business  for  some  time. 

While  there  Mr.  Morgan  was  married,  in 
1838,  to  Miss  Ann  T.  Bruce,  of  Fleming 
county,  Kentucky,  who  was  born  June  9, 
1818,  a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Eleanor 
(Threlkeld)  Bruce,  natives  of  Virginia,  who 
were  married  January  n,  1798.  The  father 
was  born  October  30,  1777,  and  when  fifteen 
years  of  age  removed  to  Kentucky  with  his 
father,  George  Bruce,  who  was  of  Scotch 
descent,  and  died  in  Scottsville,  Kentucky. 
Mrs.  Morgan's  maternal  grandfather,  Ben- 
jamin Threlkeld,  spent  his  last  years  as  a 
farmer  in  Mason  county,  Kentucky.  Her 
mother  was  born  in  King  George  county, 
Virginia,  May  15,  1778,  and  died  April  6, 
1863,  and  her  father  departed  this  life  July 
10,  1855. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Morgan  con- 
tinued in  business  in  Moorefield,  Kentucky, 
until  1844,  when  he  returned  to  Carlysle, 
where  he  followed  farming  for  a  short  time, 
and  later  engaged  in  the  same  pursuit  in 
Fleming  county,  Kentucky,  but  at  the  end 
of  five  years  he  resumed  merchandising,  to 
which  he  devoted  his  attention  until  com- 
ing to  Champaign.  He  also  served  as  post- 
master of  Elizaville,  Kentucky.  In  June, 
1862,  he  came  to  Champaign  county  with 
his  family,  and  at  first  operated  a  rented 
farm  of  six  hundred  and  forty  acres.  Sub- 
sequently he  purchased  a  farm  near  Savoy, 
which  he  improved  and  cultivated  until  his 
removal  to  the  city  of  Champaign  in  1870. 
He  was  one  of  the  first  express  agents  of  the 
city  and  filled  that  position  for  about  seven 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


625 


years,  since  which  time  he  has  lived  a  re- 
tired life.  In  1875  he  bought  a  good  brick 
residence  at  No.  10  North  Hickory  street, 
which  is  now  in  the  center  of  the  city,  and 
which  is  still  his  home.  He  and  his  wife 
are  leading  and  influential  members  of  the 
Baptist  church  of  Champaign,  of  which 
he  was  a  deacon  for  many  years  and  his 
name  appears  on  one  of  the  memorial 
windows  of  the  new  church. 

To  this  worthy  couple  were  born  ten 
children,  namely:  Lucinda  Bruce,  born  De- 
cember 31,  1839,  is  the  wife  of  Rev.  W.  T. 
Green,  a  Baptist  missionary,  now  in  Mex- 
ico City,  Mexico,  who  has  founded  churches 
at  that  place  and  also  in  San  Lois  Potosi 
and  Puebla;  Amelia  I.,  born  March  3, 
1842,  is  the  widow  of  P.  Richards,  who  is 
represented  on  another  page  in  this  volume; 
Gerard,  born  April  10,  1844,  is  a  resident 
of  Peoria,  Illinois;  Henry  B.,  born  Septem- 
ber 30,  1847,  is  a  prominent  citizen  of  Peo- 
ria, where  he  has  served  as  postmaster  for 
four  years,  and  is  now  president  of  the  water 
works  company;  Woodson,  born  February 
19,  1849,  is  a  photographer  of  Champaign; 
Elizabeth,  born  April  17,  1851,  married  S. 
C.  Knight,  of  Champaign,  and  died  August 
27,  1875;  William  B.,  born  December  29, 
1853,  is  a  photographer  of  Louisvilie,  Ken- 
tucky; Anna,  born  May  19,  1856,  died  Oc- 
tober 26,  1870;  Millard  M.,  born  January 
15,  1858,  is  a  photographer  of  Chicago;  and 
James,  born  December  18,  1861,  is  now  as- 
sistant managing  editor  of  the  Boston  Globe, 
ot  Boston,  Massachusetts. 


REV.    ISAAC   GROVES.      "  Excellence 
encourages  us  about   life  in  general," 
says  that  thoughtful  observer,  George  Eliot. 


This  saying  is  true  even  in  the  case  of  that 
careful  discharge  of  duty  which  leads  to  well- 
doing in  worldly  enterprises,  but  the  life 
which  reveals  religious  ardor  and  suggests 
the  uplifting  force  of  consecrated  purpose 
does  indeed  demonstrate  to  humanity  new 
and  lofty  possibilities.  The  life  of  Mr. 
Groves  has  been  a  constant  inspiration  to 
those  who  have  seen  his  zealous  and  untir- 
ing work  in  the  advancement  of  the  cause 
of  religion.  After  a  long  life  of  usefulness, 
he  is  now  living  retired  at  his  pleasant  home 
in  Champaign. 

Mr.  Groves  was  born  in  Cerneabbas, 
Dorsetshire,  England,  January  28,  1823,  a 
son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Tabra)  Groves, 
who  spent  their  entire  lives  at  that  place, 
which  was  the  old  ancestral  home  of  the 
family  for  many  generations.  The  father 
was  a  gardener,  having  charge  of  the  gar- 
dens of  an  estate.  The  mother  was  a 
member  of  the  Congregational  church. 

Our  subject  was  educated  in  the  schools 
of  his  native  place  and  remained  with  his 
parents  until  his  marriage,  in  1848,  Miss 
Elizabeth  Vawter  becoming  his  wife.  At 
the  age  of  eighteen  years  he  united  with  the 
Wesleyan  Methodist  church,  and  was  a  local 
preacher,  being  licensed  to  preach  in  1845. 
On  the  27th  of  January,  1848,  he  started  for 
America,  and  in  this  country  first  made  his 
home  at  Woodburn,  Macoupin  county,  Illi- 
nois. The  following  year  he  joined  the  Illi- 
nois Conference  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  and  was  located  at  different  places 
in  the  central  part  of  the  state.  His  wife 
died  in  Marshall,  in  1852,  leaving  two 
daughters:  Elizabeth  J.,  now  the  wife  of 
Hugh  Mitchell,  of  Dickerson,  Illinois,  and 
Harriet  A.,  wife  of  Thomas  Foster,  of  Sac 
county,  Iowa.  Mr.  Groves  was  again  mar- 
ried, December'26,  1852,  his  second  union 


33 


626 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


being  with  Mary  E.  Cole,  of  Casey,  Illinois, 
a  daughter  of  John  and  Eleanor  (Harris) 
Cole,  natives  of  Maryland,  who  came  to  this 
state  when  Mrs.  Groves  was  a  little  girl. 
The  father  purchased  a  large  tract  of  land 
and  laid  out  the  town  of  Casey,  near  which 
place  both  he  and  his  wife  died.  They 
were  leading  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  at  that  place.  By  his  sec- 
ond -marriage  Mr.  Groves  has  two  sons: 
John  I.  is  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medi- 
cine in  Champaign  and  also  looks  after  his 
father's  farming  interests.  He  married 
Eliza  L.  Burton,  and  has  one  child,  Eva. 
Charles  W.  is  superintendent  of  the  Dixon 
schools.  He  married  Dora  Tribune,  of 
Bement,  and  they  have  two  children:  Pau- 
line and  Charles  Harold. 

Mr.  Groves'  first  pastoral  charge  in  this 
country  was  at  Staunton,  Macoupin  county, 
Illinois,  and  second  at  Freemanton  Mission, 
Fayette  county,  where  he  built  a  church 
and  had  many  additions.  At  Salem  he  also 
built  a  church,  his  denomination  having  no 
house  of  worship  in  the  county  seat  of  Ma- 
rion county,  and  while  there  he  filled  twen- 
ty-four appointments.  At  Marshall,  Clark 
county,  he  built  a  parsonage,  had  a  goodly 
number  of  conversions,  and  left  twenty-two 
appointments  where  he  had  only  found  nine- 
teen. He  went  with  Peter  Cartwright  to 
Virginia,  Illinois,  where  he  built  a  church; 
also  built  another  at  Chandlerville,  where  he 
held  four  revivals  at  which  many  were  con- 
verted; finished  another  in  Newmansville, 
the  same  county;  raised  one  thousand  dol- 
lars for  a  fourth  church  built  after  he  left; 
and  also  built  a  parsonage  at  Chandlerville 
which  is  still  occupied.  He  then  went-with 
Dr.  Cartwright  to  Pleasant  Plains,  where 
he  had  charge  of  a  well-to-do  circuit,  and 
while  there  built  a  parsonage  and  church 


near  Springfield.  He  next  went  to  Shelby- 
ville,  where  he  held  a  splendid  revival  and 
built  a  parsonage.  Among  his  Sunday  school 
scholars  at  that  place  was  George  Wendling, 
the  lecturer.  After  filling  a  number  of  ap- 
pointments in  that  circuit,  he  was  sent  to  the 
Edgar  circuit,  which,  being  quite  large,  kept 
him  away  from  home  most  of  the  time,  as 
was  true  of  most  circuits.  There  he  built 

% 

a  church,  held  some  glorious  meetings,  and 
had  many  conversions.  He  was  next  pastor 
of  the  church  at  Sullivan,  where  he  built  a 
church;  finished  one  at  Lovington;  held  a 
good  revival  at  Monticello  and  built  a 
church  at  Bement;  built  another  and  also 
a  parsonage  at  Fairmount;  finished  one  at 
Sidney;  and  raised  four  thousand  dollars 
for  one  at  Homer;  and  built  another  on 
Georgetown  circuit  called  McKendreechapel. 
He  also  held  revival  meetings  at  Sidney  and 
Fairmount.  He  next  went  to  Camargo, 
Douglas  county,  where  he  remodeled  and 
rededicated  a  church;  and  from  there  came 
to  the  Urbana  circuit,  where  he  built 
churches  at  Ogden  and  Mayview,  and  held 
a  good  meeting  at  Ogden;  next  at  Mansfield 
where  he  had  a  glorious  revival  at  Shiloh. 
He  was  next  connected  with  the  Pilot  cir- 
cuit and  built  a  church  north  of  Oakwood; 
held  a  fine  revival  in  Rankin  circuit.  Fine 
meetings  at  Gifford;  built  another  church  in 
Somer  township,  Champaign  county,  which 
he  called  Carley  chapel ;  and  held  meetings  in 
De  Witt  and  Deland,  the  best  in  the  history 
of  the  church.  He  then  returned  to  Gif- 
ford for  two  years. 

After  this  Mr.  Groves  took  supernumer- 
ary relations  with  the  conference,  and  has 
made  his  home  in  Champaign  since  1878, 
but  has  supplied  many  pulpits  in  this  part 
of  the  state.  About  ten  years  ago,  owing 
to  the  ill  health  of  his  wife,  he  went  to 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


627 


Hammond,  Louisiana,  which  was  then  a 
new  place,  and  there  he  organized  a  society 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  se- 
cured the  means  to  build  a  church.  He 
spent  two  winters  at  that  place.  Since 
then  he  has  not  engaged  in  any  regu- 
lar ministerial  work,  but  frequently  assists 
other  preachers.  Having  seen  so  many 
worn  out  people  of  his  profession,  who  in 
their  old  age  had  no  means  of  support,  he 
saved  some  of  his  salary  and  purchased 
government  land,  which  he  continued  to 
own  until  he  retired  from  the  ministry,  and 
then  sold  and  bought  farms  in  this  county. 
By  his  foresight  and  self-denial  in  early  life, 
he  is  now  independent  and  can  enjoy  his 
well  earned  rest  surrounded  by  the  comforts 
of  life.  He  is  widely  known  throughout 
central  Illinois,  where  he  has  labored  so 
long  and  earnestly  in  the  Master's  cause,  and 
it  is  safe  to  say  that  no  citizen  of  Cham- 
paign county  is  more  honored  or  highly  re- 
spected than  Rev.  Isaac  Groves. 


SC.  BRIGGS,  a  prominent  locomotive 
engineer  on  the  Big  Four  Railroad,  re- 
siding at  No.  212  West  High  street,  Ur- 
bana,  Illinois,  was  born  in  Piscataquis 
county,  Maine,  October  11,  1840,  and  is  a 
son  of  Solomon  and  Ruth  (Curtis)  Briggs, 
who  spent  their  entire  lives  in  that  state. 
The  father,  who  was  by  occupation  a  farmer 
and  merchant,  was  widely  and  favorably 
known  and  held  a  number  of  minor  offices. 
He  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-four  years, 
the  mother  at  the  age  of  forty-five,  when 
our  subject  was  quite  young.  Both  were 
earnest  and  consistent  members  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church.  Their  children  were 
Judson,  a  resident  of  Brownsville,  Maine; 


Vesta  A.,  a  resident  of  the  same  place;  Oc- 
tavia,  deceased  wife  of  Alonzo  Lane;  Gis- 
tavus,  who  died  young;  Salmon  Curtis,  our 
subject;  Sarah  A.,  a  widow  living  in  Maine; 
Frank  M.,also  a  resident  of  that  state;  Clara, 
who  died  at  about  the  age  of  twenty  years; 
arid  Charles. 

During  his  boyhood  our  subject  pursued 
his  studies  in  the  schoolsof  Parkman,  Maine, 
and  when  his  education  was  completed 
worked  on  a  farm  for  his  brother,  Judson. 
When  the  Civil  war  broke  out  he  enlisted 
in  Company  C,  Seventeenth  United  States 
Infantry,  which  at  different  times  was  un- 
der the  command  of  Generals  McClellan, 
Meade  and  Burnside.  He  participated  in 
the  first  and  second  battles  of  Fredericks- 
burg,  and  was  under  General  Burnside  in 
the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  where  the  regi- 
ment lost  all  but  eighty  of  its  men.  Here 
Mr.  Briggs  was  wounded  in  the  left  arm 
and  back  of  the  neck,  and  was  left  on  the 
battlefield  for  about  a  week,  after  which  he 
was  taken  to  the  Ladies'  Home  Hospital  in 
New  York  City,  and  two  months  later  trans- 
ferred to  Fort  Preble,  Portland,  Maine.  His 
command  had  charge  of  three  forts — Preble, 
Scamble  and  Gorges,  the  latter  being  at  the 
entrance  of  Portland  Harbor.  After  having 
served  his  country  faithfully  for  three  years 
Mr.  Briggs  was  honorably  discharged  July 
3,  1865. 

On  his  return  home  he  resumed  farming, 
but  havingreceived  a  sunstroke  while  in  the 
service,  he  found  that  he  was  unable  to  en- 
gage in  that  occupation.  From  October, 
1869.  to  October,  1870,  he  was  employed 
as  a  fireman  on  an  engine  on  the  old  I.  B.  & 
\\'.  Railroad,  now  the  Big  Four,  with  which 
he  has  since  been  connected,  having  served 
as  engineer  since  the  latter  year.  He  is  one 
of  the  most  reliable  and  trusted  employes  of 


628 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  road,  and  has  the  confidence  and  re- 
spect of  all  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact, 
either  in  business  or  social  life. 

On  the  28th  of  February,  1861,  Mr. 
Briggs  married  Miss  Ruth  B.  Daggett,  a 
daughter  of  Elisha  and  Augusta  (Bolster) 
Daggett,  also  natives  of  Maine,  the  former 
of  Scotch  and  the  latter  of  English  descent. 
The  father  was  a  carpenter  and  contractor, 
and  in  early  life  engaged  in  teaching  school 
during  the  winter,  while  he  worked  at  his 
trade  through  the  summer  months,  but  later 
turned  his  attention  to  farming.  He  served 
as  superintendent  of  schools,  and  was  one  of 
the  three  selectmen  of  his  town  and  town- 
ship. He  was  born  December  19,  1802,  and 
died  in  1877,  but  his  wife,  who  was  born 
February  12,  1812,  is  still  living  in  Maine. 
In  religious  belief  he  is  a  Universalist.  In 
their  family  were  seven  children:  Albion  is 
a  resident  of  Macon,  Illinois.  Lydia  died  at 
the  age  of  eighteen  months.  Henry  and 
Franklin,  twins,  were  members  of  Company 
F, Twentieth  Maine  Volunteer  Infantry,  dur- 
ing the  Civil  war,  and  after  serving  a  year 
and  a  half  the  latter  died  at  the  age  of 
twenty-five  years.  The  former  is  now  a 
resident  of  Milo,  Maine.  Mrs.  Briggs  is  the 
next  in  order  of  birth.  Thomas  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  same  company  as  his  brothers  in 
the  Civil  war,  and  is  now  -a  resident  of 
Foxcroft,  Maine.  Simeon  died  in  1863,  at 
the  age  of  eighteen  years.  Our  subject  and 
his  wife  have  two  daughters,  Lenora  and 
Grace  A. 

In  politics  Mr.  Briggs  is  a  Republican, 
and  is  an  admirer  of  President  McKinley. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Brotherhood  of 
Locomotive  Engineers,  in  which  he  has 
nearly  always  held  office.  Both  he  and  his 
wife  have  long  been  earnest  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  church,  and  in  many  respects 


his  life  is  well  worthy  of  emulation,  as  he 
never  uses  tobacco  or  liquors  in  any  form. 
He  has  always  been  found  true  to  every 
trust  reposed  in  him,  and  justly  merits  the 
high  regard  in  which  he  is  uniformly  held. 


LESLIE  ALVORD  WEAVER,  a  prom- 
inent and  successful  young  attorney  of 
Champaign,  Illinois,  was  born  in  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  February  21,1 872,  and  is  a  son  of  Ben- 
jamin and  Martha  M.  (Campbell)  Weaver. 
His  paternal  grandparents  were  Bartholo- 
mew Knox  and  Mary  (Chamberlain)  Weaver, 
residents  of  Albany  and  Schenectady,  New 
York.  The  maternal  grandfather,  Alonzo 
Campbell,  also  came*  from  eastern  New 
York,  but  early  in  the  '405  removed  to  Dan- 
ville, Illinois,  locating  about  fourteen  miles 
northwest  of  that  city,  at  what  is  now 
known  as  the  old  Campbell  homestead. 
He  was  a  man  of  standing  in  the  commu- 
nity, was  quite  prominent  in  political  affairs 
and  held  different  local  offices.  He  died  in 
August,  1871.  .His  wife,  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Julia  Eldridge,  was  born 
north  of  Troy,  New  York.  His  father  was 
Mervin  Campbell. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  born  in 
Schenectady,  New  York,  May  I,  1847,  and 
was  educated  there.  At  the  age  of  seventeen 
years  he  enlisted  in  the  Union  army  during 
the  Civil  war,  becoming  a  member  of  the 
Ninety-first  New  York  Volunteer  Infantry. 
He  participated  in  all  of  the  engagements  of 
that  regiment,  including  the  battle  of  the 
Wilderness,  and  at  the  close  of  the  war  was 
honorably  discharged  and  returned  to  Troy, 
New  York,  from  which  place  he  had  en- 
listed. Hestudied  short  hand  under  Graham, 
the  founder  of  the  system  that  bears  that 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


629 


name,  and  after  being  employed  in  the  east 
for  a  time,  he  went  to  Cleveland,  Ohio, 
being  the  first  stenographer  to  locate  west 
of  the  Alleghany  mountains.  He  has 
always  made  a  specialty  of  reporting  for 
medical,  railroad  and  other  conventions, 
and  while  in  Cleveland  made  that  his  prin- 
cipal business.  After  residing  there  for  sev- 
eral years  he  moved  to  Danville,  Illinois, 
and  for  twenty  years  served  as  the  official 
court  reporter  of  the  old  thirteenth  congres- 
sional district.  Altogether  he  has  filled  that 
office  for  twenty-four  years.  He  is  still  a 
resident  of  Danville.  There  he  was  mar- 
ried, in  1870,  to  Miss  Martha  M.Campbell, 
and  they  have  three  children,  Leslie  A., 
Edith  M.  and  Ben  Perley. 

Leslie  A.  Weaver  was  six  years  old 
when  brought  by  his  parents  to  Danville, 
Illinois,  and  his  early  education  was  ob- 
tained in  the  public  schools  of  that  city, 
graduating  from  the  high  school  in  the  class 
of  1890.  In  the  fall  of  that  year  he  en- 
tered the  University  of  Illinois  at  Cham- 
paign, and  was  graduated  from  that  institu- 
tion in  1894  with  the  degree  of  B.  L.  He 
then  took  up  the  study  of  law  with  Calhoun 
&  Steeley,  of  Danville,  and  after  spending 
one  year  with  them  entered  the  office  of 
Gere  &  Philbrick  as  a  student  and  stenog- 
rapher in  1885.  He  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  at  Springfield,  in  November,  1896,  but 
continued  with  that  firm  for  a  year  longer, 
and  in  September,  1897,  formed  a  partner- 
ship with  F.  G.  Carnahan,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Weaver  &  Carnahan.  They  opened 
an  office  at  their  present  location,  and  are 
now  successfully  engaged  in  the  general 
practice  of  law.  They  already  occupy  an 
enviable  position  at  the  bar  of  Champaign 
county,  and  from  the  start  have  been  re- 
markably successful. 


On  the  8th  of  June,  1898,  Mr.  Weaver 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Eunice 
McC.  Sheldon,  of  Urbana,  a  daughter  of 
Clarence  C.  Sheldon,  and  granddaughter  of 
Hon.  J.  C.  Sheldon,  ex-senator.  Her  fa- 
ther, who  was  the  founder  of  the  Sheldon 
Brick  Company,  died  in  1891.  Oursubject 
and  his  wife  have  one  child,  Dorothy. 

As  a  Republican  Mr.  Weaver  takes  an 
active  interest  in  political  affairs,  but  is  not 
a  politician  in  the  sense  of  office  seeking. 
He  is  a  member  of  Western  Star  Lodge,  F. 
&  A.  M. ;  the  Benevolent  &  Protective  Order 
of  Elks,  and  the  society  of  that  order;  and 
also  of  the  Delta  Tau  Delta,  a  college  fra- 
ternity. He  is  popular  in  social  as  well  as 
professional  circles,  and  is  held  in  high  re- 
gard by  all  who  know  him. 


CHARLES  P.  HOFFMANN,  M.  D., 
V-x  the  leading  physician  and  surgeon  of 
Sadorus,  Illinois,  was  born  in  Greenup,  Ken- 
tucky, August  21,  1873,  and  is  a  son  of  John 
E.  and  Carrie  (Eberwein)  Hoffmann,  both 
of  whom  were  born  in  Germany  and  when 
young  came  with  their  respective  parents  to 
America,  locating  in  Kentucky,  where  their 
marriage  was  celebrated.  The  father  was 
but  nine  years  of  age  when  the  family  set- 
tled near  Greenup,  in  1853,  and  there  he 
grew  to  manhood.  On  the  completion  of 
his  education  he  learned  the  butcher's  trade, 
and  followed  it  for  twenty-seven  years,  own- 
ing a  large  establishment  and  supplying  to 
the  public  large  quantities  of  meat.  He  also 
bought  stock  for  shipment  for  a  number  of 
years.  He  prospered  in  his  undertakings, 
meeting  with  most  excellent  success,  and  he 
is  now  practically  living  retired  at  Greenup, 
enjoying  his  wealth  in  true  southern  style, 


630 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


having  laid  aside  his  business  cares  in  1890. 
He  has  been  an  extensive  traveler,  and  has 
that  broad  and  liberal  knowledge  of  men 
and  affairs  which  only  travel  can  bring.  In 
his  family  are  three  sons:  John,  who  is  a 
graduate  from  the  Miami  Medical  College, 
and  has  been  successfully  engaged  in  prac- 
tice at  Pesotum,  Illinois,  for  the  past  ten 
years;  George  F.,  a  druggist  of  Pesotum, 
formerly  of  Toledo,  Ohio;  and  Charles  P., 
our  subject.  All  are  married  and  have  fam- 
ilies. 

Dr.  Hoffmann,  whose  name  introduces 
this  review,  acquired  his  early  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  Greenup,  Kentucky, 
graduating  there  in  1890.  He  then  entered 
the  State  University  at  Columbus,  Ohio, 
where  he  pursued  his  studies  for  one  year, 
and  was  next  a  student  of  Ada  University, 
where  he  graduated  in  1892  with  the  degree 
of  B.  S.  Coming  to  Pesotum,  Champaign 
county,  Illinois,  he  read  medicine  with  his 
brother  until  the  fall  of  1892,  when  he  en- 
tered the  Miami  Medical  College  and  took 
a  complete  course,  graduating  in  1896.  The 
same  year  he  located  in  Sadorus,  Illinois, 
where  he  rented  an  office  for  a  year.  Meet- 
ing with  most  wonderful  success  in  his  chosen 
profession,  he  then  leased  a  lot  and  erected 
thereon  a  comfortable  office,  and  also  bought 
a  residence  in  the  place.  He  now  enjoys  a 
large  and  lucrative  practice,  which  not  only 
embraces  the  villages  butextendsmany  miles 
throughout  the  surrounding  country.  He 
is  a  lover  of  fine  horses  and  now  has  in  his 
possession  three  very  fine  blooded  animals. 

In  1898  Dr.  Hoffmann  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Beatrice  Styan,  who 
was  born  in  Yorkshire,  England,  in  1878, 
and  came  with  her  parents  from  that  coun- 
try to  the  new  world,  the  family  locat- 
ing in  Sadorus  township,  Champaign  coun- 


ty, Illinois.  There  were  five  sons  and  three 
daughters,  all  of  whom  are  still  living  in  this 
county,  with  the  exception  of  two  sons,  who 
are  engaged  in  farming  in  Mississippi.  The 
Doctor  and  his  wife  have  one  son,  Carl  B. 
M.,  who  was  born  January  6,  1899,  and  is 
the  pride  of  the  household. 

Politically  Dr.  Hoffmann  is  an  ardent  Re- 
publican and  an  active  worker  for  the  in- 
terests of  his  party.  He  belongs  to  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Masonic  frater- 
nities, and  is  also  a  member  of  and  exam- 
ining physician  of  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America  and  Court  of  Honor  at  .Sadorus, 
and  examiner  for  some  of  the  neighboring 
lodges  in  Colfax  township.  As  a  physician 
he  has  been  quite  successful  and  his  ability 
is  widely  recognized.  He  is  young,  am- 
bitious and  very  popular,  and  undoubtedly 
a  brilliant  future  awaits  him  in  his  chosen 
calling. 


CAPTAIN  THOMAS  J.  SMITH,  a  prom- 
v_y  inent  attorney  of  Champaign,  and 
trustee  of  the  University  of  Illinois,  was 
born  near  Kingwood,  Preston  county,  Vir- 
ginia, July  4,  1843,  a  son  of  Jacob  and 
Celia  (Shaw)  Smith,  natives  of  the  same 
locality,  where  the  father  followed  farming 
for  some  years.  Our  subject's  paternal 
grandfather  was  Henry  Smith,  of  the  same 
place,  and  his  maternal  grandfather  was 
Colonel  Shaw,  an  officer  in  the  Revolution- 
ary war.  From  their  native  state  the  par- 
ents removed  to  Logan  county,  Ohio,  where 
the  father  engaged  in  farming  for  several 
years  on  quite  an  extensive  scale,  but  spent 
his  last  days  in  retirement  from  active  busi- 
ness in  Bellefontaine,  Ohio,  and  some  ten 
years  prior  removed  to  near  Muncie,  In- 
diana, where  he  died  in  November,  1885, 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


631 


and  the  mother  in  1860,  at  Bellefontaine, 
Ohio.  Both  were  earnest  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  in  politics 
the  father  was  first  a  Whig  and  later  a  Re- 
publican. 

During  his  boyhood  and  youth  Captain 
Smith  attended  the  district  schools  of  Logan 
county,  Ohio,  and  the  high  school  of  Belle- 
fontaine. After  leaving  the  latter  institu- 
tion he  taught  school  in  that  state  for  one 
year,  and  in  1862  removed  to  Clay  county, 
Illinois,  where  he  followed  the  same  pursuit 
for  a  year.  While  theie  he  enlisted  as  a 
private  in  Company  F,  Ninety-eighth  Illi- 
nois Volunteer  Infantry,  and  was  mustered 
in  at  Centralia,  in  July,  1862.  From  there 
he  proceeded  with  his  command  to  Louis- 
ville, Kentucky,  and  on  to  Atlanta  with 
Rosecrans,  Sherman  and  Thomas.  At 
Murfreesboro,  Tennessee,  he  was  made  sec- 
ond lieutenant;  immediately  after  the  battle 
of  Stone  River  was  promoted  to  first  lieuten- 
ant, and  prior  to  the  battle  of  Chickamauga 
was  commissioned  captain  of  his  company, 
in  which  capacity  he  served  until  the  close 
of  the  war,  being  mustered  out  in  1865. 

After  the  war  Captain  Smith  came  to 
Champaign  and  opened  a  law  office,  having 
previously  prepared  for  that  profession  while 
teaching  school  and  been  admitted  to  the 
bar  just  before  entering  the  service.  For 
two  years  he  was  in  partnership  with  Colo- 
nel Langley,  but  since  1867  has  been  alone 
in  business.  He  is  engaged  in  general  prac- 
tice in  the  federal  and  state  courts,  and  is 
also  attorney  for  the  Wabash  Railroad.  His 
practice  is  very  large  and  lucrative,  and  he 
has  met  with  most  excellent  success  in  his 
chosen  calling. 

On  the  25th  of  January,  1864,  Captain 
Smith  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Tina  Wr.  Weeden,  of  Murfreesboro,  Tennes- 


see. They  are  both  active  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church,  of  which  he 
has  been  trustee  and  steward  at  different 
times  for  twenty  years.  In  his  political 
views  he  is  a  stanch  Republican,  but  has 
never  sought  office,  though  he  served  as  city 
attorney  in  early  life.  He  was  elected  a 
trustee  of  the  University  of  Illinois  on  the 
ticket  with  President  McKinley,  in  1896,  by 
a  majority  of  one  hundred  and  forty-seven 
thousand,  and  has  since  served  in  that  capac- 
ity. During  his  term  the  library  building 
has  been  completed,  and  the  agricultural 
building,  the  largest  of  its  kind  in  the  coun- 
try, is  now  in  course  of  construction.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  a  member  of  Colonel  Nodine 
Post,  G.  A.  R.,  and  Champaign  Lodge,  F. 
&  A.  M.  As  a  lawyer  he  ranks  among  the 
best  in  the  city,  and  as  a  citizen  is  pre- 
eminently public  spirited  and  progressive. 


OR  EN  B.  SAWDEY  is  an  energetic 
and  progressive  business  man  of  Gif- 
ford,  Champaign  county,  Illinois,  who  is 
now  devoting  his  attention  to  the  manu- 
facture of  harness,  saddlery,  etc.  He  also 
deals  in  factory-made  articles  along  that 
line,  and  has  built  up  an  excellent  trade. 

Mr.  Sawdey  was  born  in  Wayne  county, 
N.  Y.,  December  28,  1830,  and  when  a 
child  of  six  years  was  taken  to  Ohio  by  his 
parents,  Elijah  R.  and  Catherine  (Briggs) 
Sawdey,  also  natives  of  the  Empire  state 
and  prosperous  farming  people.  His  ma- 
ternal grandfather  was  Jeremiah  Briggs,  of 
Wayne  county,  New  York.  After  a  short 
time  spent  in  Ohio,  the  family  removed  to 
Mercer  county,  Pennsylvania,  where  they 
followed  farming  near  Jamestown,  and 
where  our  subject  obtained  his  education 


632 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


in  the  district  schools.  He  assisted  his 
father  in  the  labors  ot  the  farm  until  1848, 
when  they  came  to  Stephenson  county, 
Illinois,  and  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits 
there.  The  father  died  near  Warren,  that 
county,  in  1863,  at  the  age  of  sixty-five 
years,  and  the  mother  passed  away  in  the 
same  county  in  1848. 

Our  subject  is  the  third  in  order  of 
birth  in  their  family  of  nine  children,  and 
has  one  brother  and  two  sisters  still  liv- 
ing, namely:  Catherine  J.,  born  in  New 
York  state  in  1834,  is  the  wife  of  Marona 
Parson,  a  wealthy  retired  farmer  of  New- 
hall,  Iowa;  Cynthia  Ann,  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania in  1836,  is  the  wife  of  Anthony 
McKnight,  a  retired  farmer  of  Warren, 
Stephenson  county,  Illinois;  and  Jeremiah, 
born  in  Pennsylvania,  in  18 — ,  served  for 
three  years  in  the  Twelfth  Illinois  Cavalry, 
during  the  Civil  war,  married  a  Miss  Way, 
of  Warren,  Iowa,  and  is  now  living  in  Cal- 
ifornia. 

Oren  B.  Sawdey  remained  with  his 
parents  until  1856,  when  he  went  to  Peoria. 
county,  Illinois,  and  worked  by  the  month 
on  various  farms  there  for  five  years.  In 
1855  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Margaret  M.  Smith,  of  Peoria,  a  daughter 
of  William  and  Sarah  (Bevens)  Smith,  who 
were  born  in  Ohio  and  came  to  Illinois 
about  the  close  of  the  Black  Hawk  war. 
Her  father,  who  followed  the  occupation  of 
farming  throughout  life,  died  in  1866. 

In  1857  Mr.  Sawdey  removed  to  Van- 
dalia,  Jasper  county,  Iowa,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  farming  for  three  years,  and  later 
followed  the  harness  business  at  that  place 
until  after  the  Civil  war  broke  out.  In  1862 
he  offered  his  services  to  his  country,  en- 
listing for  three  years  in  Company  C,  Twen- 
ty-second Iowa  Volunteer  Infantry,  which 


regiment  was  organized  in  the  state  at  large 
from  July  to  September,  1863,  and  was 
mustered  out  of  service  July  25,  1865. 
Colonel  William  M.  Stone,  who  was  brev- 
etted  brigadier-general  March  13,  1865,  re- 
signed August  13,  1863,  being  succeeded  by 
Colonel  Harvey  Graham,  who  received  the 
brevet  of  brigadier-general  July  25,  1865. 
Ephraim  G.  White  was  the  lieutenant- 
colonel.  The  total  enrollment  was  one 
thousand  and  sixty-seven  men,  of  whom  one 
hundred  and  fourteen  were  killed  in  battle 
or  died  of  wounds,  a  loss  of  ten  and  six- 
tenths  per  cent,  of  the  whole  number  of  en- 
listments, which  gives  it  place  among 
Colonel  Fox's  three  hundred  fighting  regi- 
ments. The  total  number  of  killed  and 
wounded  was  four  hundred  and  twenty-one, 
and  one  hundred  and  thirty-six  men  died  in 
prison  of  disease,  accident,  etc.  In  the  as- 
sault on  Vicksburg,  May  22,  it  sustained  the 
greatest  loss  of  any  regiment  engaged,  its 
casualties  amounting  to  twenty-seven  killed 
outright,  one  hundred  and  eighteen  wounded, 
including  those  mortally,  and  nineteen  miss- 
ing. The  brigade  was  formed  for  this  as- 
sault by  column  of  regiments  with  the  Twen- 
ty-second in  advance,  the  point  of  attack 
being  a  fort  on  a  hill  in  front  of  the  column. 
The  regiment  passed  the  abatis,  gained  the 
ditch  and  planted  its  flag  on  the  parapet, 
where  it  remained  waving  for  nine  hours. 
The  assault  having  failed  at  other  points  the 
regiment  was  compelled  to  abandon  the  po- 
sition. At  one  time  during  the  assault  Ser- 
geant Joseph  E.  Griffith,  of  Company  I, 
with  a  squad  of  twenty  men,  climbed  the 
wall  of  the  fort  and  effecting  an  entrance 
engaged  in  a  hand-to-hand  fight,  from  which 
the  sergeant  and  only  one  man  returned 
alive.  The  regiment  took  part  in  the  en- 
gagements at  Magnolia  Hills,  Vicksburg, 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


633 


Jackson,  Opequon,  Cedar  Creek,  Champion 
Hill,  Black  River  Bridge,  Iberta,  Opelousas, 
Indianola,  Port  Lavaca,  Bermuda  Hundred, 
Halltown,  Berryville,  Fisher's  Hill  and 
Woodstock. 

On  being  mustered  out  of  the  service  at 
Davenport,  Iowa.  Mr.  Sawdey  returned  to 
Peoria,  Illinois,  where  he  was  engaged  in 
farming  until  the  spring  of  1869,  and  then 
came  to  Champaign  county,  locating  first 
on  section  26,  Harwood  township,  where  he 
purchased  a  farm  of  eighty  acres,  and  to  its 
cultivation  and  improvement  devoted  his 
energies  until  1879.  During  that  year  he 
settled  in  Gifford,  where  he  has  since  en- 
gaged in  the  harness  business,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  four  years  spent  in  farming  in 
Hamilton  county,  Illinois,  and  at  Rantoul, 
this  county. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sawdey  had  two  children. 

(1)  Arietta,  born  in  Jasper  county,  Iowa,  in 
1845,  is   now  the   wife   of  John  Woods,   a 
grain    dealer,    of    Gifford,    Illinois,   and    to 
them  have  been  born  eight  children:     Oren, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years;  Wal- 
ter, who  is  working  for  his  father;  Margaret, 
Richard,  Eunice,  Glenn,  Flosy  and  Blanche, 
all  at  home.   They  were  all  born  in  Gifford, 

(2)  Elizabeth  Ann,  born  in    Jasper   county, 
Iowa,    married  Newton  W.  Couch,  of   Gif- 
ford, who  has  been  in  the   Klondike  for  the 
past    two    years.      She    died    leaving  three 
children,  but  Otis,  the  second    in  order  of 
birth,    died    at    the    age    of    eleven     years. 
Those  living,  Stella  and  Everett,  were  born 
in  Gifford  and  reside  with  our  subject  and 
his  wife. 

The  family  attend  the  Methodist  church, 
of  which  botH  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sawdey  are 
earnest  members,  and  he  also  belongs  to 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and 
Simon  Cameron  Post,  No.  679,  G.  A.  R., 


of  which  he  has  been  commander  for  seven 
years.  Politically  he  always  affiliates  with 
the  Republican  party.  He  is  greatly  at- 
tached to  his  home  and  family  and  is  highly 
respected  by  all  who  know  him. 


HON.  CALVIN  J.  SABIN,  the  present 
efficient  and  popular  mayor  of  Cham- 
paign, was  born  in  Hanover,  Chautauqua 
county,  New  York,  June  8,  1831,  a  son  of 
Ebenezer  and  Jerusha  (Gage)  Sabin.  The 
father  was  born  September  i,  1801,  in  the 
town  of  Jamaica,  Windham  county,  Ver- 
mont, where  he  grew  to  manhood  and 
learned  the  trades  of  wool  carding,  cloth 
dressing  and  also  dyeing.  Soon  after  his 
marriage  he  removed  to  Chautauqua  coun- 
ty, New  York,  locating  twelve  miles  from 
Dunkirk,  and  becoming  one  of  the  pioneers 
of  that  locality.  After  following  his  trade 
for  a  time,  he  purchased  a  farm  and  devoted 
the  remainder  of  his  life  to  agricultural  pur- 
suits. He  lived  to  be  eighty-six  years  of 
age.  His  father  was  Ebenezer  Sabin,  a 
carpenter  and  stair  builder  by  trade,  and 
his  grandfather  also  bore  the  name  of  Eben- 
ezer. The  latter  was  a  soldier  of  the  Rev- 
olutionary war  and  participated  in  the 
battle  of  Bunker  Hill.  The  Sabin  family 
was  of  English  origin.  Our  subject's  ma- 
ternal grandfather,  Asa  Gage,  and  his  fa- 
ther were  also  among  those  who  fought  for 
the  independence  of  the  colonies  in  the 
Revolutionary  war. 

Our  subject  is  the  second  in  order  of 
birth  in  a  family  of  seven  children  who 
reached  years  of  maturity.  He  received  a 
good  practical  education  in  the  common 
schools,  which  he  attended  until  sixteen 
years  of  age,  and  after  leaving  school  con- 


634 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


tinued  his  studies  for  some  time.  He  com- 
menced work  upon  his  father's  farm  and 
later  was  employed  in  a  distillery  for  four 
years.  In  1851  he  became  fireman  on  the 
New  York  &  Erie  Railroad,  and  in  1854 
became  connected  with  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad,  taking  care  of  engines  and  doing 
yard  work  for  one  year.  He  went  to  Ga- 
lena on  the  first  passenger  train  run  into 
that  city,  and  from  April  I,  1855,  to  April 
i,  1866,  was  an  "engineer  on  that  road,  being 
connected  with  the  Galena  division  for  some 
years.  In  April,  1857,  he  was  transferred 
to  what  is  now  the  main  line  and  was  con- 
nected with  it  until  leaving  the  road.  His 
engine  was  very  different  from  those  used  at 
the  present  time,  having  a  thirteen  and  a 
half  inch  cylinder,  and  a  capacity  of  twenty- 
eight  tons. 

From  April,  1866,  until  January,  1898, 
Mr.  Sabm  was  engaged  in  the  agricultural 
implement  business  in  Champaign,  Illinois. 
In  October,  1858,  he  located  permanently 
here.  Here  he  built  up  an  extensive  trade 
as  a  dealer  in  agricultural  implements, 
wagons,  buggies,  hard  and  soft  coal,  and 
also  helped  improve  many  kinds  of  farm 
machinery.  He  continued  in  that  business 
with  good  success  until  January,  1898,  and 
furnished  employment  to  many  men,  includ- 
ing traveling  salesmen.  Having  disposed  of 
that  business,  he  purchased  stock  in  the 
Phrenix  Telephone  Company,  of  which  he 
became  manager,  and  July  5,  1898,  he  was 
made  president  of  the  company, which  posi- 
tion he  is  now  most  creditably  filling.  They 
have  established  a  large  and  successful  busi- 
ness.and  now  have  over  four  hundred  phones 
in  use. 

On  the  1 3th  of  December,  1855,  Mr. 
Sabin  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Hannah  E.  Whitcomb,  a  native  of  Nashua, 


New  Hampshire,  and  a  daughter  of  Thomas 
Whitcomb,  who  on  coming  west  first  located 
in  Dunkirk,  New  York,  and  later  removed 
to  Ransom,  Michigan,  and  later  to  Edge- 
wood,  Illinois,  where  his  death  occurred. 
Our  subject  and  his  wife  have  six  children: 
Irwin  C.,  a  resident  of  Farmer  City,  Illinois; 
Mrs.  Nellie  I.  Wirick,  a  widow  residing  at 
home  with  her  parents;  Elmer  C.  and  Frank, 
both  engineers  on  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road; Earl,  a  resident  of  Nebraska,  and  Roy 
C.,  an  employe  in  the  postoffice  of  Cham- 
paign, who  was  a  member  of  Company  M, 
Third  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry,  during  the 
war  with  Spain,  and  went  with  his  regiment 
to  Porto  Rico.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sabin  attend 
the  Presbyterian  church,  and  make  their 
home  at  the  corner  of  Clark  and  State 
streets,  where  they  have  resided  since  1858. 
Although  Mr.  Sabin  has  never  been  a 
politician  in  the  sense  of  office  seeking,  his 
fellow  citizens  recognize  his  worth  and  ability 
and  have  called  upon  him  to  serve  in  official 
positions  of  honor  and  trust.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  city  council  in  1866,  1884, 
1885  and  1887,  and  in  April,  1899,  he  was 
elected  mayor,  in  which  capacity  he  is  still 
serving  with  credit  to  himself  and  to  the 
entire  satisfaction  of  his  constitutents.  Never 
have  the  reins  of  city  government  been  in 
more  capable  hands,  for  he  is  public  spirited 
and  progressive,  and  gives  his  support  to 
every  measure  which  he  believes  will  ad- 
vance the  general  interest. 


OP.   KELLOGG,  one  of  the    most   en- 
terprising business  men  of  Champaign 
county,  and  actively  interested  in  everything 
pertaining  to  its  advancement,  is  a  broad- 
minded,  patriotic  citizen,  of  the  kind  which 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


635 


does  credit  toany  community.  He  is  in  the 
prime  and  vigor  of  manhood,  an  earnest 
advocate  of  whatever  he  believes  to  be  ben- 
eficial to  his  town  and  county,  and  always 
faithful  in  the  discharge  of  every  duty  devolv- 
ing upon  him. 

The  birth  of  Mr.  Kellogg  occurred  June 
26,  1852,  in  Marion,  Linn  county.  Iowa. 
His  father,  Dr.  Alonzo  S.  Kellogg,  was  a 
native  of  Albany  county,  New  York,  while 
the  mother,  Nancy  (Burtt)  Kellogg,  was 
born  in  Clark  county,  Indiana.  In  his  early 
manhood  Mr.  Kellogg  removed  to  Clarke 
county,  where  he  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
medicine,  in  connection  with  the  manage- 
ment of  a  farm.  In  1848  he  removed  to 
Linn  county,  Iowa,  where  he  carried  on  a 
large  farm  successfully.  He  died  July  14, 
1854,  when  our  subject  was  only  two  years 
old.  For  many  years  he  was  an  active 
member  and  elder  of  the  Christian  church, 
and  every  one  who  knew  him  loved  and 
esteemed  him  highly.  He  was  twice  mar- 
ried and  three  of  the  seven  children  of  his 
first  union  survive,  namely:  Alonzo,  a 
farmer  of  Shellsburg,  Iowa;  Ira,  of  Oberlin, 
Kansas,  and  Anna,  wife  of  Judge  F.  D. 
Snyder,  of  Marysville,  Missouri.  Of  the  sec- 
ond marriage  there  are  four  children  living. 
John  L.  is  a  retired  railroad  man  of  Rumsey, 
California.  E.  J.  resides  in  Craig,  Holt 
county.  Missouri;  and  Sarah  A.  is  the  wife 
of  Elder  S.  S.  Murphey,  of  Red  Bluffs, 
California. 

O.  P.  Kellogg  was  reared  in  his  native 
county,  where  he  attended  the  common 
schools  and  went  to  the  Marion  high  school. 
When  still  a  mere  youth,  he  left  home,  and 
going  to  Marysville,  Missouri,  he  took 
charge  of  a  general  store,  which  he  man- 
aged with  ability  for  two  years.  In  1877 
he  came  to  St.  Joseph,  rented  land  and  en- 


gaged in  farming  for  about  three  years,  after 
which  he  was  occupied  for  five  years  in  con- 
tracting and  building.  In  November,  1885, 
he  purchased  the  Irons  Brothers  wagon  shops 
in  this  place,  and  two  years  later  he  added 
a  full  line  of  farming  implements.  In  1898 
he  erected  his  present  commodious  brick 
building,  which  has  a  frontage  of  sixty-six 
feet  and  is  sixty-two  feet  in  depth.  This 
affords  him  a  space  of  twenty-two  by  sixty- 
two  feet  for  a  blacksmith  and  repair  shop, 
and  the  remainder  is  reserved  for  his  large 
and  well  selected  stock  of  tools  and  imple- 
ments. He  employs  three  men  and  enjoys 
a  large  and  remunerative  trade.  He  keeps 
a  fine  line  of  wagons  and  buggies,  and 
makes  a  specialty  of  dealing  in  the  famous 
Deering  binders,  mowers,  plows  and  Troy 
wagons.  He  stands  well  in  the  business 
world,  his  integrity  being  unquestioned.  In 
1899  he  was  honored  by  being  chosen  as 
president  of  the  Association  of  Implement 
Dealers,  which  he  aided  in  organizing. 

That  Mr.  Kellogg  is  possessed  of  much 
more  than  ordinary  enterprise  is  shown  in 
the  fact  that  since  his  arrival  in  St.  Joseph 
he  has  systematically  studied  law,  and, 
though  he  has  not  applied  for  admission  to- 
the  bar,  he  finds  himself  abundantly  able  to 
cope  with  most  of  the  practical  phases  of 
the  law  as  related  to  business.  Moreover, 
he  is  an  orator  of  no  small  ability,  and  he 
frequently  is  called  upon  to  deliver  speeches, 
especially  those  of  a  political  or  patriotic 
nature.  He  is  a  zealous  champion  of  the 
Republican  party  principles  and  has  effi- 
ciently acted  upon  various  town  and  county 
committees.  His  name  was  prominently 
mentioned  in  1900  for  the  position  of  state 
senator  from  this  district.  For  the  past  two 
years  he  has  been  one  of  the  village  trustees 
and  for  years  he  has  been  an  enthusiastic 


636 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


friend  of  education,  and  has  belonged  to  the 
local  school  board.  Religiously,  he  is 
identified  with  the  Christian  church  and  for 
several  years  was  an  elder,  besides  having 
been  superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school 
for  eight  years.  Fraternally,  he  is  a  charter 
member  of  Lodge  No.  220,  Knights  of  Pythias, 
and  was  the  prime  mover  in  the  erection  of 
the  handsome  brick  block  which  the  lodge 
owns.  He  was  chairman  of  the  building 
committee  and  may  well  be  proud  of  the 
noble  structure,  as  it  is  a  credit  to  the  town 
and  society.  He  has  been  a  delegate  to  the 
grand  lodge  of  the  state  seven  years  and 
ranks  high  in  the  order.  He  is  past  venerable 
consul  of  St.  Joseph  Camp  No.  222,  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America,  and  for  six  years  was 
was  delegate  to  the  head  camp.  He  is  a 
charter  member  of  Eucala  Camp,  No.  1430, 
Royal  Neighbors  of  America,  and  in  each 
and  all  of  these  various  fraternities  is  looked 
up  to  and  highly  respected. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Kellogg  and  Anna 
L.  Spurgeon  was  solemnized  December  12, 
1878.  She  is  one  of  the  eight  children  of 
A.  J.  and  Mary  (Miller)  Spurgeon,  who  re- 
side in  Jamestown,  Ohio.  She  was  born  in 
Wilmington,  Clinton  county,  Ohio,  Novem- 
ber 1 8,  1859,  and  received  an  excellent  ed- 
ucation. To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kellogg  seven 
children  have  been  born,  namely:  Oliver 
M.,  Jesse  A.,  Dale  W.,  Nellie  B.,  Marie, 
Mary  and  Ruby.  Marie  and  Mary  died  in 
infancy.  The  family  reside  in  a  pleasant 
home,  where  they  are  surrounded  by  many 
of  the  evidences  of  refined  tastes. 


JAMES    B.    McKINLEY,    a    well-known 
capitalist    and     prominent     citizen    of 
Champaign,  where  he  has  made  his  home 


since  1857,  was  born  February  10,  1821,  in 
Ross  county,  Ohio,  five  miles  east  of  Chil- 
licothe.  His  father,  Thomas  McKinley, 
was  born  in  county  Derry,  Ireland,  of  Scotch 
ancestry,  and  came  to  this  country  as  a 
young  man  in  1801,  locating  first  in  south- 
ern Pennsylvania,  where  he  married  Alice 
Barcley,  also  a  native  of  Ireland, who  came 
to  America  at  the  age  of  seven  years.  After 
farming  in  southern  Pennsylvania  for  a  time 
the  father  moved  to  Ross  county,  Ohio, 
where  he  purchased  a  timbered  tract  and 
transformed  the  same  into  a  good  farm  of 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  making  his 
home  there  until  his  death.  He  attended 
and  supported  the  Presbyterian  church  of 
which  his  wife  was  a  consistent  member. 

Our  subject  began  his  education  in  the 
common  schools  of  his  native  county,  and 
later  attended  the  academy  at  South  Salem, 
Ohio.  He  began  his  business  career  as  a 
clerk  in  a  dry  goods  store  at  Chillicothe,  and 
on  leaving  that  establishment  came  to  Hen- 
nepin,  Illinois,  on  the  Illinois  river,  where 
he  taught  school  and  also  read  law  with  a 
friend  for  a  time.  From  there  he  went  to 
Petersburg,  Menard  county,  where  he  fin- 
ished his  studies  and  was  admitted  to  the 
bar.  After  practicing  there  for  a  short 
time  he  removed  to  Clinton,  where  he  con- 
tinued the  prosecution  of  his  profession  for 
a  number  of  years. 

In  1857  Mr.  McKinley  came  to  Cham- 
paign, which  then  contained  but  three  hun- 
dred people.  He  engaged  in  the  general 
practice  of  law  until  1860,  and  in  the  mean- 
time became  interested  in  loaning  money, 
to  which  he  has  since  devoted  his  entire  at- 
tention, he  and  D.  K.  Penson,  of  Chicago, 
being  the  first  to  loan  money  on  farms  in 
the  state  for  eastern  capitalists.  His  busi- 
ness steadilv  increased  until  it  assumed  ex- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


637 


tensive  proportions.  For  many  years  Mr. 
McKinley  was  alone,  but  finally  gave  a 
nephew  an  interest  in  the  business,  and  this 
partnership  has  since  existed,  although  our 
subject  still  manages  affairs.  He  is  justly  re- 
garded as  one  of  the  ablest  financiers  of  the 
city,  and  has  been  remarkably  successful 
during  his  residence  here.  He  was  one  of 
the  organizers  of  the  Champaign  National 
Bank,  of  which  he  was  a  director  and  vice- 
president  for  some  years,  but  a  few  years 
ago  he  sold  his  interest  in  the,  same.  He 
was  mayor  of  the  city  for  one  term,  but  has 
never  been  an  aspirant  for  official  honors, 
preferring  to  devote  his  entire  time  and  at- 
tention to  his  business  interests. 

Mr.  McKinley  was  married  to  Miss  Jane 
Sanford,  of  Racine,  Wisconsin,  and  to  them 
were  born  four  daughters,  namely:  Isabelle, 
now  Mrs.  Harris,  of  St.  Louis;  Harriet, 
Mrs.  Scudder,  of  the  same  city;  Agnes,  Mrs. 
Miller,  of  Trenton,  Missouri; and  Jane,  Mrs. 
Cannon,  a  widow,  of  Chicago.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  McKinley  are  active  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  church,  of  which  he  was  elder 
for  some  years,  and  to  the  building  of  the 
present  house  of  worship  he  contributed 
liberally. 


LEWIS  A.  SMYRES,  a  well-known  citi- 
zen and  prominent  attorney  of  Ran- 
toul,  with  office  in  Neal's  Block  on  Sanga- 
mon  avenue,  was  born  in  Logan  county, 
Ohio,  February  9,  1852,  and  is  a  son  of 
Lewis  and  Martha  (Fink)  Smyres.  His  ma- 
ternal grandfather  was  Henry  Fink,  a  Meth- 
odist preacher  and  also  a  manufacturer  of 
Laurel,  Ohio.  The  father,  who  was  a  na- 
tive of  Ohio  and  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser 
by  occupation,  died  in  Wabash,  Indiana,  in 


1892,  and  the  mother  died  during  the  in- 
fancy of  our  subject.  They  had  four  chil- 
dren, three  of  whom  are  still  living,  namely: 
Daniel  P.,  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser  of  Win- 
dom,  Kansas;  Henry  F.,  also  a  stock-raiser 
of  Kansas;  and  Lewis  A.,  our  subject.  All 
are  married  and  have  families.  Eliza,  the 
second  in  order  of  birth,  died  at  the  age  of 
five  years. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  a  child  of 
six  years  when  the  family  removed  to  Wa- 
bash, Indiana,  where  he  received  his  early 
education  in  the  public  schools,  and  later 
attended  the  Wabash  Academy  and  high 
school.  He  then  went  to  Valparaiso,  In- 
diana, Normal  School,  which  he  attended 
for  several  terms,  teaching  in  the  public 
schools  of  his  home  county  for  several  years. 
He  read  law  during  the  winter  with  William 
Johnston,  of  Valparaiso,  for  two  years,  and 
with  the  firm  of  Cowgill,  Shively  &  Cowgill, 
of  Wabash.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
1877  by  the  Thirty-first  Judicial  Court,  and 
and  passed  his  examination  at  Valparaiso. 
Subsequently  he  again  engaged  in  teaching 
school,  and  for  one  year  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  his  chosen  profession  at  Lagro, 
Wabash  county,  Indiana.  In  May,  1880, 
he  went  to  Burlington,  Kansas,  where  he 
remained  until  the  close  of  1883,  and  then 
returned  to  Champaign  county,  locating 
in  Rantoul  which  has  since  been  his  home, 
his  time  and  attention  being  devoted  to  his 
professional  duties.  He  has  served  as  vil- 
lage attorney  for  several  years,  and  in  1888 
was  elected  state  attorney  for  Champaign 
county.  So  acceptably  did  he  fill  that  of- 
fice that  he  was  re-elected  and  served  con- 
tinuously until  the  close  of  1896.  In  this 
position,  as  in  all  others  in  life,  he  was  thor- 
oughly in  earnest,  and  the  affairs  of  the 
county  were  never  better  managed  than  un- 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


der  his  prosecution.  As  a  trial  lawyer  he 
has  shown  unusual  force  and  has  developed 
great  strength  as  well  in  the  systematic 
preparation  of  his  cases  and  the  logical  and 
convincing  manner  of  their  presentation  be- 
fore court  and  jury.  Since  March,  1897, 
he  has  held  the  office  of  general  attorney  for 
the  Supreme  Court  of  Honor,  a  mutual  in- 
surance society,  and  has  entire  jurisdiction 
of  the  United  States  from  New  York  to 
California.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican, 
and  in  social  relations  is  a  Knight  Templar 
Mason,  a  member  of  the  Corn.mandery,  No. 
16,  of  Urbana.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  and  belongs 
to  the  different  branches  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 

In  1880  Mr.  Smyres  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Clara  B.  Halstead,  of 
Rantoul,  a  daughter  of  H.  H.  and  Sarah 
(Bullock)  Halstead.  She  died  in  August, 
1889,  and  was  buried  at  Rantoul.  The 
children  of  this  union  were  Erva  Pearl, 
born  in  Burlington,  Kansas,  July  19,  1882; 
Aimee  L.,  born  in  Rantoul,  May  14,  1885; 
and  Edna  C.,  born  in  Rantoul,  April  26, 
1887.  Mr.  Smyres  was  again  married,  in 
November,  1891,  his  second  union  being 
with  Miss  Ernma  R.  Cary,  of  Belle  Plaine, 
Illinois,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  David  and 
Nettie  (Irvin)  Cary,  both  now  deceased. 
The  father  was  a  physician  of  Belle  Plaine. 
By  his  second  marriage  our  subject  has  one 
child,  Esther  J.,  born  in  Rantoul,  Decem- 
ber 19,  1893. 


JB.  MARTIN,  the  well-known  editor  and 
proprietor  of  the  Homer  Enterprise,  of 
Homer,    Illinois,  was   born   in   Washington 
county,    Indiana,  April   26,  1858,  and   is   a 
son   of  L.    G.  and    Elizabeth    Martin,    also 


natives  of  Indiana.  The  mother  died  when 
our  subject  was  only  six  years  old.  In  early 
life  the  father  followed  the  occupation  of 
farming,  but  later  turned  his  attention  to 
the  blacksmith's  trade,  conducting  a  shop 
at  Rantoul,  Champaign  county,  Illinois,  for 
some  years,  having  removed  thither  when 
our  subject  was  about  seven  years  of  age. 
He  continued  his  residence  there  until  1885, 
when  he  removed  to  Wilson  county,  Kan- 
sas, where  he  now  makes  his  home.  In  his 
family  were  seven  children,  five  of  whom 
grew  to  maturity,  our  subject  being  the 
fourth  in  order  of  birth.  The  sons  all  re- 
side in  Kansas  with  the  exception  of  J.  B., 
and  the  daughter,  Mrs.  D.  W.  Cummings, 
who  is  a  resident  of  Gifford,  Illinois. 

J.  B.  Martin  was  educated  in  the  schools 
of  Rantoul,  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen 
years  commenced  learning  the  printer's 
trade  in  the  office  of  the  Rantoul  Journal, 
conducted  by  C.  W.  Gulick.  He  remained 
there  for  fifteen  years,  the  last  twelve  years  of 
that  time  being  in  the  employ  of  F.  E.  Pink- 
erton,  now  publisher  of  the  Clinton  Pub- 
lic, at  Clinton,  Illinois.  After  leaving  that 
office- Mr.  Martin  came  to  Homer,  and  on 
the  1 2th  of  June,  1889,  purchased  the  Ho- 
mer Enterprise,  which  had  been  established 
by  J.  C.  Cromer,  but  was  then  owned  by 
W.  L.  Samson,  who  had  conducted  it  for  a 
number  of  years.  The  paper  is  devoted  to 
local  and  general  news  and  is  Republican 
in  politics.  In  connection  with  its  publica- 
tion, Mr.  Martin  also  does  job  printing. 

On  the  23d  of  September,  1882,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Addie  Cupper- 
nell,  a  native  of  New  York,  and  a  daughter 
of  M.  V.  Cuppernell,  who  came  to  Cham- 
paign when  Mrs.  Martin  was  a  small  child, 
and  later  removed  to  Rantoul,  where  he  still 
resides.  He  was  engaged  in  milling  until 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


639 


1890,  but  now  follows  farming.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Martin  are  both  members  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church,  of  which  he  has  been 
a  trustee  for  the  past  nine  years,  and  he 
also  belongs  to  Homer  Lodge,  No.  99,  F.  \ 
A.  M.  He  is  also  a  charter  member  of  Bril- 
liant Lodge,  No.  232,  K.  P.,  and  was  also  a 
charter  member  of  the  same  order  in  Ran- 
toul.  He  has  passed  through  all  the  chairs, 
and  has  taken  the  grand  lodge  degrees,  the 
highest  in  the  order.  In  politics  he  is  a 
Republican,  but  has  never  cared  for  office. 


I  SAAC  FIELDING,  of  the  firm  of  Powers 
1  £  Fielding,  editors  and  publishers  of  the 
Champaign  Times,  is  one  of  the  best 
known  citizens  of  Champaign  count}',  with 
whose  welfare  he  has  been  closely  identi- 
fied for  more  than  a  score  of  years.  As  a 
journalist,  his  influence  has  been  far-reach- 
ing, and  it  has  always  been  used  for  the 
progress  and  material  advancement  of 
Champaign  county  and  the  state  at  large. 
In  political  circles,  no  less  than  in  the 
newspaper  world,  he  is  recognized  as  a 
potent  factor,  and  his  personal  popularity 
is  beyond  dispute. 

Mr.  Fielding  was  born  in  Westport, 
Connecticut,  February  16,  1857,  and  is  the 
son  of  William  and  Esther  (Nuttell)  Field- 
ing, both  of  whom  were  natives  of  England, 
both  born  in  Ashton  Underlyne,  Manches- 
ter, the  former  January  22,  1820,  and  the 
latter  January  16,  1820.  He  was  a  cotton 
spinner  by  trade,  an  occupation  which  he 
followed  both  in  his  native  country  and 
after  his  arrival  in  the  United  States,  where 
he  came  with  his  young  wife  shortly  after 
their  marriage  in  1848.  For  several  years 
prior  to  the  Civil  war  he  was  foreman  of  a 


department  in  a  Connecticut  mill,  and  con- 
tinued to  act  in  that  capacity  until  the  fall 
of  1864,  when  he  came  to  Illinois  and 
turned  his  attention  to  farming  in  Shelby 
county.  At  the  end  of  a  year,  however,  he 
retired  from  farming  and  returned  to  the 
mill,  passing  the  rest  of  his  life  in  Sullivan, 
Illinois,  where  he  died  February  13,  1883. 
He  was  an  earnest  and  devoted  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and  died 
in  that  faith.  His  widow,  who  is  also  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
is  yet  living  in  Sullivan,  and  four  of  their 
children  survive.  When  a  young  girl,  Mrs. 
Fielding  rode  upon  the  historic  first  rail- 
road train,  running  from  Manchester  to 
Liverpool. 

Isaac  Fielding's  advantages  in  his  youth 
were  very  meager,  indeed.  His  father  failed 
in  his  farming  enterprise  and  the  lad  was 
obliged  to  leave  school  and  aid  in  the  sup- 
port of  the  family,  and  help  to  pay  all  the 
indebtedness  in  full  with  ten  per  cent,  inter- 
est. Thus  he  has  been  literally  self-edu- 
cated and  self-made,  yet  in  spite  of  adverse 
circumstances  he  fitted  himself  well  for 
life's  duties.  He  was  twelve  years  old 
when  he  entered  the  office  of  the  Sullivan 
Progress,  and  there  he  earnestly  and  labor- 
iously struggled  to  obtain  thorough  knowl- 
edge of  the  business,  in  every  detail.  Re- 
maining there  until  he  had  attained  his 
majority,  he  then  concluded  to  start  inde- 
pendently, and,  in  partnership  with  Mr. 
Powers,  who  had  been  in  the  same  office 
with  him,  he  came  to  Champaign  and 
bought  the  Times,  which  for  a  period  was 
managed  by  the  firm  of  Smyser,  Powers  & 
Fielding.  The  senior  member  subsequently 
retired  from  the  firm,  and  the  paper  has 
since  been  conducted  by  Messrs.  Powers  & 
Fielding,  who  have  made  a  financial  sue- 


640 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


cess  of  the  enterprise.  Until  quite  recently 
it  was  the  only  Democratic  paper  in  the 
county,  and  it  ranks  with  the  leading 
organs  of  that  party  in  the  state.  In  fact, 
it  has  the  largest  circulation  of  any  paper 
in  the  county,  and  year  by  year  has  added 
to  its  lists  of  regular  subscribers. 

For  a  number  of  years  Mr.  Fielding  was 
the  treasurer  and  secretary  of  the  Demo- 
cratic central  committee  of  this  county. 
Though  he  was  not  a  regular  candidate  for 
the  postmastership  of  Champaign  in  the 
fall  of  1886,  his  name  was  brought  forward 
by  General  J.  C.  Black,  who  suddenly 
withdrew  his  support,  and  then  the  friends 
of  our  subject  came  to  his  rescue  with  flat- 
tering alacrity.  It  had  bee*i  supposed  that 
General  Black  controlled  the  Democratic 
patronage  of  this  district,  but  every  mem- 
ber of  the  county  central  committee,  most 
of  the  state  central  committee,  every  Dem- 
ocratic congressman  of  Illinois,  and  such 
representative  citizens  as  Franklin  Mac- 
Veigh,  and  several  of  the  members  of  Presi- 
dent Cleveland's  cabinet  filed  letters  of 
commendation  and  recommendation,  and  in 
other  effective  ways  brought  to  the  notice  of 
the  chief  executive  the  fact  that  Mr.  Field- 
ing, and  no  other,  was  the  man  desired  by 
the  Democrats  as  postmaster.  He  was  duly 
appointed  by  the  president  and  entered  upon 
his  new  duties  here  on  New  Year's  Day, 
1887,  and  served  efficiently  for  about  a  year 
and  seven  months  when  he  was  removed 
by  Harrison.  When  Cleveland  was  again 
elected,  Mr.  Fielding  was  at  once  appointed 
anew  to  the  office,  and  continued  to  serve 
until  about  eight  months  after  the  expira- 
tion of  the  president's  term.  During  this 
period  the  population  of  Champaign  nearly 
doubled,  and  the  business  of  the  post  office 
more  than  kept  pace  with  this  gain.  Mr. 


Fielding  proved  himself  to  be  the  right 
man  in  the  right  place,  and  made  hosts  of 
new  friends.  While  he  held  the  post  the 
office  was  removed  to  its  present  com- 
modious quarters  in  the  new  building  and 
many  improvements  were  put  in  force  in 
the  management  of  the  business. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Fielding  and  Alice 
B.  Yeats,  daughter  of  A.  J.  Yeats,  was 
celebrated  April  23,  1884.  They  have  one 
daughter,  Alice  Bernice.  The  parents  are 
members  of  the  Episcopal  church  of  Cham- 
paign and  were  the  first  couple  married 
within  that  house  of  worship.  The  home 
of  the  family  is  a  pleasant  one,  located  at 
No.  207  West  Clark  street.  Mr.  Fielding 
erected  this  residence  and  takes  great  pride 
in  making  improvements  in  and  about  it. 


DANIEL  D.  CANNON,  a  worthy  and 
thoroughly  patriotic  citizen  of  Urbana, 
has  been  honored  with  public  positions  for  a 
score  of  years,  and  always  has  proved 
himself  to  be  eminently  suited  to  offices  of 
trust  and  responsibility.  Perhaps  no  man 
is  better  known  in  this  section  of  Champaign 
county,  and  wherever  he  is  known  he  is 
highly  esteemed. 

He  comes  of  the  hardy,  sterling  Prot- 
estant Irish  stock  which  has  materially 
contributed  to  the  progress  and  prosperity 
of  this  country.  His  parents,  Richard  M. 
and  Mary  (Brodrick)  Cannon,  emigrated  to 
these  hospitable  shores  from  the  northern 
part  of  the  Emerald  Isle,  in  the  early  part 
of  this  century.  Thenceforth  the  father 
was  actively  engaged  in  farming  in  Shelby 
county,  Ohio.  For  many  years  he  held 
various  township  offices,  besides  being  a 
justice  of  the  peace,  and  was  favorably 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


641 


known  for  a  radius  of  forty  miles,  perhaps. 
He  endured  the  innumerable  hardships 
incident  to  pioneer  life,  and  participated  in 
the  last  war  with  the  Indians  in  the  Buck- 
eye state.  First  of  all,  he  was  a  patriot, 
and  so  thoroughly  did  he  inculcate  the 
principles  of  loyalty  to  country  into  his  sons 
that  four  of  them  enlisted  in  the  defence  of 
the  Union,  two  of  the  number  giving  their 
lives  to  the  cause.  The  boys  who  wore  the 
blue  occupied  a  warm  corner  in  his  heart, 
and  it  was  while  attending  a  Grand  Army 
re-union  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  that  death 
overtook  him.  Though  lacking  only  two 
weeks  of  being  ninety-two  years  old,  he  was 
well  preserved,  his  mind  being  clear  as  in 
his  -prime.  Formerly  a  Whig,  he  then 
united  '  with  the  Republicans,  and  was 
actively  interested  in  the  welfare  of  the 
party.  Both  he  and  his  devoted  wife  were 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
he  being  an  officer  during  the  greater  part 
of  his  mature  life.  She  was  called  to  the 
better  land  when  in  her  sixty-sixth  year. 

Of  their  children,  Permelia,  the  eldest, 
married  W.  B.  Laughlin,  and  is  deceased. 
Caroline,  the  next  child,  widow  of  William 
Swan,  resides  upon  a  farrn  near  Kankakee, 
Illinois.  Susan  died  at  the  age  of  eight  years. 
William  B.,  whose  death  occurred  in 
February,  1899,  when  he  was  seventy-three 
years  old,  served  for  over  three  years  in  the 
Twentieth  Ohio  Infantry  during  the  Civil 
war,  and  was  stationed  in  the  west  much  of 
the  time.  Charles,  also  a  soldier  in  the 
Federal  army,  died  from  the  effects  of  a 
wound  received  in  the  service.  Abraham  S. 
lives  in  northern  Ohio  and  Thomas  S. 
carries  on  the  old  homestead  in  that  state. 
Clara  died  when  eighteen  years  of  age,  and 
Warnoc  R.,  the  youngest  of  the  family,  died 
at  twelve  years.  N.  F.,  the  tenth  in  order 

34 


of  birth,  enlisted  in  the  Union  army,  rose 
to  the  rank  of  lieutenant,  and  at  the  end  of 
about  six  months  of  service,  was  killed  on 
the  battle-field. 

Daniel  D.  Cannon,  who  was  born  in 
Shelby  county,  Ohio,  March  10,  1837,  was 
reared  as  a  farmer,  and  had  only  the  advan- 
tage of  a  district  school  education.  Having 
a  desire  to  see  something  of  the  west,  he 
came  to  Illinois,  and  at  the  end  of  six 
months  arrived  in  Champaign  county.  This 
was  in  1856,  and  since  that  time  he  has  been 
actively  associated  with  the  development  of 
this  locality.  He  was  engaged  in  agriculture 
and  carpentering  for  a  number  of  years,  and 
had  made  a  good  start  on  the  high  road  to 
a  competency,  when  the  war  of  the  Rebellion 
broke  out.  He  had  closely  followed  the 
tide  of  events  leading  up  to  that  memorable 
strife,  and  in  August,  1861,  enlisted  as  a 
private  in  Company  I,  Second  Illinois 
Cavalry.  Going  to  the  front,  he  continued 
to  serve  faithfully  at  his  post  of  duty  until 
the  close  of  the  war,  April,  1865.  Like  his 
father  before  him,  he  is  a  stalwart  Republi- 
can, firmly  believing  in  the  policy  of  the 
party,  which  has  scored  so  many  triumphs. 
In  1878  he  was  made  deputy  sheriff,  and 
for  sixteen  years  performed  the  duties  of 
that  responsible  position  with  z"eal  and 
credit.  In  1894  he  was  further  honored  by 
election  to  the  office  of  sheriff,  in  which 
capacity  he  won  new  laurels,  during  his 
four  years  term. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Cannon  and  Mary 
E.  Black  was  celebrated  in  1858,  and  two 
daughters  of  that  union  survive.  Addie  F., 
wife  of  George  VV.  Scott,  of  Havana,  Illi- 
nois, has  nine  children:  and  Jennie  E.,  wife 
of  James  W.  Braddock,  of  Decatur,  Illi- 
nois, is  the  mother  of  two  children.  After 
the  death  of  his  first  wife,  Mr.  Cannon 


642 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


wedded  her  sister,  Aseneth  Black,  the  mar- 
riage occurring  August  6,  1890.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and 
and  always  has  been  a  liberal  contributor 
to  religious  and  benevolent  enterprises. 


WILLIAM  H.  MILLER,  a  successful 
farmer  and  highly  esteemed  citizen 
of  Ludlow  township,  residing  on  section 
15,  was  born  in  Clinton  county,  Indiana, 
December  i,  1845.  His  father,  William 
Miller,  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  born 
March  5,  1801,  and  was  a  son  of  Samuel 
and  Margaret  Miller.  Throughout  his  en- 
tire life  he  devoted  his  attention  to  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  On  the  6th  of  October, 
1851,  he  married  Miss  Catherine  Ireland, 
who  was  born  June  23,  1812,  and  they  be- 
came the  parents  of  the  following  named 
children:  James,  born  September  11,  1832. 
married  Nancy  Starky,  and  is  now  a  retired 
contractor  of  Jefferson,  Indiana.  Mar- 
garet L.,  born  July  17,  1834,  an^  is  the 
wife  of  Charles  C.  Wright,  of  Tippecanoe 
county,  Indiana;  John  A.,  born  September 
25,  1835,  was  a  manufacturer  of  sash,  doors 
and  blinds,  and  died  at  Oshkosh,  Wiscon- 
sin, in  1881;  Thomas  L. ,  born  August 
31,  1837,  married  Margaret  Stewart  and 
•died  in  Clay  county,  Illinois,  where  his 
family  still  reside;  Annie  C.,  born  June  26, 
1839,  is  the  wife  of  James  Scott,  a  retired 
farmer  of  Monroe,  Indiana;  C.  Perry,  born 
August  14,  1841,  married  Priscilla  Stout, 
and  is  engaged  in  farming  in  Pawnee 
county,  Nebraska;  Eliza  P.,  born  January 
3,  1844,  is  the  widow  of  Nelson  Howard,  of 
Indianapolis,  Indiana,  and  now  resides  with 
her  two  children;  and  William  Henry,  our 
subject,  is  the  youngest  of  the  family.  The 


father  died  February  17,  1848,  at  the  age  of 
forty-seven  years,  and  the  mother  departed 
this  life  a  year  later  at  the  age  of  thirty- 
seven  years.  All  the  children  were  born  in 
Clinton  county,  Indiana. 

Oursubject  remained  in  his  native  county 
until  fourteen  years  of  age  and  then  re- 
moved to  Tippecanoe  county,  Indiana, 
where  he  attended  school  during  the  winter 
and  worked  for  a  Mr.  Wright  on  a  farm  five 
years  receiving  his  board  and  clothes,  and 
at  the  end  of  that  time  one  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one 
he  went  to  Paxton,  Illinois,  where  he  re- 
mained one  year  and  then  returned  to  In- 
diana. At  the  end  of  three  months,  how- 
ever, he  again  came  to  Illinois,  in  1867, 
and  this  time  settled  in  Champaign  town- 
ship, Champaign  county,  where  he  worked 
by  the  month  five  years  for  one  man.  At 
the  end  of  that  time  he  purchased  a  place 
of  eighty  acres  in  Scott  township,  where 
he  followed  his  chosen  occupation  for  sev- 
eral years.  In  March,  1882,  he  sold  that 
farm  and  purchased  a  quarter  section  of 
land  in  Ludlow  township,  where  he  now 
resides.  Being  industrious,  energetic  and 
enterprising,  he  has  steadily  prospered,  and 
has  added  to  his  first  purchase  until  he  now 
has  a  fine  farm  of  two  hundred  and  forty 
acres,  which  he  has  placed  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation  and  upon  which  he  has 
made  all  of  the  improvements.  In  connec- 
tion with  genera]  farming,  he  is  also  en- 
gaged in  stock  raising,  making  a  specialty 
of  short  horn  cattle,  and  Norman  horses. 

On  the  I9th  of  January,  1875,  in  this 
county,  Mr.  Miller  married  Miss  Amanda  C. 
Frankeberger,  who  was  born  in  Ohio,  but 
has  made  her  home  in  Illinois  since  one 
year  old,  her  parents,  John  and  Susan 
(Swisher)  Frankeberger,  having  come  to 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


643 


Champaign  county  in  July,  1853.  By  oc- 
cupation her  father  was  also  a  farmer. 
More  extended  mention  is  made  of  the 
family  in  the  sketch  of  George  Franke- 
berger  on  another  page  of  this  volume.  To 
our  subject  and  his  wife  were  born  three 
children:  Alvin  L. ,  born  December  15, 
1875,  was  educated  in  the  district  schools 
and  at  Rice  College  in  Paxton,  Illinois. 
He  was  married  December  19,  1899,  to 
Miss  Grace  De  Spain,  of  Rantoul,  Illinois, 
a  daughter  of  J.  J.  De  Spain.  He  is  now 
engaged  in  farming  on  eighty  acres  of  land 
on  section  Ij5,  Ludlow  township,  belonging 
to  his  father.  The  seeond  child  died  in 
infancy  unnamed.  Carrie,  born  August  15, 
1888,  is  at  home  with  her  parents. 

Suffering  from  the  effects  of  an  accident 
in  a  runaway,  Mr.  Miller  has  been  in  rather 
poor  health  for  the  last  fifteen  years.  He 
takes  an  active  and  commendable  interest 
in  public  affairs,  has  served  as  tax  collector 
of  his  township  for  two  years,  and  has  been 
an  efficient  member  of  the  school  board  for 
seventeen  years.  Politically  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican, and  religiously  is  an  earnest  member 
of  the  Methodist  church. 


WA.  MILLER.  The  financial  and 
commercial  history  of  Champaign 
county  would  be  incomplete  and  unsatisfac- 
tory without  a  personal  mention  of  him 
whose  name  introduces  this  article.  He  is 
the  leading  representative  man  of  Ivesdale, 
and  though  not  an  old  settler,  he  has  be- 
come prominently  identified  with  the  inter- 
ests of  the  village,  and  is  an  important  fac- 
tor in  promoting  its  welfare. 

Mr.   Miller  was  born  in  Piatt  county,  Il- 
linois,   November  24,  1853,    and  is  a  son  of 


James  L.  and  Eliza  J.  Miller,  who  came  to 
Illinois  in  1852  from  Kentucky,  locating  in 
Piatt  county,  where  the  father  became 
somewhat  prominent  in  public  affairs,  and  in 
1858  was  elected  county  clerk  of  the  coun- 
ty. He  was  not  permitted  long  to  dis- 
charge the  duties  of  the  office,  as  his  death 
occurred  the  following  year.  He  left  a  wife 
and  two  children,  as  well  as  many  friends, 
to  mourn  his  loss. 

Our  subject  was  reared  in  the  usual  man- 
ner of  farmer  boys  and  acquired  a  good 
practical  education  in  the  public  schools  of 
his  native  county.  When  a  young  man  he 
commenced  teaching  in  the  country  schools, 
and  being  very  proficient  in  all  he  under- 
took, he  gave  excellent  satisfaction.  Subse- 
quently he  found  employment  as  a  clerk 
with  N.  E.  Rhodes  &  Son,  the  leading 
clothiers  of  Monticello,  then  the  home  of 
our  subject,  and  he  followed  that  pursuit 
for  a  number  of  years.  On  attaining  his 
majority,  Mr.  Miller  identified  himself  with 
the  Democratic  party,  and  in  1882  was 
nominated  for  county  clerk  of  Piatt  county, 
and  was  only  defeated  by  one  hundred  and 
seventeen  votes,  his  county  being  heavily 
Republican.  During  President  Cleveland's 
first  term  he  was  appointed  postmaster  at 
Monticello,  which  position  he  filled  with 
credit  to  himself  and  party.  In  1890  he 
was  again  recognized  by  his  party,  receiving 
the  nomination  for  county  treasurer,  and 
was  defeated  by  only  forty-six  votes,  thus 
showing  his  popularity  in  the  county. 

In  1893  Mr.  Miller  came  to  Ivesdale  as 
partner  and  manager  for  the  firm  of  Digh- 
ten  &  Miller,  the  firm  representing  a  wealthy 
capitalist  of  Monticello.  They  embarked 
in  the  banking  business  at  Ivesdale,  and 
are  now  receiving  an  excellent  patronage, 
their  deposits  amounting  to  many  thousand 


644 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


dollars.  They  were  not  long  in  securing 
the  confidence  of  the  people  of  the  sur- 
rounding country  both  in  Champaign,  Piatt 
and  Douglas  counties,  and  in  business  cir- 
cles they  stand  deservedly  high. 

In  1881  Mr.  Miller  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Ella  Norris,  a  daughter  of 
Daniel  and  Mary  Norris,  who  belonged  to 
an  old  Piatt  county  family  and  are  now  liv- 
ing retired  in  Monticello.  Three  children 
have  been  born  unto  them — Mabel,  born 
October  4,  1883;  Harry  J.,  February  11, 
1887;  and  Mary,  March  22,  1890. 

Upright  and  honorable  in  all  his  deal- 
ings, Mr.  Miller  commands  the  respect  and 
Confidence  of  his  business  associates,  and  is 
held  in  high  regard  by  all  with  whom  he 
comes  in  contact  in  any  of  the  relations  of 
life.  He  has  made  a  host  of  warm  personal 
friends  during  his  residence  in  this  county. 
He  takes  an  active  interest  in  public  affairs, 
and  his  support  is  never  withheld  from  any 
enterprise  calculated  to  prove  of  public 
benefit. 


THOMAS  BABB,  a  prosperous  business 
man  of  Thomasboro,  Illinois,  was  born 
December  15,  1841,  in  the  town  of  Great- 
witch,  Staffordshire,  England,  and  is  a  son 
of  Jeffrey  and  Catherine  (Deville)  Babb, 
natives  of  the  same  county.  His  mother's 
ancestry  can  be  traced  back  to  the  time  of 
William  the  Conqueror,  with  whom  the  pro- 
genitors of  the  family  in  England  crossed  the 
channel  from  Normandy.  The  father  of  our 
subject  spent  his  entire  life  in  his  native 
land,  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  and 
died  on  the  farm  where  he  had  lived  many 
years  and  where  his  father  had  lived  before 
him.  After  the  death  of  her  husband  the 
mother  came  to  America  in  December,  1882. 


The  parental  household  included  eleven  chil- 
dren, all  of  whom  lived  to  become  men  and 
women.  They  were  John,  Elizabeth,  Mar- 
garet, Thomas,  Catherine,  Jeffrey,  Jane, 
Ann,  William,  Mary  and  Alice. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  remained  with 
his  parents  until  eighteen  years  of  age, when 
he  commenced  hauling  freight  at  a  railroad 
station,  being  thus  engaged  until  starting 
for  the  United  States.  Being  enterprising 
and  ambitious  he  resolved  to  try  his  fortune 
in  the  new  world,  where  many  of  his  coun- 
trymen had  settled  and  become  prosperous 
citizens.  It  did  not  take  him  long  to  decide 
to  follow  their  example,  nor  to  put  his  re- 
solve into  execution.  In  May,  1860,  he 
sailed  from  Liverpool  and  after  a  voyage  of 
fourteen  days  set  foot  on  American  soil. 
After  a  brief  time  spent  in  New  York  City, 
he  proceeded  to  Licking  county,  Ohio, 
where  he  was  variously  employed  until 
October  of  the  following  year.  He  then 
started  overland  for  Illinois  with  a  team  and 
cow,  and  on  reaching  Champaign  county 
rented  a  farm.  With  his  team  he 
was  enabled  to  earn  the  munificent  income 
of  ninety  cents  per  day,  out  of  which  he 
boarded  himself  and  horses.  Mr.  Babb 
prospered,  however,  and  the  following  spring 
practically  started  in  business  for  himself  by 
renting  a  farm.  He  successfully  operated 
this  one  year,  and  with  the  means  which  he 
had  saved  by  the  closest  economy,  he  pur- 
chased forty  acres  of  prairie  land  in  Mahomet 
township, one-half  of  which  had  been  broken, 
but  no  other  improvements  made.  As  he 
had  a  young  wife  to  care  for,  his  first  labor 
was  to  prepare  a  habitation.  He  erected  a 
small  frame  house,  and  broke  the  remainder 
of  the  land,  but  after  residing  thereon  for 
two  years  he  sold  the  place  and  bought  fifty- 
seven  acres  in  Hensley  township,  which  was 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


645 


in  much  the  same  condition  as  his  late  pos- 
session at  time  of  purchase.  There  he  also 
built  a  house.  A  year  later  he  moved  to  an 
eighty-acre  tract  which  he  had  purchased  in 
Condit  township,  and  occupied  it  for  two 
years,  after  which  he  disposed  of  the  farm 
and  purchased  eighty  acres  of  wild  land  in  • 
the  same  township.  To  the  improvement 
and  cultivation  of  the  latter  tract  he  devoted 
his  energies  for  twelve  years,  during  which 
time  he  transformed  it  into  a  good  farm. 
Renting  it,  he  next  removed  to  Rantoul 
township,  where  he -bought  eighty  acres  ad- 
joining the  village  of  Thomasboro.  By  this 
time  Mr.  Babb  had  obtained  quite  an  in- 
sight into  the  American  method  of  doing 
business,  and  had  become  thoroughly 
Americanized  in  thought  and  action.  In 
1878  he  commenced  buying  and  shipping 
hogs,  and  two  years  later  also  became  in- 
terested in  the  grain  business,  in  both  of 
which  undertakings  he  met  with  success. 
Since  he  started  the  latter  business  Thomas- 
ton  has  become  one  of  the  best  grain  mar- 
kets in  this  section.  By  honorable  and  up- 
dealings  and  strict  attention,  Mr.  Babb 
steadily  prospered  and  from  time  to  time 
added  to  his  farm  property  until  he  now 
owns  several  hundred  acres  comprising  some 
of  the  finest  land  in  Rantoul  and  Condit 
townships.  He  has  sold  his  grain  business 
to  Mr.  Grindly,  and  is  now  engaged  in  buy- 
ing cattle  in  Texas,  where  he  has  spent  the 
last  three  years.  He  was  reared  in  the 
Episcopal  faith,  and  although  not  at  present 
a  member  of  any  religious  denomination, 
he  cherishes  a  profound  respect  for  the  re- 
ligion of  his  parents. 

In  Licking  county,  Ohio,  Mr.  Babb  was 
married,  in  October,  1861,  to  Miss  Eleanor 
Philbrook,  who  was  born  in  that  county,  in 
1837.  They  have  become  the  parents  of 


four  children,  (i)  Jeffrey  E.,  a  prosperous 
farmer  of  Vermilion  county,  Illinois,  married 
Louisa  Appelgate,  of  Thomasboro,  and  they 
hav.e  four  children,  Eleanor,  Hazel,  Blanch 
and  the  baby.  (2)  Lena  A.,  born  in  Cham- 
paign county,  is  the  wife  of  Frank  Lache- 
lyre.  a  farmer  living  southwest  of  Cham- 
paign, and  they  have  one  child,  Lena  A. 
(3)  Cyrus  E.  operates  the  old  home  farm  in 
Rantoul  township,  while  his  own  farm  in 
the  same  township  is  cultivated  by  hired 
men.  He  married  Lena  Baker,  of  Thomas- 
boro, and  they  have  three  children,  Nellie, 
Mauriel  and  Averi).  (4)  Bertha  A.  married 
William  Lachelyre,  a  brother  of  Frank,  and 
a  farmer  of  Rantoul  township,  and  they 
have  two  children,  Iva  and  Lemere. 

Cyrus  Philbrook,  the  father  of  Mrs.  Babb, 
was  a  native  of  Maine,  and  worked  on  his 
father's  farm  in  that  state  until  nearly  of 
age,  when  he  went  to  sea  and  followed  that 
life  for  several  years.  On  leaving  the  water 
he  removed  to  Ohio,  and  engaged  in  fann- 
ing near  Granville  for  a  number  of  years. 
It  was  there  that  most  of  his  children  were 
born.  His  next  home  was  in  Licking  coun- 
ty, Ohio,  where  he  continued  to  follow  farm- 
ing for  about  thirty-five  years.  He  died  at 
the  age  of  about  eighty  years.  He  was  a 
Whig,  but  never  took  an  active  part  in  poli- 
tics, and  in  religious  belief  was  a  B  iptist. 
He  was  quite  a  prominent  man  in  his  com- 
munity and  accumulated  some  property. 
He  married  Anna  Christina  Martin,  who 
was  born  near  Granville, Ohio,  and  they  be- 
came the  parents  of  the  following  children: 
Henry  W.,  a  farmer,  married  Elizabeth 
Pephers,  of  Jersey,  Ohio,  and  died  in  Cali- 
fornia, in  the  summer  of  1899.  Barnabus 
wedded  Mary  Smith,  of  Jersey,  Ohio,  and 
and  died  in  Champaign  county,  Illinois. 
Mary  Ann  is  the  wife  of  Swayne  Williams,  a 


646 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


farmer  of  Jersey,  Ohio.  Phineas  died  at  the 
age  of  eight  years  and  Francis  at  the  age  of 
seventeen.  Americus  died  in  the  Civil  war. 
Christopher  was  killed  in  battle  during  the 
same  conflict.  Mrs.  Babb  is  next  in  order 
of  birth.  David,  a  farmer,  married  Lucinda 
Webster,  of  Delaware  county,  Ohio,  and 
died  in  the  west.  Helena  is  the  wife  of 
Charles  Schimerhorn,  a  farmer  and  black- 
smith of  Harvey,  Illinois.  Elmira  is  the 
wife  of  Daniel  Phillips,  a  farmer  of  Iowa. 
All  were  born  on  the  old  homestead  in  Lick- 
ing county,  Ohio.  The  m'other  died  in 
Thomasboro,  Illinois,  at  the  age  of  about 
eighty  years,  and  enjoyed  good  health  until 
a  short  time  before  her  death. 


GB.  HOLMES,  the  well-known  city 
clerk  and  tax  collector  of  Urbana, 
Illinois,  was  born  in  Trumbull  county,  Ohio, 
August  17,  1852,  and  is  a  son  of  Rev.  John 
L.  and  Rhoda  A.  (Henry)  Holmes,  also  na- 
tives of  Ohio.  The  father  was  a  member 
of  the  Erie  Conference  and  rilled  many  pul- 
pits in  eastern  Ohio  for  many  years.  In 
1858  he  came  to  Illinois,  and  settled  on  a 
farm  twelve  miles  west  of  Champaign,  in 
Champaign  county.  This  was  operated  by 
his  sons,  while  he  acted  as  agent  for  the 
American  Bible  Society  for  ten  years.  Then, 
owing  to  ill  health,  he  lived  retired  upon 
his  farm  for  three  years.  He  died  in  1876, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-three  years.  His  wife 
had  died  three  weeks  previous  at  the  age  of 
sixty-four.  She,  too,  was  a  devout  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  and 
throughout  life  took  an  active  part  in  the 
work  of  both  church  and  Sunday  school. 
In  the  family  were  six  children,  namely: 
(i)  Henry  L.  was  formerly  a  farmer  in  Min- 


nesota, but  is  now  engaged  in  mercantile 
business  in  Hopkinsville,  Kentucky.  (2) 
Rev.  E.  J.  is  a  member  of  the  Florida  Con- 
ference, with  which  he  has  been  connected 
since  the  Civil  war.  In  early  life  he  went 
south  to  engage  in  teaching,  but  when  that 
section  of  the  country  took  up  arms  against 
the  union  he  returned  to  Illinois,  and  taught 
in  Rantoul  for  a  time.  He  has  served  as 
presiding  elder  for  two  terms  and  now  makes 
his  home  in  Tallahassee,  Florida.  ( 3) 
William  H.  is  engineer  on  a  passenger  train 
and  makes  his  home  in  Minneapolis,  Min- 
nesota. (4)  James  Wilbur  is  a  locomotive 
engineer  residing  in  Two  Harbors,  Minne- 
sota. (5)  C.  B.,  our  subject,  is  next  in 
order  of  birth.  (6)  Rollie  A.  is  a  locomo- 
tive engineer  of  Escanaba,  Michigan. 

During  his  boyhood  C.  B.  Holmes  at- 
tended the  public  schools  of  Ohio  and  "also 
of  Champaign  county,  Illinois,  at  the  re- 
moval of  the  family  to  this  state,  and  com- 
pleted his  education  at  the  University  of 
Illinois.  He  entered  the  service  of  the  Big 
Four  railroad  as  night  caller,  in  which  ca- 
pacity he  remained  with  them  for  twelve 
years,  and  was  night  round-house  foreman 
eight  years.  He  was  connected  with  the 
Big  Four  until  1895,  but  in  the  meantime 
was  elected  and  re-elected  city  clerk,  which 
office  he  has  now  filled  since  May,  1877,  to 
the  entire  satisfaction  of  all  concerned.  In 
1895  ne  was  elected  township  collector  and 
has  served  his  fellow  citizens  in  that  capac- 
ity for  four  terms.  During  his  boyhood, 
while  a  resident  of  Ohio,  he  had  his  left 
arm  so  badly  injured  in  a  threshing  ma- 
chine that  it  had  to  be  amputated  above 
the  elbow..  Although  he  had  this  misfor- 
tune to  contend  with,  he  has  made  the 
most  of  his  opportunities,  and  to-day  occu- 
pies a  prominent  position  among  the  public- 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL    RECORD. 


647 


spirited  and  enterprising  citizens  of  Ur- 
bana. 

On  the  23d  of  September,  1878,  Mr. 
Holmes  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Martha  Dempsey,  a  native  of  this  county, 
and  a  daughter  of  John  Dempsey,  of  Ur- 
bana,  who  came  to  this  state  from  Canada. 
To  them  have  been  born  six  children: 
Agnes  E.,  who  graduated  from  the  Urbana 
high  school  in  1897;  Charles  Frederick,  who 
is  now  a  machine  apprentice  in  the  Big  Four 
railroad  shops  of  Urbana,  and  has  received 
high  commendation  for  the  work  he  has  al- 
ready done;  William  Turner,  who  is  learn- 
ing the  tinner's  trade  in  Urbana;  Bessie 
May;  Clara  Booth;  and  Wilbur. 

Mr.  Holmes  is  a  Republican  in  politics, 
and  in  his  social  relations  is  a  member  of 
the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America.  He 
holds  membership  in  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church,  while  his  wife  is  a  Baptist  in 
religious  belief. 


WALTER  S.  ODELL,  a  well-known 
engineer  on  the  Big  Four  Railroad 
residing  in  Urbana.  Illinois,  was  born  in 
Schoharie  county,  New  York,  August  26, 
1856,  and  is  a  son  of  William  S.  and 
Lavinia  Odell,  the  former  a  native  of  New 
York  City,  the  latter  of  the  western  part  of 
the  Empire  state.  For  several  years  the 
father  was  general  manager  of  the  Wagner 
system  of  sleeping  cars  with  headquarters 
at  Buffalo,  New  York,  and  had  formerly 
served  as  conductor  with  the  same  com- 
pany. He  is  now  living  retired  in  Buffalo 
at  a  good  old  age,  and  owns  a  farm  near 
that  city  which  he  rents.  His  wife  died 
about  1891.  In  their  family  were  four 
children,  of  whom  our  subject  is  the  oldest. 


Reed  was  killed  by  being  thrown  from  a 
horse  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years.  Maggie 
died  at  the  age  of  seventeen.  Ida,  the 
youngest,  is  the  wife  of  Charles  Brown,  of 
Buffalo,  who  is  chief  clerk  in  the  New  York 
Central  Railroad  yards  at  East  Buffalo. 

Walter  S.  Odell  was  educated  at  the 
East  Pembroke  Seminary,  Genesee  county, 
New  York,  and  after  leaving  school  began 
his  railroad  career  as  brakeman  on  the 
New  York  Central  Railroad.  He  served  as 
baggage  master  for  a  short  time,  after 
which  he  filled  the  position  of  fireman  for 
about  five  years,  and  was  then  given  au 
engine,  having  now  served  as  engineer  for 
over  twenty-one  years.  In  that  capacity  he 
was  with  the  New  York  Central  Railroad 
for  fourteen  years,  running  a  freight  train 
twelve  years  and  a  passenger  train  two. 
He  left  that  road  on  his  own  account  as  he 
desired  a  change  of  occupation.  On  leav- 
ing that  company,  George  Colburn,  the 
official  engine  dispatcher  at  Rochester,  New 
York,  gave  him  the  following  written  state- 
ment: "  Walter  Odell,  who  is  a  locomo- 
tive engineer  of  twelve  years  experience, 
.  during  which  time  he  was  under  my  super- 
vis:on,  I  always  found  him  competent, 
obliging,  careful  in  all  his  duties,  and 
strictly  temperate.  He  left  the  road  of  his 
own  choosing  and  I  know  of  no  reason  why 
he  should  not  be  employed  by  any  com- 
pany in  need  of  a  competent  engineer.  I 
cheerfully  recommend  him  as  such  and  will 
be  pleased  to  learn  of  his  obtaining  employ- 
ment in  that  capacity,  as  I  am  confident  he 
will  give  entire  satisfaction.  Given  under 
my  hand.  George  Colburn." 

For  two  years  after  leaving  the  New 
York  Central,  Mr.  Odell  was  engaged  in  the 
hotel  business  in  .Syracuse,  New  York,  but 
in  1896  came  to  Urbana,  Illinois,  and  has 


648 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


since  been  one  of  the  trusted  engineers  of 
the  Big  Four  Raifroad.  Although  he  has 
been  in  several  wrecks,  he  has  never  been 
seriously  injured.  He  is  an  honored  mem- 
ber of  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive 
Engineers,  No.  143,  of  Urbana,  and  also 
belongs  to  the  Masonic  Lodge,  No.  475,  of 
Batavia,  New  York.  In  politics  he  is 
independent.  He  is  a  man  of  pleasing 
address,  makes  many  friends  and  is  quite 
popular  with  all  who  know  him. 

In  1879,  Mr.  Odell  married  Miss  Flora 
Dyer,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Almira  Dyer, 
natives  of  New  York,  both  now  deceased. 
She  was  born  in  Genesse  county,  New  York, 
and  educated  in  Darien  Academy,  that  state. 
To  our  subject  and  his  wife  were  born  two 
children.  Bertha  is  the  wife  of  Peter  Green- 
ing, an  engineer  of  Yonkers,  New  York,  and 
they  have  two  children,  Eddie  and  Walter. 
Charles  P.,  the  only  son  of  our  subject,  was 
killed  while  firing  on  a  fast  freight  on  the 
New  York  Central,  in  March,  1899,  when 
not  quite  twenty-one  years  of  age.  He  lived 
only  a  few  hours  after  being  injured.  He 
was  attending  strictly  to  his  duties  when  the 
accident  occurred.  His  death  cast  a  gloom 
over  his  large  circle  of  friends  and  acquaint- 
ances, for  he  was  a  most  promising  young 
man,  well  liked  by  all  who  knew  him. 


JAMES  M.  DUNSETH,  a  well-known 
and  prominent  lawyer  of  Urbana,  Illi- 
nois, with  offices  in  the  Kirkpatrick  Lindsey 
building,  was  born  in  Champaign  county, 
September  22,  1867,  and  is  a  son  of  James 
W.  and  Eliza  Jane  (Connell)  Dunseth,  the 
former  a  native  of  Louisville,  Kentucky, 
the  latter  of  Adams  county,  Ohio.  On  the 
paternal  side  he  is  of  Scotch  descent,  his 
great-grandfather  Dunseth  being  a  native  of 


Scotland.  His  grandparents  were  David 
and  Sarah  (Moore)  Dunseth,  the  latter  also 
of  Scotch  extraction.  Their  children  were 
Robert,  who  married  first  Mary  Bruer,  and 
second  Sarah  A.  Connell,  a  sister  of  our  sub- 
ject's mother;  James  W.,  father  of  our  sub- 
ject; Ann,  who  married  first  Robert  Patten 
and  second  David  Vandevender;  John,  who 
married  Mary  Burnsides,  a  relative  of  Gen- 
eral Burnsides;  David,  who  married  Massey 
Bryan.  Samuel,  who  was  married  twice  but 
the  names  of  his  wives  are  unknown;  Eliza- 
beth, who  married  Abner  Mickings;  Ellen, 
who  married  Silas  Patten;  and  Alexander, 
who  married  Elizabeth  Burnsides,  a  sister 
of  Mary,  previously  mentioned.  Ann,  John, 
David,  Samuel  and  Alexander  are  still 
living. 

Jarnes  W.  Dunseth,  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  young  when  he  removed  with  his 
parents  to  Adams  county,  Ohio,  where  he 
was  married  March  15,  1848,  and  in  the  fall 
of  1852  removed  to  McLean  county,  Illi- 
nois. He  came  to  Champaign  county, 
about  1858.  Throughout  his  early  life  he 
followed  the  occupation  of  farming,  but  in 
1889  located  in  Urbana,  where  he  spent  his 
last  days.  He  was  born  on  Christmas  Day, 
1817,  and  died  December  10,  1894.  He 
was  a  devout  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  and  held  the  offices  ac- 
corded a  layman.  He  always  kept  well  in- 
formed on  the  questions  and  issues  of  the 
day,  but  took  no  active  part  in  politics  aside 
from  voting.  The  only  office  which  he 
would  ever  accept  was  that  connected  with- 
the  schools. 

Mrs.  Eliza  J.  Dunseth,  the  mother  of 
our  subject,  is  still  living,  an  honored  resi- 
dent of  Urbana.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Moses 
and  Nancy  (McColm)  Connell.  Her  father, 
who  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  was  born 


THE    BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


in  Adams  county,  Ohio,  in  June,  1793,  a  son 
of  John  R.  and  Sarah  (Mehaffy)  Connell. 
His  mother  died  January  13,  1826.  She 
had  fifteen  children,  namely:  Rebecca,  born 
in  March,  1792;  Moses,  June,  1793;  Jane 
and  Polly,  twins,  July  28,  1796;  William, 
Decembers,  1798;  Hiram,- September  16, 
1 800; Joseph  Mehaffy,  July  14,  1802;  Nancy, 
February  16,  1804;  John  and  Stephen, 
twins,  February  13,  1806;  Paul  and  Silas, 
twins,  December,  1807;  and  Sarah,  Cath- 
erine and  Greenberry,  the  dates  of  whose 
births  are  unknown.  For  his  second  wife 
John  R.  Connell  married  Rachel  Ellis  and 
had  one  daughter  by  that  union,  Mary,  born 
October  4,  1828.  John  R.  Connell  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania,  June  6,  1767,  and  re- 
moved to  Ohio  soon  after  it  became  a  state, 
becoming  a  pioneer  farmer  of  Adams  coun- 
ty. His  son,  Moses  Connell,  the  maternal 
grandfather  of  our  subject,  came  from  Ohio 
to  Champaign  county,  Illinois,  and  settled 
on  a  farm  near  Homer,  where  he  died  August 
20,  1870.  He  was  a  life-long  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  in  which 
he  served  as  class  leader,  and  he  filled  the 
office  of  school  director  for  many  years. 
He  married  Nancy  McColm,  a  native 
of  North  Carolina,  and  a  daughter  of  Mal- 
colm and  Sarah  McColm,  in  whose  family 
were  six  children,  the  others  being  John, 
David,  Lucinda,  Permelia  and  Eliza.  Moses 
and  Nancy  (McColm)  Connell  had  only  two 
children.  Sarah  Ann,  who  was  born  January 
8,  1822,  and  married  Robert  Dunseth,  an 
uncle  of  our  subject;  and  Eliza  Jane,  who 
was  born  January  2,  1828,  and  is  the  mother 
of  our  subject. 

James  M.  Dunseth,  of  this  review,  is  the 
youngest  in  a  family  of  seven  children,  the 
others  being  as  follows:  (r)  Jennie  N.  was 
married,  in  December,  1868,  to  Isaac  A. 


Yeazel,  a  farmer  of  Sidney,  Illinois,  and 
they  have  five  children,  Orpha,  Wilber, 
Effie,  Leslie  and  Frank.  (2)  David  C. ,  a 
telegraph  operator  for  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  at  Champaign,  was  married,  No- 
vember 14,  1875,  to  Lida  A.  Peters,  and 
they  had  two  children,  Orin  and  De  Clyde, 
both  deceased.  (3)  M.  Bell  died  at  the  age 
of  one  year.  (4)  Ansel  B.,  a  resident  of 
Beason,  Logan  county,  Illinois,  was"  mar- 
ried, May  17,  1880,  to  Jennie  McElvane, 
and  has  three  children,  Claude,  Clara  and 
Sarah.  (5)  Sarah  Ann  was  married  March 
7,  1880,  to  David  C.  Butler,  who  is  engaged 
in  farming  near  Urbana,  and  they  have  six, 
children,  Oliver,  Mable,  Edward,  Ethel, 
Jennie  and  Ray.  (6)  William  Henry,  a 
minister  of  the  United  Brethren  church  at 
Williamsport,  Indiana, was  married  Decem- 
ber 26,  1886,  to  Arilla  B.  Walston,  and  they 
have  one  child,  Cecil. 

James  M.  Dunseth  spent  his  early  life 
upon  the  home  farm,  attending  the  country 
schools  and  aiding  in  the  labors  of  the  fields. 
At  the  age  of  seventeen  he  entered  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  Urbana,  where  he  pursued  a 
literary  course  for  two  years.  Later  he  was 
a  student  at  the  Northern  Illinois  College  of 
Law  for  two  years,  and  was  graduated  from 
that  institution  in  the  class  of  1898.  He 
immediately  opened  an  office  in  Urbana, 
and  has  already  built  up  a  large  and  con- 
stantly increasing  practice.  On  the  2nd  of 
July,  1897,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Fannie  L.  Kirkpatrick,  a  daughter  of 
J.  C. 'and  M.  C.  Kirkpatrick, who  are  repre- 
sented on  another  page  of  this  volume.  She  is 
a  graduate  of  the  New  England  Conservatory 
of  Music  at  Boston,  Massachusetts,  and  has 
been  a  member  of  the  choir  in  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  church  of  Urbana  for  many 
years. 


650 


THE  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


WILSON  WHEATLEY,  who  is  now 
living  a  retired  life  in  the  village  of 
Seymour,  Champaign  county,  Illinois,  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania,  February  26,  1825, 
a  son  of  Mordecai  and  Mary  Wheatley, 
both  of  English  extraction.  The  family  was 
founded  in  this  country  by  three  brothers, 
George,  Isaac  and  James  Wheatley,  who 
settled  in  Pennsylvania,  the  last  named  be- 
ing our  subject's  grandfather,  who  died  in 
Bellaire,  Ohio,  many  years  ago.  Mordecai 
Wheatley,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  1802  on  board  a  ship  while  his  par- 
ents were  coming  to  the  United  States.  In 
1826  he  removed  from  Pennsylvania  to  Tus- 
carawas  connty,  Ohio,  and  settled  on  a 
farm,  our  subject  being  only  one  year  old 
at  that  time.  Later  the  parents  removed 
to  Perry  county,  Illinois.  They  were  de- 
vout members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  and  always  took  an  active  part  in 
the  work  of  church  and  Sunday  school,  the 
father  having  formed  the  first  Methodist 
Episcopal  class  in  thatco.unty.  He  died  in 
1880,  and  his  wife,  who  was  born  in  1803, 
died  in  1881. 

Our  subject  was  one  of  a  family  of  eleven 
children,  the  others  being  as  follows:  John 
served  four  years  and  four  months  in  the 
Second  Illinois  Cavalry  during  the  Civil  war 
and  was  taken  prisoner  at  Holly  Springs, 
Mississippi,  but  soon  managed  to  escape. 
He  was  a  Mason,  and  in  early  life  a  minis- 
ter of  the  Baptist  church,  but  later  preached 
the  doctrines  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  He  died  in  December,  1899,  aged 
seventy-eight  years.  Warren  served  four 
years  in  the  Seventh  Illinois  Volunteer  In- 
fantry, and  was  promoted  tothe  rank  of  com- 
missary sergeant  for  carrying  his  wounded 
colonel  to  the  rear  in  the  thickest  of  the 
fight  at  Fort  Donelson.  Mordecai  served 


four  years  in  the  Twenty-fifth  Illinois  Volun- 
teer Infantry  under  General  John  A.  Logan 
and  U.  S.  Grant  as  orderly.  Reece  died  in 
Champaign  county,  at  the  age  of  fifty-five 
years.  Mary  E.  married  Joseph  Duncan 
and  died  many  years  ago.  Robert,  an  en- 
gineer for  many  years,  died  in  Duquoin, 
Perry  county,  Illinois,  at  the  age  of  forty- 
eight.  Thirza  A.  died  at  the  age  of  two 
years,  and  Isaac  and  George  died  in  early 
childhood  of  scarlet  fever. 

Wilson  Wheatley  left  home  at  the  age 
of  fourteen  years  and  started  out  to  make 
his  own  way  in  the  world  with  only  fifty 
cents  in  his  pocket.  For  two  years  he  led 
a  roving  life,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time 
found  himself  where  Kansas  City  now 
stands,  that  region  being  then  all  wild  and 
unimproved  and  inhabited  principally  by 
Indians.  From  there  he  went  to  Deca- 
tur,  Illinois,  where  he  remained  some  time, 
and  then  came  to  Champaign  county,  where 
he  found  employment  with  B.  F.  Harris,  in 
whose  employ  he  remained  fourteen  years. 
In  the  meantime  he  saved  his  earnings  and 
invested  in  a  farm.  In  1848,  when  many 
people  were  going  to  California,  he  de- 
cided to  join  them.  Accordingly  he 
sold  his  farm  and  secured  the  necessary 
outfit,  which  cost  him  twelve  hundred 
dollars.  With  two  hundred  and  six  persons 
he  started  overland,  but  on  reaching  Bear 
creek  was  taken  ill  and  left  in  the  care  of 
Dr.  Liggon,  who  had  accompanied  the 
train  from  Omaha.  The  Doctor  took  him 
back  to  that  city  and  later  to  his  home  in 
Platt  county,  Missouri,  while  the  emigrant 
train  moved  on,  taking  our  subject's  outfit. 
All  were  murdered  in  the  Mt.  Meadow 
massacre,  our  subject  being  the  only  one 
to  escape.  Later  he  went  to  St.  Louis, 
and  in  March,  1849,  returned  to  Champaign 


THE   BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


65r 


county  and  resumed   work  with  his  former 
employer,  B.  F.  Harris. 

In  April,  1851,  Mr.  Wheatley  married 
Miss  Jane  Mary  Dale,  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, where  her  parents,  Moses  and  Susan 
(Wise)  Dale,  were  also  born,  but  during  her 
childhood  the  family  removed  to  Ohio. 
She  was  the  second  in  order  of  birth  in  a 
family  of  seven  children,  the  others  being 
John,  Thomas,  Richard,  Jemima,  Susan 
and  Isaac,  all  now  deceased  with  the  ex- 
ception of  Thomas,  a  farmer  of  Mahomet 
township,  this  county,  and  Isaac,  a  resident 
of  Russell  county,  Kansas.  Nine  children 
were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wheatley, 
namely:  Mary  is  the  wife  of  Marshall  Keith, 
a  farmer  of  Russell  county,  Kansas;  Susan 
R.  is  the  wife  of  James  McDowell,  who  was 
formerly  a  farmer,  but  is  now  sergeant  at 
the  Soldiers'  Home  in  Fort  Dodge.  Kansas; 
John  Charles  Fremont  married  Mattie  Sul- 
lens,  and  is  engaged  in  the  livery  business 
in  Russell  county,  Kansas;  Emma  Panola  is 
the  wife  of  Charles  Darst,  a  retired  farmer 
of  Mexico,  Missouri;  Alice  is  the  wife  of 
Ezra  Cade,  who  owns  a  large  stock  ranch 
in  Russell  coiinty,  Kansas;  Mordecai  mar- 
ried Kate  Miller,  of  Champaign  county,  and 
is  now  engaged  in  the  agricultural  imple- 
ment business  in  Seymour,  Illinois;  Minnie 
is  now  studying  Delsarte  and  elocution  in 
Chicago,  and  is  an  active  worker  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  Sunday 
school;  William  W.  married  Mamie  Stew- 
art, and  is  a  mechanic  living  in  Seymour; 
and  Didona  Bell  taught  school  for  seven 
years 'prior  to  her  marriage,  and  is  now  the 
wife  of  Jesse  Mitchell,  a  farmer  of  Ma- 
homet township,  this  county.  The  wife 


and  mother,  who  was  an  active  and  con- 
sistent member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  for  over  twenty-five  years,  died  in 
December,  1887. 

In  1860  Mr.  Wheatley  purchased  a 
farm  in  Hensley  township,  which  he  oper- 
ated many  years,  and  then  sold  and  bought 
a  house  and  lot  in  the  village  of  Seymour, 
bnt  he  lived  for  several  years  after  the 
death  of  his  wife,  but  for  the  past  three 
years  has  made  his  home  with  his  children. 
As  a  farmer  he  met  with  well-deserved  suc- 
cess and  became  q-iite  well-to-do.  For 
over  forty  years  he  has  been  an  earnest 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
and  has  filled  the  offices  of  steward  and 
collector.  Socially  he  has  been  a  member 
of  the  Odd  Fellows  Society  for  over  forty- 
four  years  and  has  occupied  all  the  chairs 
in  that  order.  In  early  life  he  was  a  Henry 
Clay  Whig,  and  since  the  dissolution  of 
that  party  has  been  a  stanch  Republican, 
casting  his  first  presidential  vote  for  Zach- 
ary  Taylor.  He  was  well-acquainted  with 
Abraham  Lincoln,  and  in  memory  goes 
back  to  many  pleasant  times  spent  with  the 
martyr  president.  As  a  young  man  he  was 
quite  a  sportsman,  delighting  in  horse  rac- 
ing, foot-racing,  wrestling,  etc.  He  is  one  of 
the  old  and  honored  residents  of  the  county, 
and  can  relate  many  interesting  incidents  of 
pioneer  days.  While  with  Mr.  Harris  he 
used  to  go  to  either  Peoria  or  Bloomington 
to  mill,  a  distance  of  forty  miles,  and  made 
many  trips  with  ox  teams  to  Covington, 
Indiana,  for  salt  and  other  supplies.  He 
has  probably  split  more  rails  than  any  other 
man  in  the  county,  and  has  endured  all  the 
hardships  and  privations  of  pioneer  life. 


PAGE 

Abernathy,  Robert 141 

Ahlrichs,  August 273 

Ahrens,  Henry  C 100 

Aid,  Charles 596 

Alpers,  Dr.  John  H 329 

Arnold,  Cyrus 446 

Arnold,  Victor '. 463 

Babb,  Arthur 581 

Babb,  Charles  D 478 

Babb,  Milton 572 

Babb,  Thomas 644 

Bacon,  Tuell  M 243 

Bailey,  David 16 

Bainum,  J.  Harvey 70 

Baldwin,  Charles  H 433 

Baldwin,  Clarence  L 486 

Ball,  RobertG 543 

Banes,  Horatio  G 71 

Barber,  Frederick  J 557 

Barry,  Rev.  John 373 

Battershell,  James 233 

Beardsley,  John  W 14 

Beatty,  Calvin 534 

Beisser,  Frederick  A 271 

Bellinger,  Jacob  A.. 508 

Bennett,  Jonah 364 

Besore,  George 103 

Bireley,  Louis  R 276 

Black,  Wallace 542 

Black,  William 33 

Blackshaw,  Edward 130 

Blaine.  Edward  W 236 

Blue,  James  P 284 

Bond,  Albert  C 495 

Bragg,  John 221 

Braithwaite,  Richward  W 283 

Bridges,  Charles  M 620 

Briggs,  S.  C 627 

Brown,  Isaac  377 

Buch,  Jacob 72 

Buckles,  Harness  R 211 

Burke,  Arthur  M 93 

Burnham,  Albert  C. .". 9 

Burr,  Franklin  E.*. 378 

Burr,  John  N 396 

Burrill,  Thomas  1 1350 

Burres,  Dr.  William  F 618 

Busey,  James  B 525 


PAGE 

Busey,  R.  R 418 

Busey,  Samuel   T 615 

Butler,  Calvin  B 356 

Cailey,  John  L 404 

Campbell,  Archibald  B 595 

Canaday,  Gilbert  F 393 

Cannon,  Daniel  E 640 

Carle,  Albert  G 263 

Carley,  Mark 289 

Carnahan,  Franklin  G 205 

Carpenter,  James  M 63 

Carter,  John 494 

Chadwick,  Harry  W 375 

Chaffee,  Dr.  Heman 339 

Cherry,    William..; 20 

Chester,  Elias  0 498 

Chester,  Ezra  E 546 

Chester,  Hubert 346 

Clark,  A.  J 229 

Clark,  Jesse  H 431 

Clark,  John  G 56 

Clark,  William  R 395 

Coffey,  Thomas 85 

Columbia,  Curtis  F 54 

Cook,  William 586 

Cosner,  William  H.' 612 

Craig,  James  M 246 

Cranston,  Julius 594 

Craw,  George  B 456 

Craw,  James  W 427 

Cross,  Abram  D 593 

Cunningham,  Joseph  0 26 

Dale,  F.  L.  &  C.  W 327 

Dale,  Thomas 515 

Darrah,  Thomas  0 419 

Davidson,  Capt.  Joseph 468 

Davis,  Wiley 492 

I  >avis,  Robert 567 

Day,  John 609 

Deere,  Moses 291 

DeLong,  Charles'  G 421 

Dick,  Eli  H 4.H4 

Dilling,  Jacob  R 337 

Dobbins,  Oliver  B  255 

Dodson,  William '_'!  "> 

I  Jnnoghue,  Edward 597 

Doty,  Joseph 442 


PAGE 

Draper,  Andrew  S 386 

Dresback,  John 358 

Dresser,  Rev.  David  W 400 

Dunseth,  James  M 648 

Eagleton,  Charles  M 153 

Ehler,  Gerd 266 

Emig,  Zachariah 226 

Eversole,  Henley 380 

Fackler,  William 414 

Fauley,  Armstead  M 126 

Fielding,  Isaac 639 

Finch,  Dr.  James  H 103 

Fitzgerald,  James 245 

Fluck,  Martin  J 275 

Flynn,  George  W 106 

Foster,  Ejdward 96 

Fox,  Samuel  C 66 

Frankeberger,  George  527 

Free,  William  H 124 

Freeman,  Henry  B 529 

Gardiner,  J.  C 360 

Gensel,  Z.  T 244 

Gehrke,  Charles 225 

Geiger,  George  F 75 

Gill,  Rudolph  Z 60 

Gilmore,  William  J 575 

Glascock,  A.  B 320 

Graves,  Samuel 331 

Gregory,  John  M 368 

Groves,  Rev.  Isaac 625 

Groves,  Dr.  John  1 125 

Gulick,  Jesse  R 170 

Haines,  Charles  A 254 

Hall,  Albert  T •     94 

Hammer,  Jacob   T 384 

Hannan,  Bernard 250 

Harbison,  Baxter  D 43 

Hardy,  William   Fisk 84 

Hartford,  Dr.  William 146 

Hartman,  A.  H 89 

Hayward,   Jacob 503 

Hazen,  Hordce 485 

Hebel,  Charles 231 

Heller,  Joshua 25 

Herbstreit,  Jacob  F 140 


654 


INDEX. 


PAGE 

Hewerdine,  George 505 

Hewerdine,   William  517 

Hicks,  Doctor  Samuel  J 477 

Hill,  Warren  M 361 

Hill,  William 152 

Hinton,  D.  F.  I) ' 482 

Hinton,  John  H 530 

Hoffman,  Charles  P 629 

Holmes,  C.  B 646 

Hough,  Sanford 363 

Howard.  Ur.  H.  C 36 

Hubbard,  George  W 134 

Hubbard,  Thomas  S 76 

Hume,  James  H 564 

Hummel,  Henry 610 

Hummel,  Jr.,  Philip 603 

Ireland,  Edward  C 186 

Ijams,  Burt  Gordon 154 

James,  Mrs.  Lucy  J 540 

Jessee,  Dr.  R.  E.  L 403 

Jones,  Henry  T 429 

Johnston,  Richard 559 

Karcher,  George .' . . .  319 

Keach,  John  W 476 

Kenney,  Andrew  M 373 

Kirkpatrick,  John  C 193 

Kilbury,  Mortimer 340 

Kellogg,  O.  P 634 

Klein,  Peter 287 

Kratz,  Dr.  Edwin  A 61 

Kyle,  Thomas  B 34 

Lamb,  Andrew  J « 521 

Lanam,  Stewart 512 

Lange,  Franc  H 220 

Larkin,  Eugene  B 532 

Lawder,  John  W 206 

Leal,  Thomas  R 52 

Lee,  James  H 570 

Lehman,  Daniel  M 293 

Lenington,  Wade 347 

Lenington,  William 82 

Lester,  David  H 607 

Lester,  Jonas 531 

Lindley,  Walter  W ...  121 

Lindstrum,  Andrew  J 252 

Lloyde,  F.  H 280 

Loomis,  Oliver  P 164 

Lorenz,  Lewis  H 606 

Lumsden,  John  T 156 

Lutz,  George  H 92 

Lyons,  William  B 576 

McCann,  James 239 

McCarty,  George  E 232 

McClurg,  John  A 269 

McCoy,  Patrick 424 

McHugh,  Thomas  W. : 101 

Mclntyre,  Daniel  P 410 

McKinley,  James  B 636 

McLean,  Lewis  A 314 

Manspeaker,  Lewis  V 185 

Martin,  J.  B 638 

Massey,  Lorenzo  Dow 151 


PAGE 

Mathews,  Hon.  M.  W 176 

Maxwell,  George  F 484 

Meharry,  Abraham  P. 577 

Meharry,  Jesse 536 

Meharry,  William 518 

Miebach,  William 216 

Miller,  Andrew  J 22 

Miller,  William  H 642 

Miller,  W.  A 643 

Miller,  William  R 496 

Mills,  Dr.  Milton  H 102 

Mitchell,  Hugh 466 

Montgomery,  Geo.  W 462 

Morfey,  William 507 

Morgan,  William  F 624 

Morgan,  William  H 325 

Morris,  Rev.  Nathan  S.. 173 

Mosier,  Dr.  P.  C 303 

Mudge,  William  W 323 

Mullin,  W.  A 181 

Munhall,  James 253 

Murphy,  William  A 330 

Myers,  Robert  J 454 

Neblock,  S.  N 45 

Nelson,  Myron 584 

Newcomb,  Dr.  William  K 64 

Nichols,  Hezekiah  S 472 

Nicolet,  J.  G 413 

Nofftz,  Charles 464 

Nogle,  David 444 

Nye,  John  E 308 

O'Brien,  Joseph 160 

Odell,  Walters 647 

O'Neal,  William  B 302 

Owen,  Henry  C  458 

Paine,  Andrew  J 392 

Parker,  Isaac  N «  608 

Parks,  Milton  S 309 

Parnell,  Douglas 569 

Pattengale,  Thomas  J 135 

Pell,  Frederick 312 

Peters,  Frederick  J 383 

Pettenger,  George  C 285 

Pf  isterer,  August 136 

Porterfield,  L.  Wilson 348 

Potter,  S.  William 590 

Prather,  Benjamin  P 261 

Price,  William 196 

Pulliam,  William 342 

Quayle,  John 224 

Ramey,  Mrs.  Harriet   H 481 

Ratts,  Dr.  R.  P 440 

Rearden,  James  493 

Reed,  Rev.  S.  K 133 

Reimund,  John 143 

Renner,  E.  H.  &  Bro 40 

Rice,  Arthur 294 

Rice,  David 562 

Rice,  Samuel  D 402 

Richards,  J.  A 123 

Richards,  Patrick... 86 

Richardson,  James  1 558 


PAGE 

Rittenhouse,  Joseph  H 582 

Richmond,  J.  W 565 

Roberts,  Joseph  T 439 

Robinett,  Hezekiah 514 

Robinson,  Hugh  J 501 

Roughton,  William  H 112 

R  oyal,  William  S 150 

Rush,  David 513 

Russell,  Elias 116 

Sabin,  Calvin  J 633 

Sackrider,  George 544 

Sadorus,  George  B 600 

Sadorus,  Jesse  M 506 

Saffell,  W.  1 200 

Sale,  Dr.  Frank  O 105 

Savage,  John  H 190 

Sawdey,  OrenB 631 

Sawyer,  John  B 599 

Schenk,  Anthony 561 

Schu^rich,  Dr.  Joseph 385 

Scheurich,  Martin 412 

Seeber,  George  M 545 

Sheffer,  George  K 210 

Sheldon,  Hon.  J.  C 332 

Shepherd,  Henry  B 554 

Shurtz,  Richard  E 121 

Shurtz,  Straut  W 119 

Sim,  William 622 

Singbusch,  August  C 115 

Skinner,  George 113 

Smith,  Joshua 452 

Smith,  Motimer 488 

Smith,  Thomas  J 630 

Smyres,  Lewis  A 637 

Somers,  William  D 13 

Sperling,  August 588 

Sperling,  Frederick 585 

Spore,  Dr.  J.D 51 

Spradling,  Alfred 166 

Stacker,  John  E 272 

Stark,  Rev.  Edgar  C 219 

Staubus,  Alexander  F 598 

Stedman,  Rev.  W.  H 194 

Stephens,  B.  C 161 

Stewart,  Arthur  R 326 

Stewart,  Thomas  P 306 

Strong,  Mrs.  Mary  B 191 

Stevenson,  S  G . . 614 

Stitt,  William  E 27C 

Suessmith,  Rev.  William 144 

Swayze,  William  H 556 

Tackett,  Walker  B 74 

Talbott,  James  A 432 

Tanner,  John  W 535 

Taylor  Joseph  D 467 

Tierney,  John 235 

Thomas,  Charles  D 184 

Thorpe,  James 275 

Towne,  Walter  H 366 

Trotter,  John  F 611 

Tucker,  Alanson  P 110 

Turner,  Isaac 408 

Turner,  Dr.  John  W 344 

Twin  City  Ice  &  Cold  Storage 
Co...  .  318 


INDEX. 


655 


Unzicker,  Julius  K.. 


PAGE 

.  613 


Voss,  John  A 213 

Wade,  Edmund  R 474 

Wagner,  Rev.  A.  J 163 

Walker,  William 399 

Wall,  Dr.  Albert  S 81 

Warner,  George 524 

Warnes,  William 182 

Watkins,  John  R 365 


PAGE 

Wiggins,  H.  J 390 

\\Ynver,  Leslie  A 628 

Webber,  George  G 260 

Webster,  Joel  V 256 

Weeks,  Simeon  E 131 

Wheatley,  Wilson 650 

White,  Davison 397 

Williamson,  Dr.  George  L 317 

Williamson,  William 202 

Williamson,  Peter 553 

Williams,  Simeon   S 522 


PAGE 

Wilson,  James  R 604 

Winchester,  Samuel  E 281 

Wright,  Francis  M 46 

Wright,  Hon.  R.  C 299 

Wright,  Robert 443 

Wrisk,  Charles  N 423 

Yeats,  Andrew  J 201 

Yeats,  John  E 175 

Zerbe,  John  J 526 

Zimmer,  J.  F 455 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 


THE  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD  OF  CHAMPAIGN  COU 


